American eights stood out on the fourth day at Henley Royal Regatta but seven of Sunday’s 20 finals will be all-British affairs after some brutal racing with the gusty headwind that has been a feature all week continuing to make life hard.

Brown University will take on a California RC crew made up of oarsmen who just missed out on Olympic selection in the final of the Regatta’s blue ribbon Grand Challenge Cup, and another Brown  crew face University of Washington freshmen in the Temple Challenge Cup for student eights.

Harvard University will race a British eight from Leander Club in the Ladies’ Challenge Plate after beating a Molesey composite crew coxed by Sydney Olympian Rowley Douglas in today’s semi-final.

But the Americans did not have things all their own way. In the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for coxed fours, University of London ‘A’ came out best in a neck-and-neck tussle with Harvard.
As they attempt to win the event for the first time since 2007, UL must tomorrow face the winners in 2008, Newcastle University, who beat Imperial College in their semi-final.

Fours from Nottingham RC and Star Club of Bedford booked places in Henley finals for the second successive year, in the Wyfold Challenge Cup and Britannia Challenge Cup respectively, but Tideway Scullers’ School suffered defeats in the semi-finals of both events.

Star beat London RC with ease and will face Taurus BC, who just held off Scullers for a three-quarter-length victory early in the day.

Nottingham's verdict in their semi-final today - beating Scullers by three-quarters of a length - is exactly the same as it was last year, at the end of a bruising encounter. Having lost in last year's final they will seek to go one better against Australian club ANA on Sunday.

"It's the first race I've been nervous in for a long time, whether rowing myself or coaching," said Nottingham coach Dan Johnson.

"Conditions were really horrible, really gusty but the crew kept loose and it was pleasing to see them be so ruthless."

In the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, Leander’s quadruple scull will take on a four-club composite hoping to compete for Great Britain at the Under-23 World Championships. Leander braved a sudden rain storm just before lunch to beat Bayer Leverkusen of Germany after the under-23s, rowing as Durham University and University of London, overcame New Zealand’s West End RC.

Thames RC will face Molesey in the final of the Thames Challenge Cup after withstanding a furious late push from Upper Thames RC as the latter passed their own clubhouse half-way up the course. Thames won by two thirds of a length. Molesey, who won the event in 2009, cruised past Royal Chester.

Abingdon School, the National Schools Regatta winners, beat their Australian counterparts from Scotch College, Melbourne, but Hampton School – second at National Schools – lost to Radley College in a gripping semi-final later in the day.

Marlow RC face Sir William Borlase’s School in the final of the Fawley Challenge Cup for quads, having defeated Prince Alfred College of Australia on Saturday.

The final of the inaugural Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls will be a repeat of the Henley Women’s Regatta final in the event. On that occasion, Henley RC beat Canford School by a length.

Sunday’s action will begin with a row up the course at 11am by a group of Olympians in the Royal Barge, Gloriana, which has been moored at the Regatta site all week.  1948 Olympians Paul Bircher and Michael Lapage will be amongst the crew, as will James Cracknell of a more recent Olympic vintage.

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

All-British finals are in prospect in at least four Henley Royal Regatta events, including the two for coxed fours, after some hard-fought semi-finals on the fourth morning.

University of London 'A' (UL) came out best in a neck-and-neck tussle in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup with Harvard University, conceding an early lead and running level through the middle of the course before winning by half a length.

"They came back level at Fawley and from then on, I had no idea if we were up or down," admitted James Cook, the crew's stroke.

Ollie Cook, who sat at bow, said: "It wasn't until we got past the grandstand that I sensed we could win it."

As they attempt to win the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for the first time since 2007, UL must tomorrow face the winners in 2008, Newcastle University, who beat Imperial College in their semi-final.

Star Club, The Britannia Challenge Cup

Star Club of Bedford booked their second Henley final in as many years, beating London RC with ease in the Britannia Challenge Cup. They will face Taurus BC, who just held off Tideway Scullers' School for a three-quarter-length victory early in the day.

Leander's quadruple scull will take on a four-club composite hoping to compete for Great Britain at the Under-23 World Championships in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup. Leander braved a sudden rain storm just before lunch to beat Bayer Leverkusen of Germany after the under-23s, rowing as Durham University and University of London, overcame New Zealand’s West End RC.

Thames RC's eight in the Thames Challenge Cup withstood a furious late push from Upper Thames RC as the latter passed their own clubhouse half-way up the course to win by two thirds of a length. The second semi-final, between Molesey and Royal Chester, was scheduled to take place later on Saturday.

Graeme Thomas of Agecroft RC – a World Cup finalist in Munich earlier this month – eased to victory in the all-British semi-final in the Diamond Challenge Sculls, beating Loughborough Student Jonathan Walton.
Dutch Olympic silver medallist Femke Dekker extended her 18-year career by a further day when her Hollandia quad beat the Italians from Piediluco in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup semi-final.

"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."

More than 170 British rowing Olympians will come together at the Regatta on Sunday and Jonny Searle has confirmed he will join them. 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.

