Harper leads the way to help Banbury just edge out rivals

Tight racing on the choppy Oxford Canal saw hosts Banbury squeeze a two-point victory over Falcon on Sunday with club juniors leading the way.

In the K1 races, Harper’s form continued in division three with another win and promotion while Daniel O’Donnell won division six and gained promotion while Toby Hext won division eight.

In the K2 category, Joe Petersen and William McCracken won division two.

Jessie Urquhart was second in division seven and promoted while John Carlo Dimaculangan, in his first ever race, came second in division nine and was promoted at the first attempt.

Arthur Urquhart was third in division two and Shaun Harte came third in division three to gain promotion.

Robin Flack and Luke Johnson came third and fourth respectively in division four and both were promoted.

In the K2 category, Ali Duncan and Dave Gallimore were second in division four, while Graham Warland and Will Austin came second in division five.

Siobhan Urquhart and Helen Harper were third in division six, while Irene Hills and Dawn Buzzard came second in division seven, and Zoe Dyndor and Jacqui Smith were second in division eight.

Annelies Flack gained promotion from division five, as did James Mitchell in division six, Ben Keyser, Oliver Jault and Dawn Simpkins in division eight, and Sam Pearce, Steve Perry and Edith Lobban in division nine.

Banbury dominated the Lightning races, winning by nearly 300 points.

Rosa Davison won the under-12 girls race, with the fastest time of the day. Joshua Perry won the under-12 boys, Izzy Bayliss won the under-10 girls and William Larner was second in the under-10 boys.

In the K2 category, William Pepper and Joshua Perry won the under-12 boys with Rosa Davison and a Turuo paddler second, with Amelia Akhtar Haley and a Pangbourne paddler coming third.

In the under-10 section, Etain Barry was second in the under-10 category with a Foy paddler and William Larner and Elizabeth Harte finished third.