Henley Rowing Club's Senior men started the season in the best possible way with wins in three division at Senior 1, 2 & 3 levels and coming second in two further divisions at the Pairs Head of the River race in London with a fourth win for the club coming from the veterans.

 

The race was held last saturday over a 3,000 metre course from Chiswick bridge to the Amateur Rowing Association landing stage at Hammersmith. The conditions were particularly difficult with strong headwinds at the start and the finish, blowing against the ebb tide creating very choppy water.

Rob and Mat Griffiths notched up Henley's first win in Senior 1 Double Sculls followed by David Read and Mike Lambourne winning Senior 2 Double Sculls with Nick Friend and Andrew Cruickshank coming 3rd in that division.

 

The third win came in Senior 3 Double Sculls where Jonny Smith-Willis and Richard Guiver, the bow man and stroke of Henley's winning Thames Cup crew, recorded the third fastest time of the day of 12.36 minutes.

 

 

Henley's paired oars put in a strong performance with Ben Lewis and Robby Kennedy coming second in Elite Pairs behind London RC's James Lindsay-Fynn who won the Double Sculls at Henley Royal and Danny Harte who was a finalist for Britain at the recent World Championships. John Brownly and Ross Barnes also performed very well for Henley coming second in Senior 1 Pairs and Nick Meade and Simon Hambley-Smith came fifth in the Senior 2 Pairs, a division with one of the largest number of entries.

 

Ian Desmond, the senior coach, was justifiably jubilant at these results saying it had given the men's squad a huge boost in confidence right at the start of the season.

 

In the Womens Senior 2 Double Sculls Caroline Hocking and Kirsty Holland did well to come fourth having teamed up on the day after illness had prevented their respective partners taking part. Meanwhile in Veteran F+ Double Sculls, Ian Giuliani and Peter Bayfield came second while Pat Ward and Karol Braun won Veteran E+ for Henley.