The Fours Head of the River Race took place on Saturday 13th November with over 400 crews competing in the first of this years major head races that take place on the four and a quarter mile Championship Boat Race course but running from Chiswick to Putney. HRC had ten boats entered – two senior mens, two boys and six girls crews. For a change conditions on the day were good with a gentle breeze and flat water over the whole course.
For the girls there are three events quad sculls, coxless fours and coxed fours and HRC were victorious in all three.
In WJ4x Natalie Schoenmakers, Nonnie Luke, Ailish Harkin, Laoise Odonohue won the event with a margin of victory of 11 secs over 2nd placed Marlow rowing club and 13 secs over third placed Shiplake College. Their time of 20:28.5 made them 3rd fastest of all the women’s quads competing and is the sixth time out of the last seven occasions that this race has been held that Henley have won this event.
In the WJ4- event the Henley crew of Eyla Wild, Lucy Jones, Pippa Jamieson and Josie Sawbridge where 17 secs ahead of 2nd place Lady Eleanor Holles School. Their time of 21:09.5 sets a new course record for this relatively new event.
In WJ4+ the Henley crew Ella Dickson, Evie Tinegate, Blair Fitzgerald, Florence Lenthall and cox Caitlin Emery took 1st place but only just as their team mates Matilda Macartney, Gwennie Hunter, Tabbie Hall, Emma Eltze and cox Rose Mcewan finished in 2nd place less than four seconds behind. This was a very good result for both these crews as between them they contained six of the clubs under 16 year group.
