Henley Rowing Club

Founded 1839

HENLEY WOMEN'S REGATTA

After a preparation period that had been decimated by illness and injury, with two of the crew missing the entire winter training period, Henley Rowing Club’s Women’s Senior Quad performed remarkably to reach the Final at Henley Women’s Regatta last weekend.  On Saturday a relatively comfortable first round win over Leeds University was followed by a ferocious battle with local rivals Marlow, last year’s winners.  Henley took an early lead of a few feet and held this all the way.  With never more than half a length between the crews, Henley held off push after push by the Marlow crew to come home winners by a canvas.  On Sunday morning a defeat of the previous weekend by Exeter Rowing Club was avenged with a controlled performance and a win by one length.  In the final Henley were simply outgunned by a very much bigger and stronger crew from Durham University, but raced well and it was only in the final 500 metres that Durham moved away to a 3 length win.  Overall the crew: Laura Leondiades, Katherine Pankhurst, Caroline Hocking and Juliet Hookey together with coach, Ian Pankhurst were disappointed to have lost after coming so close, but delighted with their overall performance, which augurs well for the National Championships in a month’s time.

The Junior Girls 4 of Natalie Robinson, Becci Griffiths, Hannah Smith Willis, Lucy Lewington and cox Avery Penna competed in the women's intermediate fours event and where successful in qualifying for the side by side races by coming through the race offs which saw 26 of the 58 entries eliminated. The girls where  then beaten by the winning crew of Mortlake Anglian and Alpha.