First team over line in 40th Sark-Jersey Rowing Race to try for 50th

Thursday 30 June 2016

One of Jersey’s top men’s squads, Logicalis, are attempting to win the ‘Channel TV’ trophy for the first fixed seat boat over the line during this year’s Sark to Jersey Rowing Race, and if the sea conditions allow, beat the existing fixed seat record set in 1987.

The 2016 Logicalis crew of Guy Hinks, Simon Haywood, Roly Du Heaume, Dave Troy and cox Kim Ashplant have over 100 Sark to Jersey race finishes between them including a number of race wins.

They were the first boat over the line in the 40th Sark to Jersey race, the last time a fixed seat boat took line honours. They made the decision a couple of years ago to go back to the traditional roots of the race and row this years’ 50th race in a fixed seat boat.

Taking place this Saturday, 2nd July, the course takes competitors from the start in Dixcart Bay across open water to the Paternosers reef, where they turn and follow Jersey’s north coast towards Bonne Nuit Bay. By the time they arrive in Jersey they will have rowed over 19 nautical miles with cross tides and the infamous choppy outfalls off Sark.

Guy Hinks, Captain of the Logicalis squad, said: “When we received honours in 2006, we had a 25-minute start over the rest of the faster sliding seat boats, a luxury we will not have this year as the handicap start was scrapped in 2007. Sliding seat rowing was still in its infancy within the Channel Islands at the time, so the head start we had was very much in our favour.

“Even if we were to be given the same 25-minute start this year, the chances of being anywhere near the front by the finish would be very slim. The crews and boat design have improved significantly over the last few years, reducing the records and overall times in almost every class by huge margins.”

A Jersey Logicalis team set the Sliding Seat record for Mens Fours in 2014, when the team, which included James Salkeld, Paul Coutanche, Stephen Reed, Simon De Feu and Tash Paling (cox), made it across the water in just 1hr 47mins 13secs.

Tom Bale, Business Development and Technical Director, Logicalis, said: “This is going to be an exciting race. It’s great to see the team taking to the water again 10 years on from their magnificent finish. It will be an even bigger challenge this time round, but the team have been training hard and are determined to do well.”