Leander women’s eight win championship title

HENLEY’S three rowing clubs all tasted success at last Saturday’s Quintin Head. Leander won the championship eights, Henley had three wins in the junior girls’ section to take the Victor Ludorum while Upper Thames bagged four trophies.

Quintin Head, an eights only event, was run over a 4.4km course from Chiswick Bridge (the boat race finish) to Fulham Reach just below Hammersmith Bridge, and limited to 300 crews.

Leander’s development squad entered three crews with the eight of cox Shauna Fitzsimons, Abbie Topp, Amelia Standing, Charlotte Fennell, Phoebe Snowden, Juilette Perry, Tash Morrice, Helen Kirkpatrick and Philippa Emery winning the women’s championship eights. Lenader’s second crew finished as runners-up.

In the men’s championship event, Leander’s gap year finished in fifth place but picked up a time penalty pushing them down to 11th.

Ali Brown, Leander’s assistant men’s coach said: “With these development athletes it is brilliant racing experience many of whom representing Leander for their first time.”

Henley Rowing Club’s junior girls squad won all three junior girls’ events.

The Henley girls’ J18 eight of Lilya Wild, Emma Eltze, Gwennie Hunter, Abi Smith, Emily Simmons, Chloe Hughes, ,Tabbi Hall, Freya Weiser and cox Ella Dickson won their event despite finishing second in their category, four seconds behind Shiplake College and ahead of Marlow RC. Shiplake were given a time penalty by the organisers, meaning Henley were winners. This was a good result for Henley’s junior crew, putting them seventh out of the 116 women’s crews only behind the likes of the two Leander crews.

A second J18 crew of Freya Smith, Tilly Mackenzie Smith, Sophia Spanswick, Nicolette Pagdin,Jess Mack, Daisy Janes, Fran Reeves and cox Annie Young, finished eighth.

The Henley girls’ J16 eight of Martha Dickson, Lucy Green, Charlotte Tong, Molly Hall, Evie Meeks, Lilian Graham, Jemima Butterworth, Jemima Painter and cox Mathi Manivasagam won their event convincingly, 13 seconds ahead of second placed Surbiton High School. Henley girls’ J15 eight of Grace Haldane, Daisy Millard, Emma Floyd, Scarlett Hyde, Lauren Pollard, Sophie Floyd, Amy Scott, Ella Butler and cox Emily Scultz triumphed in their first ever sweep oared event. The crew put in a good performance to record a time of 13 minutes, 32 seconds, 11 seconds ahead of runners-up Surbiton School and 46 seconds ahead of third placed Wimbledon High School.

The three wins secured the Victor Ludorum for girls crews with the fastest aggregate time across the three junior categories.

Upper Thames had seven crews entered, winning four events and the other three crews placed third, fourth and seventh in their events, a handful of seconds off the winners. The women’s squad had three eights racing. The first eight of Meghann Jackson, Fi Gammond, Emily Paul, Rachel Borrows, Hope Kannor, Ruth Haigh, Yasmin Ryman-King and coxed by the men’s coach Sam Royston finished third in the championship category behind the two Leander crews.

Upper Thames’ women’s second and third eights were racing in the women’s senior category finishing fourth and seventh respectively. The second eight were slightly below their best and missed out on winning by seven seconds. The third eight had an excellent row, finishing just eight seconds behind the second crew.

The men had a successful day with the first eight of Alexander Bavage, Matt Swiss, Oli Holt, Tim Grant, Oli Ayres, Steve Griffiths, Jordan Peppermans coxed by Emma Lister winning the open senior category and the second eight of Nick Brown, Hugh Cooper, Jasper Elliot, Ben Farrell, Richard Adams, Jake Morris, Louis Smith and coxed by Bea Searle winning the open intermediate 1 category with just 10 seconds separating the two crews. This was Searle’s first race in a year since having a baby.

Upper Thames’ two master crews both won their events. The Masters D crew of Mackworth-Praed, O’Donohue, Bell, Morris, Burkett, Floyd, Nelson and coxed by Jonny Fieth were the quickest beating the Masters E crew of Harries, Shimmin, Jacobs, Green, Beaumont, Thead, Sadler, Lowe coxed by Desmond by two seconds. However, on age adjusted time, the E crew came out on top by 14 seconds.