Medals and roses for Huegel Regatta winners

Athletes representing 13 national teams numbered among the 1,401 competitors from some of Europe’s top clubs and further afield. A total of 549 crews raced over the two day event, making for exciting racing and a packed grandstand during finals on both Saturday and Sunday.

“Conditions (for racing) were strong but fair,” said Sybille Meier, one of the event organisers. “We had occasional rain on Saturday, but on Sunday we had sun.”

Established in 1901, the regatta attracts competition from around the world and has taken on a special significance for giving national team athletes chance to race in an international setting. “Every two years,” added Meier,  “rowers from all national teams meet to test different crew combinations at an international level.

“On both days we provide the full race programme for open and under-23 classes with heats in the morning and finals in the afternoon, so that the crews for one team in a race can differ on Saturday and Sunday.”

The Netherlands and Germany were dominant in the eights, with the Dutch crew of Monica Lanz, Jenny de Jong, Aletta Jorritsma, Sophie Souwer, Lies Rustenburg, Claudia Belderbos, Wianka van Forp, Heleen Boers, and coxswain Ae-Re Noort taking the women’s eight with a commanding lead of 3.19 seconds ahead of Germany’s Julia Waermer, Katrin Reinert, Charlotte Reinhardt, Anne Becker, Michaela Scmidt, Alexandra Hoeffgen, Kerstin Hertmann, Ronja Schuette, and coxswain Laura Schwensen.

The men’s eight was a much closer contest with Germany taking a small lead in the first 500m and capturing first by a margin of 1.3 seconds over the Netherlands. The German crew consisted of Maximillian Munski, Malte Jakschik, Maximillian Reinelt, Anton Braun, Felix Drahotta, Richard Schmidt, Hannes Ocick, Eric Johannesen, and coxswain Martin Sauer was awarded the special challenge trophy for this event, the ‘Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung.’ The Netherlands boat contained Dirk Uittenbogaard, Boaz Meylink, Mechiel Versluis, Boudewijn Röell, Kaj Hendriks, Tone Wieten, Olivier Siegelaar, Robert Luecken, and coxswain Tim van den Ende.

Some other event winners included Lisa Scheenaard from the Netherlands in the women’s single sculls, and Argentina’s Brian Rosso in the men’s single sculls.

Great Britain’s Karen Bennett and Rebecca Chin raced as a composite entry of Leander/Agecroft clubs to take gold in the women’s pair. Peter Kluge and Alexander Egler of Germany claimed victory in the men’s pair.

“It was a very exciting rowing event for all participants and spectators,” said Meier. “The whole weekend we saw happy faces. It was a pleasure to have the regatta in Essen. All have promised to come back in two years.”

In 2017 it will mark the 100^th Huegel Regatta and it should once again prove to be an excellent event.