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

Australia showed their strength today at Henley Royal Regatta as a squad of young rowers won four races in as many events on a windy day three.

The Aussies, rowing as the National Rowing Centre of Excellence (NRCE), are preparing for the Under-23 World Championships in Lithuania next month. They won heats in the Grand Challenge Cup for men’s eights, the Queen Mother Challenge Cup for men’s quadruple sculls, the Princess Grace Challenge Cup for women’s quads and the Remenham Challenge Cup for women’s eights.

The NRCE ‘A’ eight in the Grand beat the Dutch national lightweight eight, Hollandia, by 3 ¼   lengths despite having to make a late substitution. James Medway joined the crew, and swapped sides, just hours after his Harvard University ‘A’ eight were beaten in a close contest by the University of Washington in the Temple Challenge Cup.

Their men’s quad dominated another Hollandia crew, Dutch junior squad members, in the Queen Mother with a clean, crisp display; the women’s quad knocked out Nottingham RC and the women’s eight beat a German crew from Munchen and Hurth by 3 ¼  lengths.

Oxford University coach Sean Bowden had a stark message for his next Boat Race squad after a coxless four comprising senior squad members conceded a length’s lead in the Stewards’ Challenge Cup to lose to Norske Studenters.

However, he was pleased to see the return to top-level competitive rowing for Alex Woods, now fully fit almost three months after collapsing at the end of a dramatic 2012 Boat Race.

“It shows there’s a level of rowing we need to get to. We're not as good as we would like to be or need to be,” said Bowden.

“We did pretty well in the first three minutes but the wind really intensified and we just lacked composure.”

Sydney Olympic champion Rowley Douglas coxed Molesey and Oxford Brookes to a fine victory over an American veteran crew from Penn in the Ladies Plate.

Late in the day, the juniors of Westminster School and Marlow RC served up a thrilling race in front of the Stewards’ Enclosure, Marlow ‘A’ rowing through the school crew late on to win by a length.

Schoolgirls raced at Henley Royal Regatta for the first time as the new Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls got under way on a rainy morning.

Nottingham RC beat Walford Anglican School of Australia in the first race and Henley Rowing Club – one of the favourites - beat Headington School by 1 ¾  lengths in the following heat.

"A number of the men's crews were looking at us as if to say, 'What are girls doing here?" said 17-year-old Joanna Unsworth, who rowed in the three seat for the local crew.

Mike Sweeney, Chairman of the Regatta, said of the event: “We are confident that it will establish itself very quickly. We’re pleased with the 15-boat entry this year [which was reduced to eight by qualifying races last week] and think the quality of racing so far has been good."

Saturday will see an all-British semi-final in the Diamond Challenge Sculls, after Loughborough Student Jonathan Walton upset selected American Mike Sivigny, proving more able in windy conditions, and Graeme Thomas – a World Cup finalist in Munich earlier this month - won his heat with ease.

And three British schools will contest the semi-finals of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, with National Schools Regatta winners Abingdon facing Scotch College of Melbourne, while Radley face Hampton.

The coxless fours from Tideway Scullers’ School and Nottingham RC ‘A’ will reprise last year’s Wyfold Challenge Cup semi-final, while Star Club – featuring three beaten finalists from last year’s eight – take on ANA RC of Australia. Star and Scullers also have coxed fours in contention for the Britannia Challenge Cup, having been given a day off on Friday.

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

Schoolgirls raced at Henley Royal Regatta for the first time today as the new Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls got under way on a rainy, windy third morning of racing.

Nottingham RC beat Walford Anglican School of Australia in the first race and Henley Rowing Club – one of the favourites - beat Headington School by 1¾ lengths in the following heat.

"A lot of the men's crews were looking at us as if to say, 'What are girls doing here?" said 17-year old Joanna Unsworth, who rowed in the three seat for the local crew, who won Henley Women’s Regatta earlier this month. 

"It was very different to any race we've done before, especially in the last 1000m with everyone supporting."

"I thought it would be scarier but it was actually quite comforting knowing there are people there on the bank."

Mike Sweeney, Chairman of the Regatta, said of the event: "We are confident that it will establish itself very quickly. We’re delighted with the 15-boat entry this year [which was reduced to eight boats by qualifying races last week] and think the quality of racing so far has been good."

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.

"Having the event will raise the status of girls' sculling; it's bound to," he said.

Henley RC 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."

The Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls is the fourth event for female rowers at the Regatta. The Remenham Challenge Cup for eights saw the selected crews race for the first time today, with the U23 German eight from Dortmund proving too strong for a Great Britain development crew from Leander and Sport Imperial.

The Princess Grace Challenge Cup will feature four overseas crews tomorrow after the two British senior women’s quads were knocked out in first-round heats, Leander by the New Zealand under-23s from Waiariki RC.

The Princess Royal Challenge Cup for single sculls got under way too, with Sanita Puspure, Ireland’s entrant for the London 2012 Olympics, recording an easy win over Pippa Whittaker of Nottingham RC.

