The weekend saw the return of racing with the first major event for more than a year. The National Schools regatta at Dorney was a more limited affair than usual due to the covid restriction with racing only for the older age groups. A new format saw a time trial and then the top 18 crews going into the 3 6-boat finals, A, B and C.
HRC had 5 crews competing on the Saturday and 3 on Sunday.
The girls 4+ of Blair Fitzgerald, Freya Engal, Evie Tingate, Ella McKay and cox Caitlin Emery finished 2nd in the time trail. In the final they were 4th at 500m gone, 2nd at half way but with a great piece of consistent and sustained pressure pulled through Marlow with 750m to go and went on to win by nearly two lengths.
In Championship Girls 4x, Laoise O’Donohue, Ailish Harkin, Holly Cookson, and Natalie Schoenmakers finished 6th in the time trail, making the A final but in a very strong field were unable to improve on this position in the final.
Sophie Underwood, Josie sawbridge, Georgina Pollard, Lucy Jones, Rhiannon Luke, Eleanor Harkin, Jasmine Stockdale, Tess Lewis and Fran Whittle produced an excellent result in the Championship girls 8+. This crew is relatively young and inexperienced but finished 2nd in the time trial and in the final gave the Lady Elanor Holles School a run for their money whilst holding off Latymer Upper School who were pressing at their heels for the whole 2K. LEH winning, Henley in 2nd, Latymer 3rd.
In Championship 4x, the Henley boys performed above expectations. The crew of Guy Hutchins, George Lauchlan, David Wallace and Cameron Seagar were 5th in the crucial Time Trial, so reaching the A final. After a slightly sluggish start, leaving them at the tail of the field, the crew hit its stride and came through to a clear 4th place, just outside the medals in an exciting race won by Tideway Scullers School from Windsor Boys School and Leander
On Sunday, three crews competed. Boys J16 4x and two J16 girls 4x.
The boys J16 crew of Matthew Provoost, Sam Pratt, Alex Girling and Connor O’Shea reached the B final coming 9th in the time trial, but fought hard in the B final to do one better, coming home 2nd, so 8th overall.
The girls J16 4x Sophie Graham, Karima Erbolat, Hannah Boddy and Abbie Artherton finished 4th in the time trail so earning a place in the A final where they were able to improve on this position and took the Bronze medal behind Marlow and Headington.
Well done to everyone who raced at National Schools Regatta. A great start to the regatta season.
