Blazers and blazing racing at Henley Royal Regatta

The week that is the Henley Royal Regatta in Great Britain opened with stifling heat and ended with head to head racing flush with top international crews.

For the first time in 33 years Henley Royal Regatta chairman Mike Sweeney approved the removal of blazers for the men in the Stewards’ Enclosure on the first two days of the regatta. Normally blazers must not be taken off under the strict dress code, but Sweeney, in consultation with health and safety officers allowed the removal. Ties, however, had to remain.

For Saturday’s semi-final racing and Sunday’s finals, temperatures dropped markedly and those racing in the final faced head wind conditions. This year attracted 15 nations which included a large number of national team rowers. Great Britain, who rarely race their national team at Henley, selected Henley this year for their regatta calendar. Many of the open finals turned into a Great Britain against New Zealand race with the New Zealand national team racing here in full for the first time.

Men’s four – The Stewards’ Challenge Cup

Italy’s four did not make it into the final after New Zealand’s lightweight four ousted them in the first round. New Zealand then went on to meet Great Britain in the final. Racing at 25kg lighter to the man, New Zealand remained within attacking distance to lose by 3 ½ boat lengths.

Men’s quadruple sculls – The Queen Mother Challenge Cup

Great Britain met the United States in the first round, both crews subjecting each other to a very tight race. In the over 2,000m distance, Great Britain finished first and thus moved on to Sunday’s final against Olympic Champions, Poland. The Polish have chosen to miss the third Rowing World Cup so this race was their final international outing before the August World Rowing Championships. Great Britain faced another tight battle but this time they were not so lucky. The Polish finished first despite stroke, Adam Korol, stopping two strokes before the finish. Poland, with Korol and Marek Kolbowicz in the boat has won in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Men’s pair – The Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup

The number of entries meant racing in this event stretched out over four days. National team crews from Greece, Great Britain, New Zealand and current Cup holders, South Africa, got through the initial rounds with ease. Minus Greece, who were beaten by Australian rowers Alfred and Buckland, the much waited for clash between Great Britain’s Andy Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed and Eric Murray and Hamish Bond from New Zealand. This race attracted huge amounts of attention as the British crew are now household names in Great Britain.

Murray and Bond had beaten the British crew in June at the second stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup, causing Triggs Hodge and Reed to return to the drawing board. Coach Juergen Grobler moved Reed into stroke seat for this race. The tactic did not work. Despite Triggs Hodge and Reed earning a lead at the start, they were unable to respond when Murray and Bond pushed ahead. By the half-way point the New Zealanders were in the lead. Reed told BBC News after the event, “This race was an immense battle.”

Murray and Bond met South Africans Shaun Keeling and Ramon Di Clemente in the final. Again Murray and Bond prevailed to win their first Henley title, denying Di Clemente of a fifth win in this event.

Men’s double sculls – The Double Sculls Challenge Cup

Coming through to the semi-finals, favourites Stephen Rowbotham and Matt Wells of Great Britain faced a Sichuan, China, provincial crew of Wenjie Yuan and Shunying Zhang. The Sichuan rowers have been training in Great Britain as they build towards their National Games later in the year and they presented Rowbotham and Wells with a tough fight. The British prevailed earning a spot in the final against Matthew Trott and Nathan Cohen of New Zealand.

Trott and Cohen used their aggressive style to get out in front at the start. Wells and Rowbotham, however, never let the New Zealanders get away and the race remained close to the end. In one of the tightest finishes, Trott and Cohen crossed the line in first by just one length.

Men’s single sculls – The Diamond Challenge Sculls

The strength of competition this year was obvious when 2008 title holder, Ian Lawson (Great Britain) went down to world lightweight champion, Duncan Grant of New Zealand. Grant then faced Olympic finalist Tim Maeyens (BEL) in the next round coming off second best. The semi-final came down to Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte (NOR) facing Olympic finalist Alan Campbell (GBR). Tufte took Campbell by surprise by beating him off the start – a tactic usually reserved for Campbell. But Campbell kept his wits about him and fought back to win by two lengths.

Meanwhile former Henley winner, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand faced Maeyens. In a much easier battle than Campbell’s semi-final epic, Drysdale prevailed to move on to the final.

Of the New Zealand team, Drysdale is the only veteran. In 2006 Drysdale won the sculling title and set a course record in the process. Drysdale met Campbell in the final a year late. Campbell won. This year Campbell decided to skip the third Rowing World Cup to focus on Henley, but came into the final perhaps less fresh than Drysdale. Drysdale was able to establish a lead early in the race and Campbell could never catch him.

Women’s eight – The Remenham Challenge Cup

A make-up that included many of Great Britain’s national team members, rowing under Leander and Wallingford clubs, met Yale University from the United States in the final. Joining Great Britain was the recently retired Sarah Winckless. Winckless raced two weeks ago at the Women’s Henley coming out of retirement to fundraise for Huntington’s disease. Winckless is gene-positive for the disease. The British prevailed over Yale winning by three boat lengths at the end.  

Women’s quadruple sculls – The Princess Grace Challenge Cup

Great Britain faced New Zealand in the final round of the women’s quad. Both crews had met last month in the second Rowing World Cup with Great Britain finishing ahead in second. New Zealand got out to an early lead but by the first timing point (The Barrier) the British had pushed into the lead and continued to make up ground until the end.

Women’s single sculls – The Princess Royal Challenge Cup

New Zealand earned another small boat win and also got two boats through to the semi-final in this event. Emma Twigg of New Zealand faced American Olympian (women’s double at Beijing) Ellen Tomek. A bad stroke near the start gave Twigg the edge and the New Zealander then went on to win in comfort. Another American, Genevra Stone, faced Juliette Haigh. New Zealand’s Haigh raced in the pair at the last two Olympic Games and is taking a year out from national team rowing. Based in London, Haigh also competed at Henley in a local women’s quad. Stone finished ahead of Haigh to go on and face Twigg in the final. Twigg was the better boat and is now the holder of the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.

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