In the men’s events, Dan Ritchie and Tom Broadway – both former world silver medallists who have been unable to secure Olympic selection in the Great Britain eight – showed their weight and power in easily beating Italian lightweights Luca De Maria and Armando Dell'Aquila.

An all-British semi-final of the Diamond Challenge Sculls is in prospect after Loughborough Student Jonathan Walton upset selected American Mike Sivigny, proving more able in windy conditions, and GB under-23 sculler Graeme Thomas eased past Luke Moon of Chiswick’s Tideway Scullers’ School.

Moon’s club-mates continued their charmed life in the Wyfold Challenge Cup. The Tideway Scullers’ coxless four won despite clipping one of the wooden booms on the side of the course on Wednesday, and beat the selected London ‘A’ yesterday. This morning they had to restart their quarter-final against the Munich crew after a clash, then went a length down amid more clashes before pulling through to win.

On Saturday they will face Nottingham ‘A’ in a re-match of last year’s semi-final.

"We've done everything in this boat now. It's quite a fun boat to be in. Hopefully we can keep going," said bowman Antony Smith.

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

Upsets punctuated the second day of racing at a blustery Henley Royal Regatta, with North American school eights falling in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup and British clubs prospering in the Wyfold Challenge Cup for coxless fours.

Chiswick club Tideway Scullers’ School beat the selected crew London ‘A’ by two lengths but were lucky to have even been in the race as they hit the wooden booms on the side of the course during Wednesday’s heat against Upper Yarra RC of Australia, before staging a comeback.

In a hard-fought race on Thursday, Scullers trailed off the start but put in a strong mid-race push to win by two lengths. 

“We’ve certainly ridden our luck so far,” said coach Phil Rowley. “We knew they would lead us off the start but after our recent training camp in Hazewinkel [in Belgium] we were confident about our pace.”

In all, eight of the crews selected by the Henley Stewards were beaten earlier than expected.

Nottingham Rowing Club’s ‘A’ crew were 1 ½  lengths faster than Griffen BC in the Wyfold, while Shrewsbury School upset Ridley College of Canada and Gonzaga College High School were a length quicker than American compatriots Tabor Academy.

Two British schools are still on course to meet in the final: Hampton School beat Americans Groton, and National Schools Regatta winners Abingdon inflicted a four-length defeat on Latymer Upper School, meaning an end to the Regatta for bowman Orlando Nixon, at 14 years and 10 months thought to be Henley’s youngest ever oarsman.

The headwind increased in strength late in the day, making steering difficult. Star Club’s selected coxless four moved to the next round of the Wyfold when Tyrian were disqualified for steering into their rivals and, in the very next race, selected Walton’s junior quad lost to Prince Alfred College of Australia after they hit the wooden booms that line the course.

The first women’s events of the Regatta began on Thursday but two of the British crews in the Remenham Challenge Cup were knocked out in the first round - Newcastle University by Munchen and Hurth of Germany and Thames RC/ Henley RC by Radcliffe Crew of Harvard University – leaving Great Britain’s European Championship entrants as the only home crew remaining. They have their first race on Friday.

Also on Friday, Oxford University’s Alex Woods will return to top-level competitive rowing for the first time since April’s dramatic Boat Race, which saw a swimmer stop the crews, a restart, a clash that broke an Oxford blade and then Woods’ collapse after his crew were defeated.

A now fit Woods, who had expected to retire after that race, will compete in a coxless four in the Stewards’ Challenge Cup at Henley, with three of his crew-mates from the 2012 Blue Boat: last year’s president Karl Hudspith, his successor Alex Davidson and American William Zeng.

Woods, who was admitted to hospital after he collapsed in the Oxford boat on 7 April, said: “I still don’t understand what happened but we lost and that’s the difficult thing to come to terms with.

“Now we have to look at the next Boat Race and at what we can do to win it.”

Several other 2012 Boat Race competitors, from both universities, were knocked out of the Regatta on Thursday morning.

Dan Harvey was in an Oxford University / Isis composite that hit the booms at the top of the island and went on to lose to Durham University by 4 ¼  lengths in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup.

A Cambridge University / Leander crew featuring light blues Mike Thorp and Alex Ross was also knocked out of the same event, by Dutch crew ASR Nereus. 

German Hano Wienhausen – who rowed at six in that dark blue defeat – saw his Christ Church / 1829 crew beaten in controversial circumstances by Taurus BC. The race was restarted by umpire Boris Rankov after an early clash in neutral water and Wienhausen appealed unsuccessfully against the final verdict, claiming poor Taurus steering caused excessive wash.

However Fred Gill, Cambridge’s winning Boat Race stroke in 2010, progressed through to Friday in a Molesey composite coxless four with Oxford Brookes University, beating Imperial College and University of London by 3 ¾  lengths.

2000 Olympic champion Rowley Douglas will also start his Regatta on Friday, coxing Molesey and Oxford Brookes in the Ladies Plate.

Douglas, who won in Sydney with the Great Britain eight 12 years ago, returned to the sport with Molesey in 2010, hoping to trial for the same seat 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.
“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,” he said.

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