Reading Amateur Regatta - Victor Ludorum Winners!

Henley Rowing Club had crews competing on both days of Reading Regatta last weekend on Saturday over a 1500 metre course and Sunday a shorter 1000 metre course.

On Saturday the J15 boys quad of Charlie Green, Maxim Lutsento, Oscar Newson, Diego Petrosillo and cox Rares Visinoin beat Windsor Boys School in the heat then came up against Marlow in the semi final only to lose.

On Sunday a J15 boys quad of Maxim Lutsento, Finn Whitman, Oscar Newson, Diego Petrosillo and cox Rares Visinoin beat Pangbourne College and Royal Grammar School High Wycombe in the heats to set up a final against Wallingford. Following a great start the boys moved ahead to win by 3 lengths.

The J14 boys enjoyed a very successful weekend. On the Saturday in the rainy conditions in the morning, the quad scull of Miles Vann, Flynn Burrow, James Weeks, and Franco Bigmore Wallace coxed by Theo Berry were victorious in convincing fashion, winning their final easily.

On the Sunday, the squad was again mixed up and competed in various boats. First, two double sculls of Miles Vann and James Weeks, and Ollie Rowley and Rocco Balducci competed in the morning, both reaching the final. The pairing of Miley and James came out winners. The two boats were then combined into a quad, again reaching the final where they convincingly defeated local rivals Maidenhead after a close first half.

The remaining squad members of Flynn Burrow and Franco Bigmore Wallace meanwhile were racing in single sculls, again both Henley boats reached the final. A very close race between the two scullers resulted in victory to Flynn by just half a length. An excellent showing with 4 wins from 4 events. 

The J13 boys and girls doubles lost in their respective  finals to crews from Thames Scullers and Walbrook Rowing Club respectively but then both boys and girls quads went on to win their races. The boys open J13 crew of Oscar Mackenzie Smith, Amber Kriefman, Charlie Chapman and Rohan Shanker with cox Aryaveer Kotwal beat a crew from the Langley Academy convincingly. The girls crew of Darcy Kenny, Eliza Vann, Zeffie Whiteman, and Liv Baker with cox Charlotte Roberts went on to win the Women's J13 final  by three and a half lengths against a crew from Wimbledon High School in a division that had several crews both from Wimbledon High School and Lady Eleanor Hollis School.

Aryaveer Kotwall the boys J13 cox had a great weekend coxing winning crews from Henley in the Womens J14 girls quad on both the Saturday and Sunday  and J14 boys crew on the Sunday. 

Two scullers from Henley’s J17-18 boys squad made it another all Henley final in Schools/Junior Sculls. Jonty Stanbridge-Bennett and Sam Hunter beat scullers from Wycliffe, Twickenham and Thames Scullers in the heats. In the final, Jonty rating in the low 40s shot out into an early lead and maintained a rate of 36 over the course, not allowing Sam to haul him back, winning by 2 and a half lengths. This was Jonty’s first win in only his second season rowing after originally attending a learn to row course at the club.

The total of the wins also meant that Henley picked up the Radley Cup the Schools and Junior Victor Ludorum for best school/club at the regatta.

Winning J13 squad:

L to  R  Darcy Kenny, Amber Kriefman, Eliza Vann, Charlie Chapman,Charlotte Roberts, Rohan Shanker, Zeffie Whiteman, Liv Baker and Oscar Mackenzie Smith.

J14 winners:

Miles Vann, Flynn Burrow, James Weeks, and Franco Bigmore Wallace coxed by Theo Berry 

Junior sculls winner Jonty Stanbridge-Bennett being presented his prize by Nick Haskins Regatta Chairman.