Leander and Shiplake hold on after Day Four at Henley Royal Regatta

LEANDER Club have made it to the semi-finals of the new Bridge Challenge Plate.

The Bridge Challenge Plate was introduced this year to ‘bridge’ the gap between male and female rowers at the Royal Regatta and to create more opportunities for female rowers.

They will race against Thames Rowing Club in the semi-final tomorrow.

4.05pm

OXFORD Brookes University ‘A’ crew beat Thames Rowing Club and Molesey Boat Club in The Bridge Challenge Plate by one length in a time of seven minutes and 14 seconds.

The race judge said: “Brookes quickly took command of the race and

3.50pm

THAMES Rowing Club and Leander Club beat the American crew from Harvard University in The Ladies’ Challenge Plate by one length in a time of six minutes and 17 seconds.

The race judge said: “Both crews were level in a competitive start with Harvard rating higher than Thames.

“Thames did a great job of sitting in as chunky rhythm and used the wind to their advantage over the higher rating Harvard.”

3.45pm

SHIPLAKE College beat Bedford School in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup by one and a quarter lengths in a time of six minutes and 41 seconds.

The race judge said: “Shiplake took an early lead before reducing their rating and controlling the race despite efforts by Bedford to get level.”

Luca Hunt-Davis, 17, Shiplake two seat and son of Olympic champion rower Ben Hunt-Davis, said: “We did our best to halfway before we could relax a little.”

He said the opposition were “fairly good”, adding: “We were about a length up most of the way and we wanted to keep it there.

“It was hard – but not as hard as the next race is going to be.”

3.30pm

LEANDER Club and Tideway Scullers’ School beat Oxford University ‘A’ crew in The Visitors’ Challenge Cup by two lengths in a time of six minutes and 55 seconds.

The race judge said: “Good race but Oxford rating higher, unable to maintain their three-quarter length lead at Fawley and Leander/Tideway Scullers’ School rowing strongly broke through convincingly at one mile.”

Leander two seat Cameron Beyki, 22, from Caversham Heights, said: “It was good fun, we just came into the boat together for GB23.

“All of us came from different programmes from Princeton, Yale and Harvard, so it's good to come together with different styles

“We knew the Oxford crew was fast, we knew they had two Olympians, both of them very talented, one with a Bronze medal from the US.

“And it was funny because our three seat Harry Geffen used to row for Yale, so we knew it would be a bit lively with a bit of banter between the crews and we knew we had to take it still.

“We knew they’d be fast starting and then we got into a long, strong rhythm and we managed to get through them.”

3.10pm

LEANDER Club beat Thames Rowing Club in The Ladies' Challenge Plate by one and three-quarter lengths in a time of six minutes and 50 seconds.

The race judge said: “Leander proved too strong for Thames and had already established a lead by the barrier.

“Thames struggled with their steering in the strong wind but in truth, this made little difference and Leander dropped their rate while still maintaining a commanding lead.”

2.10pm

LEANDER Club and the Australian Mercantile Rowing Club composite crew beat The Windsorian Rowing Club and Leander Club composite crew in The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup by one and a quarter lengths in a time of six minutes and 54 seconds.

The race judge said: “A great contest to Remenham, with Leander Club and Mercantile having a slight advantage.

“Windsorians and Leander Club pushed to the three-quarter mile, Leander Club and Mercantile responded and pushed away to a well-deserved victory.”

2.05pm

LEANDER Club and University of London composite crew beat Marlow Rowing Club in The Bridge Challenge Plate by three and a half lengths in a time of seven minutes and 38 seconds.

The race judge said: “A determined and well drilled Leander/London eight stormed off the start and took control of the race very early on.

“The headwind was very strong, but Leander/London had a good long rhythm and won considerably.”

Leander Cox Erin Kennedy, 32, from Station Road in Henley, said: “It was really good to get a first round out on the track and get the nerves out the legs.

“When you don’t start racing until the Friday, you’ve got the buzz of the Regatta but you need to stay calm, so it was good to get a race under our belts.”

Ms Kennedy said the track was “very windy”, adding: “We’ve been training in a headwind for what feels like the last month so it wasn't anything different, but it’s one of those where headwind creates bigger margins, so you’ve just got to lean into whatever the conditions are giving you on the day.”

11.10am

Leander Club were knocked out of the Fawley Challenge Cup by Hollandia ‘A’ from the Netherlands.

The Dutch crew finished in a time of seven minutes and 53 seconds, three lengths ahead of Leander.

