St Andrews Rowers Shine Across Home and International Beach Sprint Competitions

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Wednesday 26 August 2026

University of St Andrews athletes produced a series of outstanding performances across three major beach sprint rowing events this month, claiming championship titles, podium finishes and international recognition as the coastal rowing season approaches its climax.

The successes came at the Scottish Rowing Beach Sprint and Offshore Championships in St Andrews, the Jersey Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships, and the Baltic Beach Sprint Championships in Lithuania, underlining the continued growth of the University’s high-performance coastal rowing programme.

Home Success at Scottish Championships

Competing on home waters at East Sands Beach on 22 and 23 August, University of St Andrews athletes delivered an impressive medal haul at the 2026 Scottish Rowing Beach Sprint and Offshore Championships.

Saturday’s racing took place in challenging conditions, with a large swell running across the course and light winds testing competitors’ technical skills.

Cam Buchan enjoyed a standout weekend, securing victory in the Men’s Single Scull and second place in the Mixed Double Scull. Partnering Clare Jamison of Christchurch RC, Buchan claimed silver in the Mixed 2x before returning to win the Men’s 1x title.

There was further St Andrews success in the Mixed 2x, with Rosa Thomson and Estonia’s Marcus Viks sharing third place, while Hansine Marshall and Tom Mitchell finished sixth and Cameron Khan and Meg Hewison placed tenth.
The University’s adaptive rowing programme also celebrated success as Colin Wallace and Kirsty McRobb of Glasgow University won the Inclusion Mixed Double Scull title.

In the individual events, Tish Searson secured silver in the Women’s Single Scull, while Tom Mitchell narrowly missed the Men’s podium in fourth place after recording the fastest time trial of the competition. Cameron Khan finished seventh in the Men’s Single Scull, with Natasha Phillips and Hansine Marshall placing seventh and eighth respectively in the Women’s event.

Jersey Victories Earn British Rowing Recognition

Earlier in the month, St Andrews athletes dominated the singles events at the Jersey Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships in St Helier from 7 to 9 August.

Competing in calm waters and sunny conditions, Tish Searson led a St Andrews clean sweep of top performances in the Women’s Coastal Single Scull, taking overall victory ahead of team-mate Natasha Phillips in second place. Hansine Marshall added another strong result with a fourth-place finish.

In the Men’s Coastal Single Scull, Tom Mitchell secured overall victory, while Colin Wallace claimed first place in the PR3 category.

The performances were further rewarded when all four athletes were invited to the final stage of testing for the British Rowing Beach Sprint Team, highlighting the national recognition earned through their results.

International Podium for Thomson in Lithuania

At the same time as the Jersey championships, Rosa Thomson represented herself on the international stage at the 2026 Baltic Beach Sprint Championships in Klaipeda, Lithuania.

The event was heavily affected by severe weather, with racing postponed for a day due to large waves and high winds. Conditions remained challenging when competition resumed, with athletes required to wear helmets during racing on Sunday morning.

Despite the demanding conditions, Thomson produced an excellent performance to claim second place in the Mixed Double Scull. The championship also served as part of the selection process for the Estonian National Team, adding further significance to her result.

Strong Four Nations Series Standings

The Jersey and Scottish championships formed the final two rounds of the Four Nations Coastal Sculling Series, which also included earlier championships in England and Wales.

Following consistent performances throughout the four-event series, St Andrews athletes feature prominently in the overall senior standings.

In the Senior Men’s competition, Cam Buchan and Tom Mitchell finished joint runners-up behind Chris Thompson.
In the Senior Women’s standings, Tish Searson placed second overall, Natasha Phillips finished fourth, and Hansine Marshall secured fifth place.

A National Centre of Excellence

The success of St Andrews athletes across domestic and international competition continues to reinforce the University’s reputation as one of the leading centres for coastal rowing development in the UK.

Recognised by British Rowing as a GB Beach Sprints Performance Development Academy and a Satellite GB Training Venue, the University of St Andrews plays an important role in supporting athletes on the national performance pathway.

Through its partnership with British Rowing, Scottish Rowing, and sportscotland, the programme provides high-quality coaching, facilities and competitive opportunities that help athletes progress towards international selection.

The results achieved this month, including national championship titles, podium finishes, invitations to the final stage of British Rowing team testing, and international success in Lithuania, highlight the strength and depth of talent being developed within the programme. As beach sprint rowing continues to grow ahead of its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, St Andrews is helping to shape the next generation of British athletes in the discipline.

Eyes on International Competition

With the domestic season drawing to a close, several St Andrews athletes will now turn their attention to major international events later this year.

Upcoming competitions include the 2026 European Beach Sprint Finals on 16 to 17 September, the 2026 Home International Regatta on 19 September, and the 2026 World Beach Sprint Finals from 17 to 19 October.