Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s success at Inter-Services Rowing Championships
Rowers from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have just returned from the UK after a hugely successful visit to the Inter-Services Rowing Championships, held in Peterborough.
Representing the Army in five races against the Royal Navy, the RAF and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the RGR crews won in three of their five events. They were successful in the Senior Double Sculls, the Senior Coxed Fours and the Senior Eights.
“We have always sent at least one crew to represent the Army for the last fifteen years”, said Captain Stuart Bensadon, the team’s captain.
“Our main rivals are usually Sandhurst who usually include a few international oarsmen in their crews. But this is the first time that we’ve won both the Coxed Fours and the Eights in the same year.”
“The guys didn’t have much chance to train in Gibraltar before we left”, added Stuart.
“So once we’d arrived in UK we started on an intensive programme of 20 – 25 kms every day.”
Two members of the RG crew took a clean sweep of gold medals. Privates Jonathan Falero and Nicholas Podesta won the Double Sculls and were members of both the Coxed Fours and the Senior Eights.
“The Army gave us a lot of support from their boathouse at Eton”, said Stuart adding:
“Their facilities are of Olympic standard.”
The team even managed to return from UK with a suntan as the races took place during a prolonged spell of hot, sunny weather.
In the week prior to the Inter-Services Championships, the RGR team participated in the Army Rowing Championships where they won seven events and came second in a further two events.
Summarising on their rowing successes, Captain Stuart Bensadon concluded:
“Private Luke Holden had never even been in a boat before last week’s Army championships but he and Lieutenant Jamie Allen won the Novice Doubles.
And the Commanding Officer doesn’t know yet, but the Dutch military have invited an RGR crew to go over to Holland later this year to take part in some of their events”
Crews:
Coxed Fours: TBA
Senior Eights: TBA
Source: HQ British Forces Gibraltar - Media Ops Press Release - Ref: SIG/06/06 - 13 June 2008
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