Leander dominate Fours Head

LEANDER Club delivered a commanding performance at this year’s fours head, which took place from Mortlake to Putney, where they secured five wins from six championship events, missing out on a complete sweep by the tightest of margins.

Leander’s Sarah McKay, Hannah Scott, Rebecca Wilde and Lola Anderson powered through the field to win the championship women’s quads while Cam Nyland, Lauren Irwin, Juliette Perry and Eleanor Brinkhoff triumphed in the championship coxless fours.

Jack Tottem coxed the crew of Lizzie Witt, Georgie Robinson-Ranger, Katherine George and Lauren Carey to success in the women’s championship coxed fours.

In the men’s events, current world champions Dan Graham, James Robson, Douwe de Graaf and George Bourne won the championship coxless fours while Cedol Dafydd, Jamie Gare, Tobias Schroder and Rory Harris triumphed in the championships coxless quads.

In the championship men’s coxed fours, the Leander crew of cox Erin Kennedy, Jack Prior, Josh Bowesman-Jones, Miles Beeson and Archie Drummond finished as runners-up.

Upper Thames put in a successful set of performances with the club’s standout results including a seventh place for the women’s championship quad and women’s club quad, both producing confident rows against strong national fields.

In the open club coxless fours, Upper Thames placed 18th and 29th, while the open club quad secured ninth in their category. The women’s club four rounded off the day with 22nd place.

Henley Rowing Club’s juniors had three crews competing in the junior event on Friday which attracted
300 entries. The girls’ coxed four of Sophie Floyd, Holly Jackson, Scarlett Hyde, Daisy Millard and cox Elise Pindoria finished fourth in their category behind, Headington, Wallingford and Shiplake but a comfortable 30 seconds ahead of the rest of pack.

In the coxless fours, Evie Meeks, Chloe Hughes, Molly Hall and Lilian Graham had to settle for second place finishing a few seconds behind Headington. While the fastest British crew in their category, the Henley girls’ U16 coxed quad of Erin Goodall, Izzy Hughes, Polina Bezhuli, Camilla Barlow and cox Emily Robinson had to settle for second place being pipped to the win by Team Lombardia from Italy.

In the vets fours head on Sunday, Upper Thames secured seven victories across both club and composite crews.

Upper Thames claimed wins in the women’s E quads, men’s F quads, men’s F coxless and coxed fours categories, while the club’s athletes also contributed to composite crew successes in the women’s A quads, women’s E coxless fours and men’s I quads. Henley Rowing Club fielded five crews with the standout performance coming from the masters B four of Mike Lambourne, Jack Barrett, John Gelling and Nick Friend.

The crew won their category and placed an impressive fourth overall. The win meant that they have now won the same event at the Henley Masters Regatta, the Masters Head of the River and the British Masters Championships, securing a clean sweep
across the major masters competitions.