Mediterranean Rowing Club Competes with Determination at British National Club Championships

From July 18th to 22nd, the Mediterranean Rowing Club proudly represented Gibraltar at the prestigious British National Club Championships, held at the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont Country Park in Nottingham. This event, the UK’s premier club rowing competition, drew an impressive attendance of 162 clubs and over 1100 participants from across the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.
The level of competition was exceptionally high this year, with many athletes aiming to achieve times that could secure potential national selection. The Mediterranean Rowing Club entered three crews: a J16 Coxed Four comprising Jake Piri (Stroke), Sebastian Sheehan-Galia, Michael McKay, Ian Brittenden, with Daisy Walker as cox; Hannah Gomez-Goldwin in the J16 Single Sculls; and Julian Galea competing in the J18 Single Sculls as well as a composite J18 Pairs crew with Stan Bielanowicz of Calpe Rowing Club.
Julian Galea, attending his first Junior 18 level event shortly after turning 17, posted a commendable 6:01 in his 1500m time trial, finishing 33rd out of 87 competitors. This qualified him for Final F, where he secured 4th place. Hannah Gomez-Goldwin also delivered a strong performance in her 1500m time trial against 67 scullers, finishing 28th with a time of 6:51. She went on to place 3rd in Final E with a time of 9:24.
The J16 Coxed Four rowed a solid 5:32 in their time trial to advance to the semi-finals. Facing intense competition, they posted a time of 7:58 in the semis to reach Final B, where they finished 6th with a respectable 7:46.
This year also saw the Club deploying their newly acquired state-of-the-art branded marquee, made possible thanks to the kind sponsorship of Xapo Bank. While Xapo Bank is widely known for sponsoring Aston Villa FC, it also places a strong focus on supporting small, Gibraltar-based amateur sports — a very welcome development. Their culture of blending history with modern developments, clearly reflected in their Headquarters at Casemates, has enabled the 126-year-old Club to provide crews with a comfortable and sheltered rest area between events.
A notable highlight of the weekend was the historic collaboration between Mediterranean Rowing Club’s Julian Galea and Calpe Rowing Club’s Stan Bielanowicz in the J18 Pairs. Despite the evident strain of back-to-back competition, the pair completed their 1500m time trial in 5:28, earning 4th place in a fiercely competitive field of 18 crews. They improved further in the semi-final, finishing 2nd to the eventual winners, which secured their place in Final A. In the final, competing against the UK’s top pairs, they finished 5th out of 6 crews with a time of 7:29.
Overall, it was a demanding weekend of rowing for the Mediterranean Rowing Club athletes, but the experience provided invaluable insight into the increasing standards of competition at this event. The rowers gained an important benchmark against their UK counterparts and took away clear goals for the coming season’s training and development.
Equally encouraging was the success of the composite crew featuring members from both Mediterranean and Calpe Rowing Clubs. While the historic rivalry between these clubs will continue in local races, this collaboration promises to open new doors for athlete development in Gibraltar, enabling rowers to compete more effectively at higher levels.