Henley Rowing Club

Founded 1839

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Henley Rowing Club had two crews entered in Henley Women's Regatta last weekend. Rowed over the first 1450 metres of the Royal Regatta course this is the top women's regatta in the country.

In the women's intermediate fours event the junior girls crew of Kate Chapman, Orla Millar, Alice Skinner, Raffie Varley and cox Joe Holmes, beat at least 16 other crews in Friday mornings processional race to qualify as one of the top 32 crews to compete in the side by side racing. In the second round this young and relatively light crew raced well against a more experienced Furnivall Sculling Club crew but with a strong head wind Furnivall gradually pulled away over the distance to record a win against the Henley girls.

Competing in the Junior Quads event for Henley where last years losing finalists of Emily Derrig, Pippa Whittaker, Jenny Arnold and Chantal Cummings. The girls had a bye to the quarter finals where they faced a young crew from City of Oxford and despite a relatively relaxed start from the Henley crew they had established a lead bye the end of the island which they continued to extend to record an easily verdict. In the semi finals the Henley crew where up against a composite crew from Maidenhead Rowing Club and Kings Canterbury, this was a much more experienced crew containing three girls who are candidates for this years Great Britain squad. At the end of the island the two crew where level but by the quarter mile Henley had edged in front and at the 500 metre mark with increase in pressure they had pulled this out to quarter of a length. At the barrier the Henley girls put in a further burst to which the composite where slow in responding and this saw the Henley girls pull out to a three quarter length lead. From here the Henley girls continued to gradually pull away to win by a length and a half. The final also saw the girls up against a local crew from Marlow. If the intensity of a Henley final was not enough this was added to for the Henley girls when the rudder line on the steering mechanism broke as they approached the stake boats for the final. The race was delayed whilst repairs where carried at Upper Thames Rowing Club and Chris Boothroyd the Henley coach thanks all those at UTRC who helped at this fraught time. Despite the tensions created by this incident the girls got off to a very good start and by the end of the island where already nudging in front of the Marlow crew as in the semi final the Henley girls built at the 500 metre mark and again at the Barrier by which time they had clear water and where able to continue extending their lead to win by two and a half lengths. This continues a very successful run for the girls who are unbeaten in open regattas since they formed in March 06.

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