/media/latest-news/inside-lines/RSS Feed of the latest news for Henley Royal RegattaSun, 01 Jul 2012 19:19:10 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=674Daily briefing notes from the Press Office at Henley Royal RegattaHenley HeadlinesAfter a row-past by British Olympic medallists in the Royal Barge Gloriana, and with a host of rowing Olympians watching, the 2012 Henley Royal Regatta came to a close with some gripping racing in the 20 finals.1948 veteran Lapage watches grandson triumphThe Olympics were last held on the famous Henley course in 1948 but in 2012 you could barely move in the Stewards’ Enclosure without bumping into a British Olympian.Amongst them was the 88-year-old Michael Lapage, from the British eight that took silver in the post-war Games but the former Fleet Air Arm pilot had more on his mind than spending time with his fellow Olympians – his grandson Patrick was stroking the Harvard University eight facing Leander in the final of the Ladies’ Challenge Plate.Harvard’s win was arguably the race of the day, with the result in doubt right up until the announcement of the one-foot verdict, but the elder Lapage said: “I was optimistic. I’ve seen him win another race here by that margin a few years ago.”The veteran Olympian must have kept as cool as his grandson, as Leander led for most of the race.Patrick Lapage, who won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup with Shrewsbury School in 2007, explained afterwards that Harvard had planned the race that way.“We knew we had to keep contact,” he said. “We had a big 20 strokes in the middle and just kept building. For the last 10 or 15 strokes I just kept my eyes on their boat. You don’t want to lose a race like that.”The young Lapage admits to harbouring his own Olympic ambitions, saying: “I’d love to try for the Games but first I plan to take a year out coaching in the States and then see where I am.” Michael Lapage finally caught up with his grandson after the prize giving, saying: “I knew you could do it”. Olympic hoard take tea at HenleyThere were so many Olympians present that Mike Sweeney, Chairman of the Regatta had to use a megaphone to make himself heard:“This wasn’t the sort of reception I was used to when I was your team manager,” said Sweeney, with a broad smile on his face, as he looked out over a remarkable gathering.As he spoke, the Chairman looked at the grins of no less than 174 of Britain’s Olympic rowers, thrilled to be together with their old team-mates over afternoon tea.“This is just a fantastic occasion,” said John Beattie, who won a bronze medal in the coxless fours at the 1980 Olympics – one of the years that Sweeney managed the team.Sir Steve Redgrave very nearly made the Moscow Games but the veteran of five Olympic Games, together with his wife Ann – who rowed in the 1984 Games - brought their family to share reunions with rowers they hadn’t seen in many a year.Bob Janousek, the Czech coach who many credit with kick-starting the Olympic success of British rowing in the 1970s was there to meet seven men from the eight that won a silver medal in the Montreal Olympics.“It’s great to see so many of the guys here,” he said. “They all look in great shape too.”The highlight of the gathering was the chance for the Olympians to serve as a backdrop to Henley’s famous prize-giving in the Fawley Stand but the most fun occurred when the Olympians gathered for a once-in-a-lifetime photograph.Amazingly, the sun came out: an omen perhaps for the successors of those men and women who will take on the world at Dorney Lake later this month.Gloriana graces Henley reachHenley’s race announcer is normally formal and impartial but Sunday began with a note of humour and parody.“The Royal Barge Gloriana has just passed the Barrier, flags flying, with a rate of striking of 18. Time to the Barrier, several minutes.”A group of British Olympic medallists – including two who won Olympic silver when the 1948 Olympic regatta was run on the same course – manned the barge, which has been moored at the Regatta all week.Among them, Elise Sherwell (nee Laverick) was rowing with Sarah Winckless for the first time since they won Olympic bronze in the double scull in Athens eight years ago.“It was amazing to be rowing behind Sarah again,” said Sherwell.“I don't think we will have broken any records but it's certainly one of the most fun trips up the course I've done.”“We were cheered and clapped all the way. I thought it might be quiet but a lot of people were there early.”Laid-back Mulkerrins savours Star successPete Mulkerrins seat, just inside bay ‘A’ at the far end of the boat tents, does not afford the best view of racing but that was where the man who masterminded Star’s recent success sat as their coxed four secured the club’s first outright win at Henley in its 52-year history.“That win means the world to the club,” said the two-times Olympian, famous for his understated and laid-back manner.“I decided that I would listen to the commentary on the race from inside the boat bays but I just didn’t count on the boys having to produce a finish to win that one.”Mulkerrins had told his boys that their opposition from Taurus were unlikely to produce a strong last 100m but that was exactly what happened. The crew with former world indoor rowing champion Graham Benton on board fought back to within three feet of Star.“Luckily Pete had taught us how to row really well, so we didn’t need to rely on his predictions,” said Will Eason, the mainstay of Star Club’s recent Henley challenges and one of the four men who followed last year’s Thames Challenge Cup final defeat in the eight with victory in the four.How much emotion did Mulkerrins show when his crew crossed the line in front?“I allowed myself a wry smile,” he admitted. Inside, though, the big man knows just what that win means for his crew, his club and – just maybe – even himself.Abingdon secure double-tripleThe aim for any leading British school eight is the "Triple" of wins at the Schools Head, National Schools Regatta and the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley but Abingdon School improved on that on Sunday, winning all three events for the second successive year.After beating Radley College by three-quarters of a length in a nail-biting final, Abingdon's coach Athol Hundermark, made it clear that he saw the other two events as stepping stones to Henley success.