Leander crew sets a new Head of River Race record

A LONG week of rowing has seen Henley athletes secure top honours in major competitions.

Even with many of its rowers away preparing for the Olympics, a Leander Club crew won this year’s Head of River Race on the Thames in London, setting a new course record of 16 minutes and 26 seconds.

Rowers Matt Rowe, Dan Graham, Douwe Degraaf, Sam Bannister, Miles Beeson, Tobias Schroder, Tom Ballinger, James Vogel, and Cox Jack Tottem beat a strong Oxford Brookes crew into second place. The club’s second and third and were placed fifth and ninth, respectively.

Men’s chief coach Matt Beechey said: “We are delighted with the results. Winning overall and placing all three boats in the top 10 was the aim. It is also the first time the club has held both the Men’s and Women’s Headships since 2011.”

For Henley Rowing Club the competitions started with the Schools Head on Wednesday, followed by the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head on Friday and the Eights Head on Saturday, and saw its squads come away with four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze.

The Henley Junior Girls competed in the Schools Head at the Tideway with more than 300 other school and junior club crews from across the UK.

Henley had three girls’ eights racing the 4.25 miles from Chiswick Bridge to Putney, the course finishing just short of the full Boat Race course.

The girls’ top eight of Emma Eltze, Lilya Wild, Tabi Hall, Nicolette Pagdin, Abi Smith, Chloe Hughes, Emily Simmons, Freya Weiser, and cox Ella Dickson, finished fourth but had significantly closed the gap on winners Headington.

Picking up a gold medal was the girls’ 2nd eight of Tilly Mackenzie Smith, Daisy Janes, Fran Reeves, Jess Mack, Gwennie Hunter, Sophia Spanswick, Sophie Eltze, Freya Smith, and cox Elise Pindoria, who won their event finishing eight seconds ahead of Headington School.

The WJ16 eight picked up a silver medal. Martha Dickson, Evelyn Meeks, Lilian Graham, Lucy Green, Charlotte Tong, Jemima Painter, Jemima Butterworth, Molly Hall, and cox Matilda Ley, finished five seconds behind Latymer Upper School. Friday saw the girls racing again, this time swapping their sweep blades for sculling blades and the Tideway for Dorney Lake for the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head.

The competition is raced over two 1,900-metre legs of the Olympic Lake, the aggregate time for the two legs deciding the winner. More than 500 crews ranging in age from under 14 to 18 compete in quads with the J14s and 15s also racing in Octuples.

In the top girls’ quad Freya Weiser, Tabi Hall, Abi Smith and Emily Simmons, picked up bronze. Also receiving bronze was the WJ17 quad of Lilya Wild, Nicolette Pagdin, Freya Smith and Jess Mack.

The J16 girls won two gold medals. The 1st quad of Evie Meeks, Chloe Hughes, Charlotte Tong and Jemima Butterworth won overall, beating Wallingford by two seconds.

Finishing fifth overall out of 54 crews Jemima Painter, Molly Hall, Lilian Graham and Martha Dickson won the second quads event 27 seconds ahead of Headington’s second boat.

The WJ15s picked up a bronze in the Octuple event. Agnes Chapman, Petra Frank, Grace Haldane, Martha Hart, Holly Jackson, Amy Scott, Ella Butler, Emma Floyd, and cox Grace Butler, were just two seconds behind winner Wallingford and a second behind Marlow.

The WJ15 Quad of Lauren Pollard, Sopie Floyd, Scarlett Hyde, Daisy Millard, and cox Emily Schutz, missed out on a medal by 0.3 of a second. Both the Boys’ and Girls’ J14 crews picked up silver medals.

The boats were crewed by Franco Bigmore Wallace, James Weeks, Flynn Burrow, Miles Vann and cox Theo Berry; and Emily Robinson, Juliet Len, Camilla Barlow, Isabella Hughes and cox Elise Pindoria

On Saturday it was the turn of the Masters to pick up a medal when competing in the Eights Head of the River. Henley Rowing Club once again showcased its prowess as their senior men’s eight, affectionately known as ‘Dad’s Army’ stormed to victory.

The seasoned crew, with an average age of 44, secured the top spot in the Masters C category amid stiff competition. The Henley crew of Elliot Cole, Tom Jost, Rob Edmondson, John Gelling, Nick Friend, James Padmore, James Harris, Robbie McGow, coxed by Rose Copus, showed their collective experience and camaraderie, prevailing against crews from Holland, Switzerland, and the UK.