Rowing back the years

ROWING clubs in Henley celebrated key milestones in their history by completing row-pasts at this year’s royal regatta.

Two Leander Club crews, the winners of the 1975 Britannia Challenge Cup and the 1985 winners of the Ladies’ Challenge Plate, reunited to take on the 2,112m course.

Two boats from Henley Rowing Club were formed to recognise its 2005 triumph in the Thames Challenge Cup and to celebrate 50 years of women’s rowing at the club.

The members of Leander’s Britannia crew included David Tatton, Jeremy “Rass” Randall and Phil Gregory, who remembered Nigel Hardingham and cox Robert Lee, who have since died.

Duncan Innes, an old school friend of Nigel Hardingham, took his place and Team GB Cox Henry Fieldman stepped in for Robert Lee.

“I was almost nervous,” Mr Randall said. “It was the first time we have rowed together in 50 years and it was lovely to get the crew back together. We had great fun.”

Mr Gregory said the experience brought back memories of the final race which saw Leander beat the Tideway Sculler’s School by two lengths in a time of seven minutes and 18 seconds.

He said: “We had a push just after Fawley, 10 big ones, and then I called another push about 15 strokes later and we did another 10 and that was the end of the race.”

The group celebrated their reunion with a “huge” picnic in the car park.

Seven of Leander’s original Ladies’ Plate crew members, who beat Ireland’s Garda Síochána Boat Club by a canvas and set a record finish time of six minutes and 26 seconds, reunited.

They were cox Guy Rees, Andy Peach, Roger Stevens, Julian Gallivan, Paul Wright, Colin Guppy and former Olympians Steve Turner and Simon Berrisford.

Mark Buckingham, Mr Turner’s schoolfriend from Great Marlow School stepped in to replace Mike Chapman, who was abroad.

The crew’s victory marked a turning point in the club’s history as it was the first eight-oared victory for Leander at Henley since the Seventies. Mr Turner, 60, who now rows at Upper Thames Rowing Club as a master said it was “fabulous” to be back rowing with the crew. “I don’t think you ever lose it,” he said.

“It’s really nice when you get in a boat with eight people you have rowed with before and all of a sudden it just clicks. The fact we are 40 years on from when we won and everyone can get here and can still get in the boat is great.

“It just brings back memories. It was a little bit of a slow paddle down as it’s a bit congested today, but you almost want to race past the enclosures as you go past them.

“We did a little burst, not a strong one, but it was nice to come back up there and hear everyone cheering and hear friends and family on the bank shouting our names.”

Mr Turner said he did not remember much from the day of the race 40 years ago apart from that it was very tight, adding: “If you ask me what happened in the last 500 metres, I probably couldn’t tell you, all I remember is crossing the line. But you can remember how much it hurts.”

The eight from Henley to mark half 50 years of women’s rowing comprised cox Avery Penna, Helen Lister, Helen Knowles, Ruth Rudkin, Hannah Vines, Bethan Thomas, Clare Ansley-Watson, Phoebe Fletcher and Elizabeth Blair.

The club in Wargrave Road first started taking on female rowers in 1975 after Liz Friend put an advert in the Henley Standard asking if there were any women who wanted to row. In addition to the row-past, the club celebrated the milestone last month with a party at it home in Wargrave Road where it hosted a number of its past and present members.

It marked the occasion by unveiling the name of its newest rowing boat, “50 Years Strong”.

President of Henley Rowing Club and former Olympic rower Miriam Luke was given the honour of breaking a bottle of champagne over its bow.