The race judge said: “Hollandia took an early lead and continued to extend it down the course to finish with a very convincing win.”

The Leander crew Sophie Chumas, 26, Jemima Furness, 23, Emma Sherwood, 23, Muryn Greene, 24, said posed for photos with their competitors after the race which included reigning Olympic champions Hermine Drenth and Tinka Offereins and 2020 silver medallist Ymkje Clevering.

Chumas from Caversham described it as an “amazing experience” to row against the Olympic champions.

She said: “It was a great way to finish the year. So surreal.

“We worked very hard to qualify and there was six of us going for it down to one spot.

“We beat Molesey to get that one last spot, so we were just so happy to be on that start line today.

“I am just so proud to be able to stand with these girls and our coach and to say that we have done our best.”

Sherwood who lives in Henley said: “Two of [Hollandia] have won Olympic Golds so just to be racing against them is awesome.

“And then to meet them is cool too as we watched them on the TV for the World Championships and in Paris so to say ‘hi’ give them a hug and have a photo with them was lovely.”

“We are excited for them and are going to be cheering them on for the rest of the tournament.”

Greene who lives in Henley said the crew had been working hard throughout the year on its start sequence.

She said: “We knew we had a really good middle 1km of the race and we knew we had our engine in there to really churn it along.

“So our aim was to really go out and attack the first minute and to keep as much contact on the Dutch as we could and I think we did that.

“There was quite a gust out there today, it was quite breezy, so we tried to keep the blades close to the water and not get blown away too much. We executed that really well today.”

11.00am

Leander club beat Molesey boat club in the Thames Challenge Cup, by three and one quarter of a length.

The Henley crew crossed the line in a time of six minutes and 35 seconds.

The race judge said: “Leander moved very quickly into a lead that they developed strongly throughout.”

10.35am

Shiplake College knocked American crew Saugatuck Rowing Club out of the Prince Phillip Challenge Trophy.

The junior women’s eight oars crossed the line in a time of seven minutes and 34 seconds, beating Saugatuck by two and half of a length.

The race judge said: “A very steady race, with Shiplake handling the headwind better, while the U.S. crew appeared to struggle at the higher rating.”

Shiplake College Headmaster Tyrone Howe who watched the race said he was “delighted” with the race.

"Whatever the result we are just immensely proud of our boys and girls.” He said.

“They work so hard, and it means so much to them so it’s the icing on the cake to see them make it through to the latter stages.”

10.20am

A composite crew of Leander Club and Reading university beat Rowing Club in the Town Challenge Cup in a time of seven minutes and 54 seconds.

The crew, which featured Leander’s Lauren Irwin, Heidi Long and Eve Stewart, beat Thames by three lengths.

The race judge said: “Both crews gravitated towards the centre of the course, with Leander being warned. Leander used their experience to row powerfully against the stiff wind. Thames valiantly stayed rating high to always try to close the gap.”

10.05am

Tideway Scullers School beat Shiplake College in the Fawley Challenge Cup by three and three quarters of a length.

Tideway crossed the line in a time of seven minutes and 14 seconds.

Both crews were warned several times for their steering up until the one quatre mile mark.

The race judge said: “A quick start – Tideway way scullers warned most of this course but sculled very tidily.

“Shiplake tended to lose their cohesion by the end.”

Shiplake declined to comment.

9.35am

Upper Thames rowers Fiona Gammond and Rachel Borrows were knocked out of the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup by American pair Madeline Wanamaker and Claire Collins.

The Wanamaker and Collins crossed the line “easily” in a time of eight minutes and 26 seconds.

The race judge said: “The New York crew were much too strong for the local crew, and simply rowed away from them. Both crews steered well.”

Upper Thames declined to comment.

9.30am

Hollandia Rowing Club B beat a composite crew of Leander club and Molesey Boat club.

Hollandia won by two thirds of a length in a time seven minutes and 35 seconds.

The race judge described the race as an “excellent cliff-hanging race.”

Thay said: “The statistics tell the story of a battle of great determination both crews showed great courage.”

9.20am

Upper Thames rower Imogen Grant was knocked out of the Princess Royal Challenge cup by Lithuanian rower Viktorija Senkutė.

Senkutė finished in a time of 8 minutes and 38 seconds and according to the race judge crossed the line “easily” ahead of Grant.

The judge said: “In variable wind conditions Senkutė sculled very cleanly and was clearly the faster than Grant the reigning Olympic champion.”