It has been two years since the Henley Rowing Club J13 squad were able to race in a regatta due to COVID restrictions. The 2019/20 Year group moved up to the J14 squad last September and the new squad joined in the same month. The new group trained initially at the club then at home on planned regimes during the lockdown periods, returning this spring when the restrictions were lifted.
The squad were able to race at their first ever event at the Kingston Borough Regatta on Sunday 11th July. The dedication and fortitude of the entire squad at the event enabled two magnificent wins. It was unfortunate that all of the Headington squad were isolating so missed the event but Henley still had strong competition to deal with. In the morning, the double of Ava Lowe and Chloe Hughes raced and beat Walbrook in the first heat and then the second double of Mima Butterworth and Molly Hall beat a crew from Team Keane who had in a previous heat beaten a crew from Radnor House School. The two Henley crews then raced in the final and in the event Ava and Chloe won the race with little to choose between the crews.
In the afternoon, the two JW14x+ raced with Lilian Graham, Hannah Keane, Florence French, Evie Meeks and cox Gemma Chidwick, beating the crew from Wimbledon High School but then unfortunately losing to a crew from Team Keene. The second crew of Mima Butterworth, Martha Dickson, Ava Lowe, Molly Hall and cox Charlotte Tong Beat Marlow Rowing club in the first heat winning by two lengths, Team Keene in the second heat by 1/3 rd Length, Kingston Rowing Club in the 3rd heat and in the final beating Wimbledon High School by three lengths.
Again a great success and demonstrating the effort in the training over the 11 months in the squad under difficult conditions.
A little further away two ex-Henley Rowing Junior Girls were racing in the World U23 Championships in Racice (Czech Republic). Sophia Hahn (2nd from left) representing the USA won gold in the 8+ event and Daisy Bellamy representing Great Britain won Gold in the 4-.