“We said if we got National Schools and Schools Head as well that would be brilliant but the focus was always Henley,” said the South African.Seventeen seconds behind Abingdon, Radley were fifth at Schools Head but moved up to third by National Schools and stepped up to beat Hampton in a gripping semi-final."To have 46 crews entered, with 11 from overseas and to meet our nearest rivals [in the final] is pretty special," added Hundermark, who will leave Abingdon after seven years to take a job at Shrewsbury School next year."It's been a wonderful time and I've loved every minute of it but it's probably the right time and the right note to move on." Late change key for history-making Henley girlsHenley Rowing Club’s young foursome were clearly proud to have made history in winning the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls in its inaugural year but just four weeks ago they weren’t even among the top six crews in the country.Henley failed to reach the final at the National Schools Regatta, prompting a re-jig that brought 16-year-old Alice White into the crew, racing in events for under-18s. Rejuvenated, they beat Canford at Henley Women’s Regatta and started to think big.Watching his daughter Joanna win from the umpire’s launch, Martin Unsworth was clearly emotional.“I couldn’t sleep last night, cried my way down most of the course,” he admitted.“A month ago, Joanna said to me, ‘We won’t even qualify, we’re not quick enough.’ They brought Alice in the boat and won Henley Women’s in style.Then she said: ‘We might just have a chance at this.”Joanna admitted: “I think we're the first people to scream at that pitch on the finish line” after an event in which each of the crews coped well with difficult conditions.Her father added: “I think people have been impressed by the way they have conducted themselves, that they had power and sense. They weren’t giggly girls; they were proper athletes.”Latymer girls step up for communityThey suffered a surprising defeat on Friday in the first round of the inaugural Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls but the Latymer Upper School quadruple scull deserve headlines for the work they have been doing with less privileged teenagers.They are all members of a unique volunteering programme established at their boathouse to support a new initiative launched by London Youth Rowing (LYR), the charity established to introduce young people to the sport.Set up by Jim Downing in 2004 after a trip to Henley, LYR has its roots in East London but by 2011 it was looking to establish itself in the west of the city. To make the West London initiative feasible LYR needed funding and volunteers.Some finance came from the Sam Griffiths Foundation, named after the brother of Kate Griffiths, who rows in the Latymer quadruple scull. Sam was killed aged 16 in 2009 in a tragic accident. Funding was achieved for a full-time coach based at the University of London boathouse in Chiswick. Meanwhile Kate Griffiths and squad-mates offered a team of around 10 volunteers to assist with coaching.The girls spend every Wednesday evening on the river helping with LYR’s Learn 2 Row courses and spend some of their holidays assisting with courses which are curriculum-based within schools.“The programme has been good for the girls, good for the boathouse and good for the community,” said their coach Hugo Gulliver“Volunteering has allowed them to give something back to rowing and given them the chance to share their enthusiasm for the sport with people who might otherwise have never got close to the water.”In under a year the initiative has introduced 797 pupils from west London state schools to rowing. LYR raced at Henley for the first time this year, fielding a quad that raced as Lea RC. That should show the west London youngsters they can reach the Regatta one day too.For further information contact Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on 01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=674Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:50:26 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=666Henley HeadlinesAmerican eights stood out on the fourth day at Henley Royal Regatta but seven of Sunday’s 20 finals will be all-British affairs. Sunday’s action begins at 11.30am, after a row-past by a group of Olympians in the royal barge Gloriana.Nottingham survive for second chanceNottingham RC's coxless four will hope history does not repeat itself too closely as they prepare for a second successive Wyfold Challenge Cup final.The verdict in their semi-final today - beating Tideway Scullers’ School by three-quarters of a length - is exactly the same as it was last year, although on that occasion the semi had to be re-rowed after Scullers’ fin was caught in weed.This time a crew with two of the same oarsmen - Richard Watton and Matt Gotrel - survived a battering wind and a dogged Scullers crew.Now they must put last year's defeat to London to the back of their minds as they prepare to take on Australian club ANA on Sunday but coach Dan Johnson feels last year's Henley experience, going through a regatta that lasts at least twice as long as most, will help.“The experience of going through five days is so important,” he said. “The crew that missed out last year had never made it to a Thursday before. It was all new and different.“Obviously we would rather have won last year, then we could be sitting on a beach now, rather than being here in the wind and rain but it's probably a stepping stone you have to take along the way. It's very hard to just rock up, make the weekend and win.” “Boss” swaps ballet for boatA cool Californian, Brandon “Boss” Shald, strokes California RC’s eight in the Grand Challenge Cup with just a touch more poise, flow and rhythm than most.  But the 28-year-old’s unique sense of movement was already well honed by the time he was just 19. It was then that he danced his first lead role, in Balanchine's Concerto Barocco ballet.Admittedly, it’s hard to picture the big man - just one race away from lifting the Regatta’s top prize - as once having graced the theatres of the West Coast but the San Francisco Chronicle described him as: “A very musical and sensitive partner”“It was my first lead and you always remember that one,” explained Shald, shortly after getting his breath back having led his crew to a convincing two-length victory over Australia’s top U23 eight.“Back then, I was just 175lb (12st 7lb). But now, I’m about 215 Ib and really enjoying myself in this eight.”Shald switched to rowing in 2008, after his father, a former oarsman, suggested he give it a try. Four years later, he just missed out on a place in the Olympic team but plans to continue rowing in an attempt to make the US team for Rio 2016.“The guys in our eight didn’t quite make it this year but I learned so much under [US coach] Mike Teti,” Shald said.Remarkably, though, Shald’s eight has only had three days working together with their coach, the former German lightweight Bernhard Stomperowski before the Regatta, they remain many observers’ favourites to take the Grand ahead of their compatriots from Brown University.“It’s a long race out there in these conditions,” said Shald, “but if we find our rhythm, I think we have a solid shot of winning.”Molesey look to bigger pictureMolesey oarsmen will feature in two of Sunday’s finals and chief coach Ben Lewis has a job on his hands if the men in black are to prevail against both a Thames RC eight in the Thames Challenge Cup and the Dutch student four from Nereus in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup. But while these two events are Lewis’s immediate priority, his dream is to find a way for the Surrey club to produce an eight good enough to win the Ladies’ Challenge Plate.That Lewis has a long way to go, was shown by the comprehensive defeat of the Molesey and Oxford Brookes composite by Harvard University in the Ladies’ semi-final on Saturday afternoon.