Weybridge Ladies

It was the turn of the younger members of Henley Rowing Clubs Junior squad to bring home the medals last weekend and they did so very successfully with a total of 5 wins.

The regatta was Weybridge Ladies Regatta an event specifically for women and which attracts a large junior girls contingent. The course is a 1000 metres (just) on the Desborough Channel which is a small cut off the main river Thames at Weybridge and means the regatta course is not effected by river traffic.

The youngest winners where the under 13 quad of Natasha De Lange, Chantel Cummings, Maddie Wheal, Claire Boyd and cox Georgie Dodwell. The girls beat crews from all the main rivals including Lady Eleanor Holles School and Dame Alice Harpur with some very positive sculling. In most of their races they had the stagger on the start against them but they had the confidence to row their own race and to gradually pull through the opposition to secure a win.

The under 14 girls, Jenny Arnold, Orla Millar, Ellen Anthony, Emily Derrig and cox Hanna Boyd had similarly strong opposition from the schools but again sculled well generally under rating their opposition including in a tough semi final which saw it close into the last 150 metres. The girls won their final comfortably despite an incident immediately before the race which saw a Staines eight run into the Henley boat severely damaging a rigger and requiring the girls to borrow a boat.

Caitlin Bennett won under 16 single scull in what turned into an all Henley final beating Amanda Moore.

In another all Henley final the coxed four of Becci Griffths, Caitlin Bennett, Lucy Lewington, Hannah Read and cox Ellen Anthony beat Hannah Boyd, Caroline Green, Gemma Johnson, Amanda Moore and cox Jenny Arnold.

Hannah Read won Novice sculls from a large entry which required four races before picking up the winners medal. With tough racing during the early stages of each race against senior women Hannah demonstrated good technique and a good race pattern which allowed her in the tight races to dispose of the opposition in the third quarter and to finish looking strong and confident.