Cold, wet and horrible were the conditions for the Carrow Cup event in Norwich on Saturday 12th December. Despite the weather 11 traditional boats mustered on the start line in the centre of Norwich ready to compete in a 3200 metre race over a course which has been the scene of rowing competitions for more than 200 years.
Crews from Lower Thames RC, Southend RC, Blakeney CRA, King's Lynn CRC and Norfolk Skiff Club had answered the invitation of Norwich Rowing Club and brought a variety of boats to the River Wensum. Because of the diversity of boats and crews, the race for the Bicentenary Bowl is a handicapped event. Smaller boats getting a time advantage, but all must have fixed seats and no outriggers.
Once again Lower Thames swept the board, with the ladies in their new Celtic Longboat setting a blistering time, which could only be matched by the Lower Thames men in their Spirit Gig Dauntless. However, in this race, the ladies get a 10% time advantage, which was quite sufficient to give them a lead of more than a minute on corrected time.
In the St Ayles Skiff race, the Blakeney men overturned last year's victory by Blakeney ladies, who were beaten by just one second on corrected time by King's Lynn in Lynn Rewet. This was the first time that King's Lynn had attended this event, but their visit will be remembered for their traditional yellow oilskin rig and accompanying flock of seagulls.
In the St Ayles Skiff race, the Blakeney men overturned last year's victory by Blakeney ladies, who were beaten by just one second on corrected time by King's Lynn in Lynn Rewet. This was the first time that King's Lynn had attended this event, but their visit will be remembered for their traditional yellow oilskin rig and accompanying flock of seagulls.
After the race the crews enjoyed the hospitality of Norwich Rowing Club at their new Whitlingham headquarters. Jonathan Hooton, chairman of the Norwich Society, presented the Bicentenary Bowl to the Lower Thames ladies and an engraved plaque to the 2014 winning crew, also from Lower Thames. Jonathan explained that The Society's support for this event was part of a plan to breath new life into riverside Norwich. The city had turned its back on the river, which had been the reason for its existence and the centre of activity in earlier centuries.
Nigel Kippin, captain of Norwich Rowing Club, thanked all who had made the event such a success and invited everyone to return next year.
RESULTS
| Start | Cox | Club | Boat type | Boat Name | Elapsed | Corrected | ||
| No. | Time | Time | ||||||
| 1 | 28 | Jackson-Smith | Lower Thames RC | Celtic longboat | Victory | F | 00:21:34 | 00:18:14 |
| 2 | 26 | Gaze | Lower Thames RC | Randan Skiff | Hornet | M | 00:23:22 | 00:19:22 |
| 3 | 25 | Alder | Lower Thames RC | Skiff | Leigh Ho | M | 00:23:28 | 00:19:27 |
| 4 | 26 | Chinnery | Lower Thames RC | Spirit gig | Dauntless | M | 00:20:58 | 00:19:27 |
| 5 | 27 | Southend CRC | Seax Gig | Rozinante | M | 00:21:50 | 00:20:52 | |
| 6 | 27 | Budds | Lower Thames RC | Spirit gig | Spirit of Dunkirk | F | 00:25:51 | 00:21:35 |
| 7 | 29 | Combe | CRA Blakeney | St Ayles skiff | Bluejacket | M | 00:25:02 | 00:21:51 |
| 8 | 30 | Therrien | Lower Thames RC | Spirit gig | Spirit of Trafalgar | M | 00:23:55 | 00:22:12 |
| 9 | 31 | Hodge | Norfolk Skiff Club | Thames skiff 26' | Cherub | M | 00:24:47 | 00:22:36 |
| 10 | 32 | Kings Lynn CRC | St Ayles skiff | Lynn Rewet | M | 00:27:07 | 00:23:40 | |
| 11 | 24 | Duffill | CRA Blakeney | St Ayles skiff | Hoi Larntan | F | 00:30:08 | 00:23:41 |