“Those guys from Harvard do a great job. They’ve got the experience of previous winners in that boat and plenty of time to integrate new guys,” said Lewis. “Our guys have different styles and we have only had a short time together.”But hope is at hand in the shape of Lewis’s Thames Cup eight, aiming to take the title they last won in 2009.“We could have tried to put our best four in the “Brit” or Wyfolds but we’re a big club and it’s right we should try and win the Thames Cup,” he said. “If we are successful on Sunday, I hope to keep the basis of that crew together to make a challenge on the Ladies.”Fred Gill, who strokes the Molesey / Brookes crew in the Visitors Challenge Cup has his eyes firmly set on a place in the British team for 2016 so may not fit into that plan.Nevertheless, as a former Ladies’ Plate winner with Leander, Lewis knows what it takes. And he thinks that Harvard will start as favourites to beat his old club on Sunday.“The three Brits they have in that eight row really well and, overall, their coach Harry Parker has done a great job,” he said.The men Lewis is referring to are Andy Holmes, Casper Jopling and Patrick Lapage. Two of them are former world junior champions and Jopling won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup with Eton. Triple Olympian Dekker chooses Henley for farewellHollandia’s 3 ¼ -length victory over Piediluco in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup extended stroke-woman Femke Dekker’s 18-year career by a further day, and took her into her first Henley final at the third attempt.Dekker, 33 next month and an Olympic silver medallist in the Dutch eight four years ago, just missed out on selection for that boat again this year but was offered a seat for Henley after injury hit the Dutch development quad preparing for the European Championships.“I was hoping to be in London for my fourth Olympics but I just missed out on the women’s eight after a slight injury and some family problems,” she said. “People here love rowing and I’m here because I love rowing too. The whole event, how people dress up and the history … now I know why I love rowing.  Being here is better than World Cups because there everyone is busy with themselves but here we’re all one family; we share the thing we love the most.”Her crew will face the Australian Under-23 quad, who raced level to the Progress Boards 50m from the finish with their New Zealand counterparts, before surging to victory.“It will be tough tomorrow,” said Dekker, “but I will give more than 200% for my last race.” Searle takes seat on GlorianaJonny Searle has confirmed he will be on the Royal Barge Gloriana, as one of a group of Olympians who will row over the course at 11am on Sunday morning and he will join more than 170 rowing Olympians at a reunion later in the day.Searle won gold in the coxed pairs in Barcelona in 1992 and his cox in that race, Garry Herbert, will also attend. The third crew-member, Jonny's younger brother Greg, is on the Great Britain training camp in the Austrian Alps as he aims to win a second Olympic title 20 years after his first.Overheard“Even from the Barn Bar you can hear a hum, then when you get to Remenham it’s huge. I could taste blood but I just had to keep going.”- A London RC competitor describes the “Remenham Roar”, which greets member crews at the Remenham Club half-way up the course“It’s a lovely eight; it goes like the wind. Well, it did.”- Henley Steward Dan Topolski after a Saturday morning paddle with the Great Britain lightweight crew that won the world title in 1977“We only wash the boat on Saturdays. If you need to wash it on Wednesdays, you’re really struggling.”- Star Club coach Pete Mulkerrins prepares his coxed four before the semi-final victory over London RCFor further information contact Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on 01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=666Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:04:39 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=662Henley HeadlinesAnother windy day at Henley saw young Australian crews show their strength, while schoolgirls made history by appearing at the Regatta for the first time. Saturday brings semi-finals in each of the 20 events.Aussie shows true gritAfter a remarkable victory in a heat of the Temple Challenge Cup, James Medway showed just how strong the Aussie spirit can be.At 10.40am, an exhausted Medway thought his regatta was over after his Harvard University ‘A’ eight were beaten in a close contest by the University of Washington. Unknown to the freshman, compatriot Matt Cochran – who was due to race for Australia’s National Rowing Centre of Excellence ‘A’ eight in the Grand - had been just been taken ill with a gastric bug.“We knew we needed a sub but we had to wait for about an hour after Matt had lost the Temple before we asked him,” said Peter Shakespear, Australia’s high performance development manager.It was not just a physical but also a technical challenge that faced Medway. He had raced in the regatta on bow side but the NCRE eight needed him to sub in on the other side in their race against the Dutch national lightweight eight, Hollandia.“We knew he’d rowed on stroke side a while back, so we reckoned he could do it,” said coach Tom Morris. “He kept pretty quiet when we asked him but you could see that he was pleased to get another shot at winning.”Those watching the final stages of the Grand could see that Medway’s technique was under pressure but the coaches were delighted with his performance.“I think we’ll keep him in for tomorrow’s race against Cal [California Rowing Club],” said Morris.Injury has also affected Australia’s second entry in the Grand Challenge Cup and yet another of Harvard’s five Aussie rowers, Charles Risbey, has been drafted in as a replacement.“It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us,” Shakespear admitted.Junior women make Henley historyThe Regatta began a new page in its history today as the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls event got under way.And even though they are familiar with the river the quad from Henley RC – who won at Henley Women’s Regatta a fortnight ago on a 1500m course – felt the difference over the full mile and 550 yards (2112m).“You definitely know it's longer than 2k,” said 17-year-old Joanna Unsworth, who sat in the three seat, as Henley beat Headington School in one of the first heats.“It was very different to any race we've done before, especially in the last 1000m with everyone supporting.”Henley coach Chris Boothroyd said more girls’ quads have raced throughout this season as a result of the Regatta Stewards’ announcement of the new event 18 months ago.