Henley Rowing Club

Founded 1839

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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The weekend after returning from France the girls together with other members of the Henley squad travelled to Strathclyde, Motherwell, for the National Rowing Championships of Great Britain. Held on an eight lane course in the middle of Strathclyde Country Park the Championships where blessed with excellent weather over the three days.

 Of seven Henley boats competing at the Championships six made it through to the Sunday finals and of these five won medals three golds and two silvers. 

The first medal and a Gold came in girls J16 fours with the crew of Alice Skinner, Raffie Varley, Kate Chapman, Orla Millar and cox Georgie Dodwell having a comfortable victory over Scottish Club George Heriots and third place Mediterranean RC of Gibraltar.

 In one of the tightest races the girls J14 quad of Caroline Brocklebank, Gemma Hall, Kate Thomas, Abbie Stephens and cox Lauren Hillyer took Silver being just pipped for gold by Lady Eleanor Holles School by less than 0.2 sec. These two crews have been the top J14 girls crews all season and by the 1000 metre mark had clear water over the other boats with LEH half a length up on Henley by 1500 metres Henley had pulled this back and where 0.3 of a second down the two crews then raced neck and neck to the line and whilst initially the Henley girls thought they had done enough to win the judges gave it to LEH. 

The second Gold came from the girls J16 quad of Chantal Cummings, Jenny Arnold, Emily Derrig and Pippa Whittaker who at J16 have been unbeaten this year having won all the major events including Schools Head, Inter Regional, Ghent International, National Schools Regatta. In the final the girls had over a two length lead by 500 metres over second placed Marlow Rowing Club and from there dropped their rating to 23 strokes a minute to cruise home for the Gold.

 One of the reason for not fully pressing home in the J16 event was that the girls had to immediately turn round and go back to the start for Women's Junior Quad final. With two of the girls in the Henley boat being only 15 this was going to be a much tougher race and as anticipated a number of the crews took an early lead on the Henley boat. By 500 metres though only Calpe RC from Gibraltar led the Henley girls and by only a third of a length. With a push just before the 1000 metre mark the Henley girls closed to within a canvas which Calpe held until the last 250 metres when the Henley girls up the rate and stormed through the Gibralter crew to win by half a length. 

The final medal of the Championships was the silver medal won by the mens coxed four of John Brownley, Ross Barnes, Max Stallard and Simon Hambly Smith who beat the Royal Regatta Brittania Cup winners the Army by just 0.02 of a second. 

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