Henley Wednesday

A good day for the club overall today, with strong performances, but mixed fortunes.

First ECBC race of the day saw the Temple Challenge Cup composite of Colts A and the 2nd VIII going out fairly comfortably to Reading University, but we knew that this crew was around the same speed as The VIII.  This crew had done very well to qualify for the regatta (there were only 3 school crews in the Temple, which is a university event) and this will have provided invaluable experience for some of our up and coming oarsmen.

Next came the 'A' quad in the Fawley, against good opposition from Canada (Victoria City RC).  Today was not the day to be giving away a stone and a half per man, into a strong stream and with the headwind unhelpfully strengthening a couple of races ahead of ours.  The  boys went down off the start (costly when on Bucks) but put in a considerable effort to come back to just a third of a length down at Fawley.  Unfortunately you really need to be up by then on Bucks, and the enclosure advantage of Berks took the Canadians away to just over a length.  This was a gutsy row, and a keen contest; a credit to the boys.

The 'B' quad provided our most exciting race of the day.  Oundle (on Bucks) took an early lead and were out to close on a length at one point.  However, the base speed of both crews through the middle of the race proved the same, and Oundle held a lead of half a length for much of the course.  Our boys kept their nerve creditably, and took full advantage as they came into the enclosures, taking the lead as they hit the crowds at the mile and the eigthth, and pulling away to win by almost 2 lengths.  This was a really mature row for boys from the 2nd and 3rd VIII.

After lunch came The VIII, who pulled out to a (perhaps unexpected) early lead against Phillips Exeter from the USA.  These were opponents who deserved some respect for their results in the US this season, and the manner in which The VIII pulled away from the start was both pleasing and impressive, not least as this is an area of their race on which they have been working recently.  After moving out to a lead of 2 lengths, the boys were able to relax into the row a little, and build that vital early confidence so crucial to a good Henley campaign.  The final verdict was 3 lengths.

The Eton Vikings coxed four in the Britannia Challenge Cup was beaten by Star Club.  Although the HRR has this as one of its headlines and one of the upsets of the day, I think that those in the boat thought that this would be their sternest test of the week ahead of the weekend, and probably the final.  Star won Elite 4+ at the Metropolitan Regatta, and quite why they aren't selected is a bit of a mystery.  The crew is drawn from those who made the final of the Thames Challenge Cup last year, where they met the newly revived (possibly by ABH) Upper Yarra of Australia.

 

Tomorrow the 'B' quad will race Windsor Boys' at 0945; The VIII race Bedford School at 1545.