“Headington are a sweep club but as soon as the announcement was made, the next thing you saw was a Headington quad out there, understandably,” he said.“Having the event will raise the status of girls' sculling; it's bound to.  It was a good race; conditions were horrible but they handled it well.“It is a very different event to anything else we've done: Henley Women's, National Schools, any of those. The pressure is different.”Henley RC has beaten all but Nottingham RC this year so are confident for the rest of the Regatta.The club earlier this year received a grant from the Stewards’ Charitable Trust, which was established in 1988 to provide funds to support young people to row.Boothroyd said: “The money has allowed us to employ a number of coaches to help not only at this level but to bring on our 12- and 13-year-olds so we get a bigger base and improve across the whole range.”One of those coaches is Leander oarsman John Collins, who was unable to watch the quad because he was racing, along with Alan Sinclair, in their double scull in the very next race, beating a Dutch duo easily.As is common practice with new events at the Regatta there will be no trophy on offer this year but the winners will receive medals.Canford lightweightAt only 7st 13lbs Lauren Fry is probably the lightest rower at Henley but the Canford bow certainly packed a massive punch as she helped her crew defeat Tideway Scullers in a later heat of the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls.James Stevenson, one of Canford’s coaching team, described his 5ft3in oarswoman as “seriously feisty; a real racer”.“Lauren pushes more weight on the squats than any other member of the crew,” he added.After her race, Fry explained how she knew her crew were ready to race: “We had a couple of the girls vomiting with nerves before. But it was the same at National Schools and we won that. So I knew we were up for it.” Smith hopes Scullers’ luck continuesTideway Scullers’ charmed life in the Wyfold Challenge Cup continued on Friday, and Antony Smith hopes it will last two more days so he can break his Henley duck. On Wednesday, the four won despite clipping one of the wooden booms on the side of the course; yesterday they came from behind to beat the selected London ‘A’ crew.On the third morning of the Regatta they had to restart their quarter-final against the Munich crew after a clash. Steering was erratic at the second attempt too and photos show the Scullers bow pair with their arms up in appeal mid-race.Ignored by umpire Mike Williams, they went a length down in the process but still managed to pull through to win by a length.Smith will have deja-vu on Saturday when he faces Nottingham ‘A’ in a re-match of last year’s semi-final. The 10st 10lb oarsman, who has been racing at Henley for a decade - usually in a lightweight quad with little chance of victory – reached Sunday in an eight in 2008, but was unable to clinch a medal.“We've done everything in this boat now. It's quite a fun boat to be in. Hopefully we can keep going now,” he said. “It’s about time. Fingers crossed.”Lifeguards celebrate 25 years at HenleyRowers in distress at Henley will find several friendly faces on the river waiting to come to their aid, and one face has been the same for 25 years.Colwick Park Lifeguards from Nottingham have been manning boats along the course since 1988, and vice-chairman Nigel Buck has attended every single Regatta since.He is part of a 16-strong team, covering four positions along the reach. The team at the finish tells members of each crew to sit up immediately if they lie down exhausted.“The idea of telling them to sit up as they cross the line is to be able to identify anyone who is in desperate need,” said Buck.  “They have done a long race and are short of breath but can get that back while sitting up. Those who are laying down and staying down are the ones you worry about.“Wednesday was busiest as regards injuries. A kneecap was dislocated, there was another knee problem and another guy's back had gone.”The team’s first involvement in rowing came at the 1986 World Rowing Championships at Nottingham’s National Watersport Centre, after which they were asked to come to Henley.Usually the lifeguards will try to keep injured rowers in their boats, while alerting medical services on the bank. But sometimes they have no option but to bring an oarsman or woman on board their boat.“Several years ago, as an eight crossed the finish line, the handle of the stroke's oar got stuck in his chest and threw him straight into the water,” said Buck, “right in front of a packed weekend Stewards’ Enclosure.” Auriol Kensington honour Olympic championAfter seeing the steering problems suffered by racing crews on Thursday, Auriol Kensington RC’s Jimmy Pigden was fretting overnight about taking a crew up the course during the Regatta this morning for the first time in – he estimated - 50 years.Wearing the same blazer he wore 50 years ago, Pigden was cox of one of the veteran eights that rowed over during the lunch interval, celebrating the centenary of club member WD “Wally” Kinnear’s Olympic singles triumph and the 50th anniversary of AK’s annual three-day row from their club house in Hammersmith to Henley.In the event, though, he had no reason to worry about the potentially treacherous wooden booms that line the course.  They told us to go down the middle so it was fine,” he said.Three-times world lightweight champion Peter Haining – another AK member who was inspired by fellow Scot Kinnear - and Wally’s seventh child Donald were on hand for the naming of a new eight in the Olympic champion’s honour. Since 1912, no Brit has followed Kinnear onto the top step of the podium for single scullers.Brown show strength in depthYou can tell that Brown University’s top eight are not superstitious. The Americans, hotly fancied in the Grand Challenge Cup, have chosen to race in the same boat that Oxford University used in their controversial defeat in this year’s Boat Race.“Yeah I saw that race, it was kind of crazy,” said Ben Dann, Brown’s two-man, but understandably he is purely focussed on trying to win the Grand. For him, Brown’s opening race could not come soon enough.“We’ve been really anxious to get going,” explained the senior-year oarsman. “But you could tell we used that energy well in our race against the Italians.”Brown’s varsity crew opened their account with a comfortable victory against the Italian national lightweight eight.With a strong Australian under-23 crew waiting for Brown on Saturday, Dann knows his crew will have to step up.