Junior and senior crews impress despite testing river conditions

JUNIOR and senior crews from Henley Rowing Club impressed at the Reading University Head on Saturday.

The club picked up three wins against opposition crews while they also completed two row overs after a crew withdrew from the competition.

They all had to contend with strong winds and stream, although the 4,500-metre course from the old Roebuck Hotel to just below Caversham Bridge was relatively sheltered.

Racing in the morning division saw the senior men’s quad of Nathan Hillyer, Andy Pettican, Stan Admiraal and Alastair Harsant battle to the top of their group, beating strong local rivals to win the open quads (band 3) category. Shaun Paice, Mike Hornsby, Jeremy Sidgwick and Rob Berrington rowed over with no opposition, as did the Women’s Master E quad of Janet Mehers, Margaret Hall, Julia Lock and Helen Davies.

In the afternoon, the WJ15 eight of Rose Mcewen, Bea Bethell, Mia Vickerman, Ella Mckay, Mia Roullier, Laoise O’Donohue, Nat Schoenmakers, Josie Sawbridge and cox Daisy Rolstone won their category, comfortably ahead of Marlow whilst also beating a number of senior eights. The club’s J16 to J18 boys’ squad were out in strength, coming fresh from a very successful day at the Team GB February assessment at Boston.

Henley had six boys, Balthasar Issa, Seth O’Connor, Joe Long, Ed Roy, James Swinburn and Luke Marshall, in the top 20.

Four quads were entered at Reading in J18 but unfortunately the only entered opposition withdrew. However, the Henley crews raced strongly in fast tail wind conditions to post some quick times.

Henley’s A crew of Issa, O’Connor, Roy and Long came home first in a time of 14 minutes and five seconds.

Meanwhile, Shiplake College’s J15 and J16 eights and second eight came first in their races while its first eight was sixth in the senior men’s open eights and the J18 quad came fifth.