Henley Rowing Club

Founded 1839

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SCHOOLS HEAD

Due to the popularity of Junior rowing entries for what is "the junior head race" The Schools Head of the River  has grown so large that the event has this year had to restrict entries to sweep oared boats only and a separate event created for the sculling events.

The sculling event  The National Junior Sculling Head, was held last Wednesday on the Henley Reach and raced over 3000 metres from above Hambledon Lock to the end of the Phyllis Court Wall. 277 crews from across the country raced in three divisions on what was a very wet and sometimes blustery day.  Racing in the second division where the J16 girls quad of Pippa Whittaker, Chantal Cummings, Jenny Arnold and Emily Derrig. Based on results from earlier Head races the girls had been seeded and started at the head of the J16 quads which was where they stayed pulling away from the following crews to win by 28 seconds from second placed Sir William Borlase and 32 seconds ahead of Bronze medal winners Maidenhead. The girls time of 12.51 was also the fastest recorded for a girls crew on the day. Another Henley crew picking up medals at the event was the girls J14 Octopule (8 scullers) of Joe Moore, Liz Blair, Abbie Stephens, Caroline Brocklebank, Gemma Hall, Florence Lock, Becci Norman, Kate Thomas, cox Lauren Hillyer. No medal but putting in a very creditable performance to finish fifth in the top event, Junior Open Quads was the boys quad of Tom Pocock, Chris Clark, Drew Ford and Peter Wagner.

The following day Thursday the sweep oared event The Schools Head was held on the Tideway from Chiswick Bridge to Putney in conditions considerably improved for the 220 crews (nearly 1800 competitors) from those at Henley on the previous day, for a change the Tideway was flat and a gentle following wind assisted fast racing conditions. Racing in J16 eights the Henley Crew of Chantal Cummings, Pippa Whittaker, Orla Millar, Kelly Whittaker, Kate Chapman, Ailsa Buck, Jenny Arnold, Emily Derrig and cox Alice Skinner had a fantastic race which saw them passing five of the other crews in there division. The girls time of 20.28 won them both the race 27 seconds ahead of second place Kingston Rowing Club and a place in the record books with the fastest ever time for the event and the first Henley Rowing Club crew to win at The Schools Head.

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