“We’ve had a fantastic season so far. We know we’ve got some good crews to face but we’re going to give winning the event our best shot.”Dann himself is no stranger to U23 competition, having represented the USA in the single sculls at last year’s championships.An indication of the high standards at Brown was the size of the crowd that greeted Dann’s crew when they got off the water. It included Brown’s junior varsity eight, fresh from their success in the Temple Challenge Cup against a strong Nereus crew.Henley Steward Jamie Koven, the former world sculling champion, just had time to change into his alma mater’s blazer after winning a heat of the of the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup over Germany’s lightweight pair. On Friday, Koven and Mike Blomquist – veterans who both just missed out on Olympic selection - face a strong U23 pair from Greece.For those that want to understand a bit more of the winning Brown philosophy, a fabulous book has just been published called: Ever True. It is beautifully resourced and tells in great style the illustrious story of rowing at Brown. Copies are available from Richard Way Bookshop in Henley.Brown’s Boat Race connection is about to go even deeper: next year Alex Fleming, the Australian strokeman in the Grand eight, will study and row at Cambridge University.For further information contact Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on 01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351 http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=662Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:29:17 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=654Henley HeadlinesA blustery but sunny Henley witnessed some hot-tempered and exciting racing on day two.  Competition in all the rest of the senior events begins on Friday with 67 races scheduled between 08.30 and 19.20.Henshilwood kept busy at HenleyAlex Henshilwood, Melbourne University’s prize coach, is one of the busiest men at Henley and, despite seeing two crews go out already, still has a few irons in the fire.The former Great Britain lightweight international, who many regard as responsible for developing the talent of the GB eight’s strokeman Constantine Louloudis while at Eton College, saw his selected quad upset by Bayer Leverkusen in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup on Thursday, after the Upper Yarra coxless four went down to Tideway Scullers in the Wyfold Challenge Cup on day one.But he said: “I’m looking after a really strong group of under-23 oarsman getting ready for the World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania, and I’m hopeful things will turn around.”Henshilwood, who coached Upper Yarra to victory in the Thames Challenge Cup last year, hopes that his crew in the Grand, rowing as National Centre of Rowing Excellence ‘B’, may cause a few waves when they open their account on Saturday.“I know we’re racing Brown University but I hope we’re good enough to take them on,” he said as he moved swiftly along the boat tents. “There’s not much time to stand still this year,” he explained.UL revival continuesUniversity of London last won the Prince Albert Cup for coxed fours in 2007 and their top crew are hoping to repeat the feat this year, upsetting selected Brown University of the USA.“I remember we weren’t a selected crew back then [in 2007] either,” said Olympian Dave Townsend, the brains behind UL’s recent revival. “Three of these boys will be in Britain’s Under-23 team and another in the European Championships – so we know they should give most crews a test.“What I’m really proud of is that the two guys in the middle of the boat had never touched an oar before they came to UL, so that just shows what we can do for people.”UL confirmed the fine form they showed in winning at the Metropolitan Regatta earlier this month, dominating their race against Brown on Thursday evening from the start to record an “easily” verdict.UL assistant says thanks to Henley StewardsA small part of  that recent UL’s revival is down to the Henley Stewards as, three years ago, assistant coach Phil Gray joined the Stewards’ Charitable Trust (SCT) Coaching Scholarship Scheme. Gray says he wouldn’t be in his current role without the benefits he gained from it.Starting with just two coaches in September 2002 the project is now supporting 14 coaches. Each SCT coach must undertake a two-year, part-time postgraduate course in coaching, sports development or the health/social related benefits of sport, while spending 20 hours per week coaching juniors. To date the Trust has donated £970,000 to the initiative.After completing his two-year stint, working with three clubs in Bath and Bristol, former Yarm schoolboy Gray, 26, took a job at the GB Rowing Team's Start centre at the University of Bath, and then moved on to UL.“It's been quite a quick progression through. If I hadn’t had the Steward's scholarship and been in the area, I definitely wouldn't have got that job and I wouldn’t be at UL now.“I want to be here to help make UL undisputedly the best university in the country and when that happens I'll see what else I can do.“Obviously in the future I would love to be a chief coach myself but I'm not thinking that far ahead yet.” Umpire keeps crews in orderA gondola crossing the course had a near miss with the Visitors’ Challenge Cup heat between Taurus BC and the composite of Christ Church and 1829 Boat Club but those concerned already had more than enough to handle.Taurus - the open club at Oxford Brookes University – and the composite, a mix of former Boat Race blues from both Oxford and Cambridge, clashed in neutral water off the start and were ordered back to the pontoons by umpire Boris Rankov.The re-started race was no better tempered, Taurus receiving numerous warnings for their steering before returning to their station, completing a two-length victory then receiving a lengthy telling-off from the umpire.The composite’s German stroke, Hano Wienhausen, who rowed at six in Oxford’s 2012 Boat Race defeat, appealed afterwards, claiming the Taurus wash had affected the outcome of the race, but the appeal was refused.Hampton cross every “T”If you’re a school eight aiming to win the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, you cannot afford to miss a trick. So it was noted that when Hampton School crossed the line two lengths ahead of the powerful Americans from Groton School, they turned straight round to paddle back towards the start for a long wind-down.