Henley Day 3, Friday: Brawn on the 4th July

Yank on Yank action on Independence Day. University of California, Berkley, USA, lead California Rowing Club and New York Athletic Club, USA, in a heat of the Ladies’ (which is not for ladies). The composite’s ‘7’ man was Jamie Koven, who is a Henley Steward.

The press office produced a nice quote from Alex Gregory of the GB Men’s Four:

I’m really looking forward to getting out and racing here. It’s a unique course, there’s nothing like it in the world. There are so many things to contend with - the wind, stream, the wooden booms. If you crash into one of those you’re finished. It’s just quite exciting. Then you have the crowd right on top of you. I’d say that, apart from the Olympics at Dorney Lake, there’s nothing like racing at Henley.

Good links: Rachel Quarrell’s Friday report for the Telegraph is here and the official HRR website has results, and a webcam which refreshes every 15 seconds during racing hours.

This is an edited version of the Friday press release by Caroline Searle:

Olympic single scull Champions Mahe Drysdale and Mirka Knapkova are safely through their first round races at Henley Royal Regatta. New Zealander Drysdale won by an official “easily” verdict over his compatriot George Bridgwater in the Diamond Challenge Sculls – the latter making a comeback after a long lay-off since winning Olympic bronze in another boat class in 2008. In the same event Alan Campbell of Tideway Scullers’ School was amongst the first British squad members to race at this year’s Regatta. The new father – his daughter was born only a couple of weeks ago – won comfortably. He now races the in form Dutchman Roel Braas for the right to face Drysdale or Australian Nick Purnell in Sunday’s final. Knapkova, in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup, was beaten off the start by Gabriella Rodriguez of Marlow Boat Club but caught her swiftly and went on to win by several lengths. Polish Olympic medallist Julia Michalska Plotkowiak, who now lives in London, has also come out of retirement to race here at the 175th Anniversary event and opened her account with a win also in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.

Alan Campbell of Tideway Scullers’ School (which is actually not a school).

Elsewhere other GB Rowing Team crews from the national squad were in action. The British men’s double sculls of John Collins and Jonny Walton, who won their opening race today, know the Henley Reach stretch of water well as they are from nearby Leander Club.

The British women’s eight, racing as Leander and Imperial College, were not tested by a combined Dutch and British student crew but a development GB crew were not so lucky. They drew the Australian national crew in the opening round and came off second best by over four lengths.

Alan Sinclair and Scott Durant, who are a GB pair, won their opening race against club opposition in the Silver Goblets for men’s pairs. The two GB women’s quads – one open and one lightweight – were scheduled to race in today’s evening session (both won).

Some river traffic not normally found at international regattas.

German crews also had a good day on Henley Reach. They recorded three wins – in the Britannia Challenge Cup against Nottingham R.C, in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup against local club Henley R.C. and against Molesey B.C. in the Thames Challenge cup.

In the opening race of the morning Zee Club Zürich got the better of Molesey BC in a re-row of their Visitors’ Challenge Cup race from last night which had resulted in a remarkable dead heat. Zee Club went on to race Oklahoma City River Sport in the early evening session. (Oklahoma won).

Here is my more visual coverage of some of Friday’s activities:

Delayre and Azou (European Lwt 2x Champions) of Club France lead Gong and Long of Shanghai Jiao University, China, in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup and won by 3 1/2 lengths.

A sporting gesture from Long to Delayre and Azou. The Frenchmen were approximately 70kgs each, the Chinese were approximately 100kgs and 95kgs.

The Princess Elizabeth (Junior Men’s Eights) always seems to produce good racing. Here Brunswick School, USA, on the left, race Hampton School from near London. They are at the ‘Progress Board’, which is ten strokes from the finish. Hampton had led by a quarter of a length, but they were overtaken at the Mile and only regained the lead in the last few strokes.

Hampton and Brunswick at the finish. I have criticised schoolboys for overacting but I think Hampton’s display may be justified.

Brunswick feel the pain.

Leander catches a crab during its race with Westminster School in the Fawley Challenge Cup (Junior Men’s Quads).

