Friend and Geffen strike Gold at Nat Champs

After suffering disappointment at the gruelling GB final trials where
Nick Friend (PBS), Will Geffen (MGHM) and Denis Zaboronsky (NCWS) just
missed out on places at the Coupe, Will and Nick stayed on in
Nottingham to try their luck in the Junior Coxless Pairs event in the
National Rowing Championships last weekend. Despite fatigue and the
lack of time to prepare the pair came together well under the guidance
of HGCC. On Saturday the pair sailed through their eliminator
comfortably while at the same time recording the fastest times to both
the 1000m and 1500m marks. However, last year a pair of Will and Ben
De Jäger (Coll) performed a similar feet in their eliminator and yet
only managed fourth in the final. Fortunately it was a different story
this time round with Nick and Will winning Sunday's final by an
impressive margin of 9 seconds. The pair now go on to represent
England in the Home Nations Championships in Cardiff this weekend.

GB/France Match

On Sunday 15 July the coxless four of James Goble (NCWS), Lucas King (PGW), Freddie Fisher (TEJN) and Charlie Thurston (GRP) raced for Great Britain in the Great Britain versus France Match in Gravelines, France. Having spent three days training on the river in Kingston, they arrived in France last Thursday for three further days of training on the course in Gravelines which next year will host the World University Championships. Having won the trials by 13 seconds much was expected of the boys and in the first half of the race on Sunday all looked as though it was going according to plan as they established a commanding two length lead. However, the French refused to accept that they were beaten and put in a monumental push that brought them back to within a length with 250m to go. The French then began their charge for the line and even though our boys raised their rate of striking to well over 40 the French continued to gain. Spectators' hearts were in their mouths as both crews appeared to cross the line level. A hush descended on the crowd as it waited for the result to be announced. When it finally came - Great Britain by a foot – there was relief and jubilation. The closest race of the day had sealed victory for Team GB in the boys' match (4-3) and contributed to an 8-5 win in the match overall.

Henley round-up

The VIII bowed out of Henley on Friday to Scotch College, Australia.  It was a keenly fought race, in which Scotch's tactics were always going to be clear.  They have a more or less flat out charge to the Barrier and then look to maintain that advantage over the rest of the course.  So, in that early part of the race they established a lead of a little over a length, which The VIII reduced to half a length coming into the Enclosures.  Into a really very stiff headwind and a continuing strong stream this was a considerable effort, and though Scotch pulled away a bit more in the closing stages, the boys were pleased with the way they had rowed; this was a fitting way to go out in what had been a good Henley week.

On Saturday Abingdon, as widely predicted, saw off Scotch.  After containing their early charge (giving a way a lead of a canvas or so) they rowed through to win by clear water.  The more nail-biting race was Hampton against Radley.  Hampton took an early lead of nearly a length, but were rowed through by Radley who continued to pull away through the Enclosures.  Radley always pick up speed between NSR and Henley and today's final should be a great race.  The form book would favour Abingdon, but Radley could well pull it off.  With a host of foreign crews here this year, the excellent standard of domestic rowing really has come through.  We were less than a length from having all England semis, never mind an all England final.

OE interest today will centre on the Ladies', where Caspar Jopling will row for Harvard against Mike Evans of Leander, guaranteeing a Henley medal for one OE.

With four ECBC crews at the regatta, The VIII performing to its full potential and enjoying the week, a strong Eton Vikings crew racing (unluckily meeting a crew which I think will win the Brit in the first round), and OEs again in finals, this has been an excellent Henley for the club as a whole.

Henley Thursday

Today saw another good day's racing for our crews.  You had to be in Henley early to catch the warm-up act, the 'B' quad consisting of three boys from the 3rd VIII and one from the 2nd.  In the good conditions that blessed the early morning this crew raced well against Windsor Boys' 'A' crew.  Windsor Boys' took an early lead, and had around a length by Fawley.  However, our boys pushed hard past Remenham, and kept them under pressure down the second half of the course, partly through excellent steering (commented on by umpire Matt Pinsent no less) keeping them out of the stream as much as possible.  Windsor Boys' have been a strong sculling school for many years,  and to keep their top boat honest down the course was a good achievement.

The VIII raced in the afternoon and had a comfortable victory over Bedford School.  The verdict was just short of 'easily' and the boys were again quick out of the blocks, posting good times to the Barrier and Fawley.  This was another row to build on the confidence engendered by yesterday's win.  Henley campaigns are a bit like Wimbledon fortnights; it is a long haul, and there is much to get right.  Seeing off the more straightforward looking fixtures effectively is an important part of this, and adds to the resources to be drawn on later in the week.  Tomorrow will see a sterner test in the form of Scotch College, Australia at 1620.  The evidence suggests that this will be a close encounter, but it is certainly a winnable race.  The towpath chatter is starting to suggest that some of the hype around this Scotch crew may not be entirely justified...

Elsewhere in today's races there were some results to put a couple of our defeats yesterday in perspective.  The Canadians from Victoria (again on Bucks) saw off Conestoga High School of the US, who are a selected crew, by a greater margin than they managed over our 'A' quad yesterday. The Star crew who beat the Vikings saw off Agecroft with ease and look a good bet for the final of the Brit.

OE interest is now mostly centred around Harvard.  Josh Bernstein rows in their Temple 'A' crew at 1030, and Caspar Jopling will row in their varsity boat as it starts its campaign in the Ladies' Challenge Plate at 1520.  Henry Goodier is going strong with Imperial College in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup and will race next on Saturday.  Chris Snowden was in a Goldie four which went out on Wednesday, and Will Kenworthy was in a UL four which went out today.

 

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. 

Henley draw

Wednesday will be a day for the early riser.  We get underway with the second race of the regatta, at 0835, when the Temple crew will race Reading University.  We know that Reading are slower than The VIII, but this will be a stern test for our Colts and 2nd VIII boys.

At 0945 the selected Eton Vikings crew will race Star club, who have put out some good crews this season, so this could be a close race.

We then move to the quads, with the A crew first, facing Victoria City RC, Canada at 1050.  These folk are a bit of an unknown quantity, and one would normally expect foreign crews to be strong, but it is not always the case, and they have not been selected by the Stewards.  The B crew race Oundle at 1220 and the pre lunch billing suggests that the hope is that this will be a close fought schoolboy clash.  It is certainly a winnable race.

After lunch, at 1440, The VIII will race Phillips Exeter from the USA.  This will again be a good race I suspect, with Phillips Exeter having placed 3rd in NEIRAs, five seconds behind Tabor who are a selected crew.  The draw has given what should be a more straigtforward race on Thursday as a reward for coming through this tough early encounter. 

Four boats at Henley

Today has been an excellent day.  All the deliberations about boats for Henley have paid off, and it is a great achievement that all our boats will now be rowing at the regatta.  It would be very interesting to know when a school last had four crews rowing at the regatta, and I am fairly sure it hasn't happened since entries in the Princess Elizabeth were limited to one eight per school.  In addition to The VIII in the PE and four of the 2nd VIII in the Fawley, our 2nd VIII/Colts A composite will row in the Temple and our 2nd/3rd VIII quad will also row in the Fawley.  Details of the crews are below.  Conditions were very demanding (a stiff headwind and a fair stream) and this may well have helped our boys to get the better of some less well-drilled university crews in the eights' event.  The quad had the pleasure of overtaking another crew in the qualifying race.  Credit must go to SPH and Sam Grant for moulding these crews together in such a short period of time. 

We have entertained all sorts of Henley ideas in the past, but this plan has really paid off; there have been many days to treasure for the club over recent years, but today is up there with the best of them.