“We timed it just right for the lunch break,” said the eight’s coach Neil Double. “Before the lads went on the water, I checked if we would be allowed to turn straight round.”Double, is used to crossing every “T” and dotting every “I” and his crew showed why they are one of the favourites, rowing through the faster-starting Americans despite giving away over a stone and a half advantage per man.Double was able to draw on the experience of Alex Lloyd and Rob Wickstead - two 17-year-olds who have proved themselves the fastest junior rowers in Britain.Last year, they were part of the British eight that won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships.Hampton face further tough opposition from the USA in the form of Belmont School on Friday and Double said: “We’ve still got room for improvement.”Hampton provides Searle’s best Henley memoryHampton have some famous antecedents in the PE as Greg Searle, one of their old boys, recently described his victory in the event as a 16-year-old in 1988 as “maybe my best Henley ever”.A survey sent to some of the 270 living rowing Olympians – many of whom will gather at Henley on Sunday – reveals another man who felt the same race was his worst experience at the Regatta.Overall, Sir Matthew Pinsent enjoyed a stellar Henley career but described that loss, when he was at Eton College, as “totally demoralising for a young oarsman at the end of his school time”.Forty-year-old Searle, who will aim to win his second Olympic title in the eight at London 2012, 20 years after his first gold – won’t be at Henley this summer as the GB squad are currently in the middle of altitude training in the Austrian Alps.Coming up on FridayCox Rowley Douglas is drawing inspiration from Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher and Bridget Parker, Olympic equestrian champion in 1972, as he continues his comeback with Molesey and Oxford Brookes in the Ladies’ Plate, which starts on Friday.Douglas, an Olympic champion himself with the Great Britain eight 12 years ago, returned to the sport with Molesey in 2010, hoping to trial for the GB men’s eight again. He says he feels "a little bit cheated", having as he saw it not been given a fair chance to trial against the incumbent Phelan Hill, although a tribunal turned down his appeal over selection.Schumacher, Germany’s seven-times world champion, endured two years of failure on his comeback before returning to an F1 podium recently. Douglas recently met Parker, who was a reserve for the GB eventing team but was called into action at the last minute and won a gold medal.“I have that Schumacher mentality that you don't stop until its mathematically impossible. When the red light goes out on the start light at the final of the Olympics, the game's up and I'm not in,” said Douglas.“I'm not hoping for this - I'll make that very clear - but things happen and I might as well stay in good trim just in case.“I said at the outset I would finish out the year because I love the sport and this is a great place to come and do it, with a club that has supported me the whole way through.”Douglas was expecting to face Jamie Koven - the American double world champion whose own bid to reach the Olympics at the age of 39 fell short recently – but Koven, a Regatta Steward, opted not to row in the Penn eight and to concentrate on racing in a pair, saying: “I’m too old to double up.”London lightweight goes to great lengthsThe blustery headwind that has been a feature for much of the Regatta is unlikely to faze London Rowing Club single sculler Imogen Walsh, who faces Estonian Kaisa Pajusalu in the first round of the Princess Royal Challenge Cup on Friday.A week ago at the Regatta’s qualifying races, the headwind was gusting at up to 40mph and some female sculls took more than 10 minutes to cover the shorter course.Walsh, part of Great Britain’s second-choice lightweight double that will attend the European Championships in September, took desperate measures to deal with the conditions, having a centimetre cut off the end of her blades beforehand in order to set her gearing sufficiently. Overheard“Someone in the sponsors’ enclosures asked when Katherine Jenkins was singing. We had to tell her it wasn’t until next week.”- It was a good job one onlooker realised Welsh songstress Jenkins is performing at the Henley Festival, rather than the Royal Regatta“Where do you keep the fire extinguishers?”- A member of a coxless four in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup shouts to a friend who is putting the crew up in her mother’s house For further information contact Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on 01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=654Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:16:10 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=649Henley HeadlinesAfter a hectic opening day on Wednesday, featuring clubs, universities and schools as well as a row-past from Great Britain’s Paralympic team, Thursday will feature a 78-race programme, with six further events getting under way. Star start to overturn 2011 heartacheStar Club of Bedford took their first step in overturning last year’s disappointment at defeat in a Henley final, with two resounding victories on day one of the 2012 Royal Regatta.Seven of the oarsmen from the defeated Star eight have spread across two fours for this year. The coxed four upset fancied Eton Vikings by four lengths in the Britannia Challenge Cup in the morning, and the coxless four beat Nottingham RC “C” by a resounding five lengths in the Wyfold Challenge Cup late in the day.“We’re just a small provincial club that makes the most of what we’ve got,” said their coach, double Olympian Peter Mulkerrins.“We started coaching in 2004 and it’s been a building process. Success breeds success. We’ve used 31 people in that time and now have a squad of 10 people.”During his time in the British squad, Mulkerrins rowed under coaching legends Jurgen Grobler, Mike Spracklen and Harry Mahon and feels he has taken the best of all of them.“We take Jurgen’s approach over the winter, with lots of work on technique, rating 18 and 20,” he said. “Spracklen had some tough sessions, like 30 minutes rating 30, although we only have a 2k piece of river so it is split up.“Harry was as much about not stopping the boat as making it go faster.”London A have caught Mulkerrins’ eye in the Britannia Challenge Cup but he added: “We’ll focus on getting through to Sunday’s final then who ever we look across and see is whoever we look across and see.”Scullers surge for Oxford Blue’s first Henley winHe may be a Boat Race winner but when Ben Ellison’s four found themselves  half a length down on the seeded Phoenix coxed four in a heat of the Britannia Challenge Cup, the Dark Blue feared the worst.“I’ve never won a race at Henley,” explained the Tideway Scullers’ School oarsman, “and when the Aussie crew led us at the half mile, I thought I’d have to wait a little longer.”But the Scullers crew overturned the form book. Throwing in repeated mid-course attacks against a crew which contained two of Australia’s national club champions, Ellison’s crew began to make up the deficit. “Crossing the line was a great feeling,” said Ellison.The Scullers’ result helped make up for the club’s earlier disappointment in a heat of the Thames Challenge Cup. Half-way through the race, the seat of four man Ollie Williams broke.  Royal Chester were ahead at the time and went on to win, with the verdict: Not Rowed Out. Unbeaten Aggar takes Henley bowHe is unbeaten during a five-year international career; some of his scores in the weights room eclipse those of Great Britain’s Olympic squad, but Tom Aggar only made his Henley “debut” on Wednesday, when he was part of the GB Paralympic squad who rowed up the course through the enclosures for their formal unveiling.Aggar, multiple world champion in the arms-and-shoulders single scull, had to deal with the lunchtime wash as cruisers crowded around the booms but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.