Tideway Scullers’ School’s Britannia Challenge Cup Crew (Club Coxed Fours) prepares to boat. They are led out by Henley Steward, Sir David Wootton, who was the 684th Lord Mayor of London, 2011 - 2012.

Frankfurter Rudergesellschaf Germania Von 1869 E.V., Germany, seem happy with their win over Molesey in a heat of the Thames Cup (Men’s Club Eights).

Gloucester Rowing Club and Northwich Rowing Club winning their heat of the Princess Grace (Women’s Open Quads).

Radley Mariners feel the strain as they lose to Sydney Rowing Club, Australia, in a heat of the ‘Brit’.

More good racing in the Princess Elizabeth. The small St Edward’s School Boat Club (‘Teddies’) convincingly beats the more prestigious (‘Ra, Ra’) Radley Boat Club.

Club France beat Hollandia Roeiclub by 1 1/4 lengths in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup (Men’s Open Quads).

Leander take it home in a heat of the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (Men’s Intermediate Quads).

A briefing session in the nearest thing to privacy in the boating area.

Umpire Michael Williams flags a clean race.

This swan was removed from the course for his own safety – and because he was not wearing a tie. A former member of Cygnet Rowing Club?

The evening shadows lengthen as the day draws to an end.

Today's 'Drink Of The Day' is Pimm's, the quintessential Henley Royal Regatta libation.

The Rowers on the Queen's New Year's Honours List

HTBS is happy to present the rowers on the Queen's New Year's Honours List of 2013.*

CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire):

Katherine Grainger, Double Sculls

MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire):

Anna Watkins, Double Sculls

Alex Gregory, Four

Sophie Hosking

Katherine Copeland

 Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland, Lightweight Double Sculls

Heather Stanning

Helen Glover

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, Pair

Pamela Relph, Naomi Riches, James Roe, David Smith and cox Lily Van Den Broecke, Mixed Coxed Four

Paul Thompson, Coach

Robin Williams, Coach

Gordon John Day – For voluntary services to Rowing and charitable services through the Allen Glen’s School Club (sorry, no picture).

*Please see also Tim Koch entry Arise, Sir David... also posted today, 29 December, 2012.

Photographs: British Rowing (except of the Four)

Leander Rowers Shake Their Stuff for a Good Cause

Photo: The Henley Standard

Here is a fun fund-raising event that happened in Henley-on-Thames the other day. The local newspaper the Henley Standard writes:

The Olympic gold-medal winning four of Pete Reed, Alex Gregory, Andy Triggs Hodge and Tom James performed to Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) during the BBC telethon on Friday night. They then joined fellow gold medallists Anna Watkins, Katherine Grainger, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning in “rowing” on office chairs.

The routine helped boost the total raised on the night to a record £26,757,446. Many fund-raising events took place in the Henley area, especially in schools. Reed, a Leander Club athlete, said: “I am not a dancer at all. It’s actually a fear of mine but ‘Children in Need’ is a great charity so I just had to man up and give it my best shot. We had a lot of fun as a crew that day. It turns out that we are all trainable and it’s good not to take yourself too seriously.”

Watkins, a Leander sculler, said: “It was great fun to take part. We’re not natural dancers but they found something even we could do, although we’re not quite ready for Strictly yet! I think the boys enjoyed doing Single Ladies way too much.”

Read the whole article in the Henley Standard here. (Where you will also find a funny video!)

Alex Gregory – Not A Spare Anymore

Conrad Brunner is executive producer of Atomized Entertainment, a company which is doing the 12-week video series The Squad about GB Rowing Team men’s sweep squad for British Rowing. For the episode above ‘Alex Gregory’, Brunner writes in an e-mail,

Four years ago, Alex Gregory was a spare man for Team GB at the Beijing Olympics. “No-one got injured, which was good luck for them and bad luck for me,” Gregory says. Since then, Alex, 28, has firmly established himself in the team, winning World Championship M4- gold medals in 2009 and 2011. He has been selected for the Four – the top GB boat – for London 2012, alongside Andy Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed and Tom James. As Tom says of Alex: “He’s one of the most uncompetitive guys you could meet. But put him in a boat…”