“It was a fantastic honour to go up the Thames in front of such an appreciative crowd at the most prestigious rowing event in the world,” he said.“We don't get opportunities to row on rivers that often so it was a fantastic experience. It got a little hairy out there at one point with all the different boats out on the water at the same time but we managed it in the end.” Orlando blooms for LatymerRacing at Henley Royal is often the highlight of many a career. So when the chance falls to a young lad who is yet to reach his 15th birthday, it really is something special.  On Wednesday, Orlando Nixon took that chance with both hands when his Latymer Upper eight took on the King’s School Chester in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, racing level for much of the course before moving on to win by 1 and ¾  lengths.“It was a brilliant race!” said Latymer’s coach, the Beijing silver medallist Alastair Heathcote, whose policy of moving two boys from his National Schools-winning J15 crew into the first eight paid off.“Orlando’s been one of the best guys in our J15 eight. I’m not sure but we think he may be one of the youngest boys ever to race in an event like the PE.”Latymer’s neighbours in Hammersmith, Sons of the Thames, boasted the oldest competitor at the regatta, cox Peter Horton, who is three months short of his 67th birthday. They enjoyed a close race with Lea in the Thames Challenge Cup but were beaten by a length and a half.Boston schools enjoy exciting scrimmageWhile Hampton School easily dealt with local rivals St Paul’s in the first round of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, recording a 3 and ¾ -length verdict, another selected crew, Belmont High School, came through a far more nail-biting experience for a half-length victory over their local rivals, Boston College HS, having trailed at the three-quarter mileBelmont coach Chris Richards – who followed the race on his bike - had been expecting a tough race as the two crews have been “scrimmaging” on the Charles regularly.This is Belmont’s fifth trip to Henley in the last decade but the adverse weather conditions have meant a steep learning curve for the Bostonians, who have been in the UK for a fortnight, competing in the 40mph crosswinds of Marlow Regatta at Dorney then variable stream at Reading Town“There’s been a lot of current and crosswinds but the build-up has been very exciting for the guys. The boat tents started out empty and now they’re buzzing,” said Richards.Hackney meets HenleyCommunity programme “London Youth Rowing” appeared at the regatta for the first time as a quad racing as Lea Rowing Club which contained four boys from the local  Mossbourne College in Hackney.Maidenhead RC proved too strong for the Hackney foursome, though, winning by 3 and ¾ lengths.LYR receives some funding from the Stewards’ Charitable Trust, which was established by the governing body of the Regatta in 1988 to provide funds to support young people to row. At the end of 2011, the Trust had given away over £2.8m.None of the four rowed prior to April 2011. They were put through a talent identification system similar to that used by the Great Britain team’s Start programme to spot potential.LYR works with 75 schools in the London area, and 20 clubs.  Last year over 5,500 participants took part in their programmes or activities, including more than 250 young people with a disability.  Curlew find silver liningCurlew Rowing Club encountered their “worst case scenario” as their two crews were drawn together in the first round of the Thames Challenge Cup and allocated the first race of the day but coach Ray Cassidy saw the positives after Curlew A triumphed by 4 and ¾ lengths.“It was unfortunate that we raced at 8.30am and were drawn together but the silver lining is that we’ll have a crew there on Thursday,” said Cassidy, who had limited resources to select from.“We took a nice composite photo afterwards. That was our total rowing strength – 16 oarsmen. If we’d had an injury we would have been right up the creek. We had to use a sub last weekend who hadn’t rowed for two years.”Curlew’s clubhouse is on the Thames at Greenwich but they have trained for the last decade in calmer water at the Royal Docks and Cassidy added: “If it wasn’t for that we wouldn’t have qualified.”Coming up on ThursdayThursday sees the start of six further events, including the Diamond Challenge Sculls, where multiple world lightweight champion Duncan Grant and British Under-23 Graeme Thomas – who finished fourth at the recent Munich World Cup regatta – are among the men to watch.Dan Ritchie, stroke of the British eight that won two world silvers in 2010 and 2011 but missed out on an Olympic place because of injury, is in action in the Silver Goblets and Nickalls Challenge Cup for pairs, along with fellow GB squad member Tom Broadway.They could face two multi-talented Americans: former world champion Jamie Koven and world medallist Mike Blomquist - again two men who just failed to make the US eight for the Olympic regatta – in Sunday’s final.Ed Grisedale and Joe Guppy, Great Britain's top junior double, represent Northwich Rowing Club and Eastbourne Rowing Club respectively in the first round of the Double Sculls Challenge Cup, with selected crews gaining a bye to Friday.Two of the three British women's eights in the Remenham Challenge Cup are in action in a preliminary round, which has been expanded from eight to 10 crews this year. Thames RC and Henley RC take on Radcliffe Crew from Harvard University, while Newcastle University face Germans Munchener RC and Hurther RG.Fred Gill, Cambridge University’s winning Boat Race stroke in 2010, is part of a strong Molesey composite coxless four with Oxford Brookes University in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup. Drawn on the Buckinghamshire station, they face a tough challenge from Imperial College and University of London in their opener.Olympians row overTwenty two Olympic gold medals will be on display when 29 Olympians row the royal barge Gloriana over the course at 11.00am on Sunday.And there will be some distinguished silver medallists aboard too, including Michael Lapage and Paul Bircher, who competed in the GB eight in the 1948 Olympics.Guin Batten, one of Great Britain’s first female rowing silver medallists (and also the first woman to compete at Henley Royal Regatta) has previous experience of crewing the vessel, having taken part in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.“I’m hoping to get into the ‘16’ seat again,” she said. “The pageant was absolutely amazing. It was amazing to see the river as it looked for probably the first time in 100 years, with a million people watching.“Sunday will be an opportunity to share something we all have shared in the past, and also to celebrate a very small part of our lives – but a part which has changed the main part of our lives.”Overheard“At the three-quarter mile, the University of Washington have increased their lead over Manchester United … Manchester University”- A rare slip from the public address system during the Temple Challenge CupFrom the boathouse“The fairytale is just being here. We have no boat house, we rent rack space and we haven't qualified for Henley in 20 years.”- Peter Brewer, coach of Parr’s Priory RC, who slipped out of the Thames Challenge Cup with a 4.75-length loss to City of BristolFor further information contact Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on 01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351 http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=649Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:52:38 +0100Newshttp://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=642Today at HenleyClubs, schools and universities get the Regatta under wayHampton begin with a bangIf the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup goes according to the selections, Hampton School could meet Abingdon in Sunday’s final, having finished just behind them in the National Schools Regatta final, but rivals from far and very near stand in their way.Director of rowing Colin Greenway has been “trawling the internet” to find out more on the American and Canadian crews from Tabor Academy, Belmont Hill and Ridley College, and he is particularly wary of the Australians from Scotch College, Melbourne.But first his crew face St Paul’s School, coached by Bobby Thatcher, who were less than five seconds behind Hampton at Nat Schools.“The boys will certainly know they're in the regatta from day one. If they don't pull out a good race they could slip up, without a doubt,” said Greenway.“We're trying to develop a hugely competitive spirit but also a level of respect. We try to make sure there's a friendly rivalry - nothing more.” Trapmore hopes Goldie will shineCambridge University coach Steve Trapmore knows the odds are against the Goldie coxed four who meet selected Newcastle University in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup on Wednesday evening but he is pleased with the progress of the members of the Cambridge development squad already this summer.Two members of this year’s winning Blue Boat came via the same route, having learnt to row at the university.“I’m really pleased that the development crew got through qualifiers. For these guys the carrot is that they can get a race at Henley and if they get there, they’re hooked. It’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else.“Like the Boat Race squad, there’s a big mix of people: a couple who have come through schools and colleges and a couple who only started rowing at college last September and October.”Thames look to start strongly in the Thames CupThe draw in Wednesday’s opening races for the Thames Challenge Cup for club eights has thrown up a real cracker. The selected Thames RC – who many fancy to win – have been drawn against Sport Imperial BC.Thames have spent much of the summer training from Kingston RC, to avoid the navigation restrictions that have been in place in Putney for much of the last two months, with the placing of large yellow buoys along the Crabtree reach ahead of the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant.The first of the day in the Thames Cup is an intra-club clash between Curlew A and Curlew B.A titanic struggle also awaits the crews of Star Club and Nottingham in the Wyfold Challenge Cup. The four of Star Club, whose eight reached the Thames Challenge Cup final last year, have been selected. But Nottingham have shown real quality through the season. Both crews know this is a contest that could be decided only in the last few strokes. Henley’s oldest oarsman?A quick leaf through the records was insufficient to confirm but, at 52 years old, Mark Welles of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Wyfold four must be a contender for the regatta’s oldest ever oarsman.Welles, a former lightweight at the University of Pennsylvania, can still get into his lightweight t-shirt, according to rowing manager Jonathan Cantwell.Peter Horton, cox of the Sons of the Thames eight in the Thames Challenge Cup, is this year’s oldest competitor, three months short of his 67th birthday.Redgrave ponders Henley’s best qualitySir Steve Redgrave was a multiple Henley winner as well as a five-time Olympic champion but the Regatta has left him with a conundrum."I have always enjoyed racing at Henley but it is difficult to say which was best: the atmosphere, the side-by-side racing or being close to home," he said."There is no other race like it in the world. It’s the closest that rowers will ever get to competing in a stadium. And all this is just a few miles away from where I live, giving the opportunity of friends and family to watch me race."Alongside all those wins, one defeat has stuck with him. Perhaps that result from 26 years ago will give New Zealand's lightweight world champion single sculler Duncan Grant some heart as he weighs up the opposition in this year’s Diamond Challenge Sculls, which begins on Thursday."One of my worst results was in the Diamonds," said Sir Steve. "I was beaten in the final by a Danish lightweight [Bjarne] Eltang in 1986."He was lightweight world champion at the time but I learnt a valuable lesson of never underestimating your opposition, whoever they may be."Budgett cutContrary to our suggestion yesterday, the Tideway Scullers School entry in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls does not contain Saskia Budgett, daughter of 1984 Olympic champion Richard as she was not selected for the final foursome."There was a chance she might be in it but as a 15-year-old getting into a J18 event was always going to be difficult," said Richard, a Regatta Steward."She won the J15 doubles and quads at National Schools. I think I take far more of an interest in her rowing than in any other sport she does." From the boathouse"My favourite memories? I really enjoyed my two years in the national eight, paddling down in the mornings, first thing, with the mist on the water and maybe a few people on the bank who know full well who is coming past. There's an absolute definition about the movements, the focus and the boat speed that singles you out as one of the elite crews. You're going about your business but you know full well you're the big shark in the water."- Rowley Douglas, who coxed the Great Britain eight in 1999 and 2000, and is back with Molesey BC / Oxford Brookes in the Ladies Plate this year"There is no better place to be. It’s the biggest stage in rowing and the best regatta in the world."- Robin Fletcher, coach of the Monmouth School eight who face Shrewsbury School on Wednesday in the first round of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup For further information contact:Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards in the Henley Royal Regatta press office on01491 572153 or 01491 575056 press@hrr.co.uk or 07831 755351http://www.hrr.co.uk/feed/read.php?itemid=642