The Morning Session
conditions: Bright, Warm, Cloud Cover
Double Dutch
Day Four of racing saw an all-Netherlands match-up between Van Opzeeland and M. Keijser, and De Jong and B.Boonstra in The Stonor Challenge Trophy. De Jong and Boonstra aimed to claim water off the start, but were quickly asked to return to their side by the Umpire. Accidentally or otherwise, this did not deter their progress as they took a three-length-lead by The Mile. Aspiring for a Sunday showdown, De Jong and Boonstra’s sustained precision saw the duo cross the line numerous strokes ahead of their comrades.
Hollandi-Yeah!
An absolute cracker of a race from start to finish. The Town Challenge Cup is the Premier event for women’s fours, with both Leander & Molesey and Hollandia ‘B’ rowing with style throughout the first half of racing. Past the Fawley marker, nothing separated the crews in speed or quality. Approaching the finish, Hollandia began to inch in front. Leander & Molsey started their sprint early but Holandia ignited a more refined final burst to cross the line ¾ of a length ahead.
The Gaul of Gourley
In what was a telling reminder that every stroke matters, Kennedy of Canada and Gourley of Australia came head to head in The Princess Royal Challenge Cup. Pristine sculling off the start granted the Canadian an early lead. As though tied by a rope, Gourley clung on to Kennedy’s two-length boat lead, igniting a bold push at the foot of the Enclosures. Both left absolutely everything on the course, but in the end it was the gaul of Gourley that rowed through a fast-fading Kennedy in the gruelling ‘extra’ meters of the HRR course.
The Afternoon Session
Conditions: Warm, Clearer Skies, Increasing Winds
The End is the Finish Line
An Australian composite (Melbourne University and University of Technology, Sydney) and Princeton raced in this round of The Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup. It was the Australians who got ahead by the Barrier and began to stride out to gain a one-length lead on Princeton. The composite appeared to lose their cool as the Enclosures drew in. Treading water, Princeton’s men took advantage of a couple of haphazard strokes from the Aussies and began their charge, accelerating away to cross the line and win a race that spectators two kilometers away would not have predicted.
Thames Tougher
The Bridge Challenge Plate is a new event this year but is already delivering incredibly high-quality racing. Molesey and Thames are both titans of the UK rowing scene, showcasing eights packed with talent. Past the Barrier, Thames looked to be moving into a controlled lead. Following the punchy rhythm of Holly Dunford in the stroke seat, the Molesey crew fought back, passing the Regatta Enclosure half a length from their opposition. Thames, however, remained relentless, holding their lead across the line despite the charging women in black.
Laga Get The Last Haha
The Temple Challenge Cup delivered another thrilling encounter on the Friday afternoon of racing, pitching Cambridge University against a strong crew from Delft in the Netherlands. Out of the blocks, it was the Dutch who seized the early initiative, stretching out to a narrow lead by the Barrier. They extended this at Fawley to nearly a length. Cambridge, stroked by Luke Beever, threw everything at the men in red but were unable to overturn the deficit, succumbing to a ¾ length margin over the line.
The Evening Session
Conditions: Hot and Breezy
Full Send
The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup has been filled with incredibly tight racing. Once again, spectators along the bank bore witness to a lung-busting dash from start to finish as Bonner & Erster Kieler (Germany) and Aix-les-Bains & Grenoblois (France) duelled all the way down the course. The French looked to have done just enough to get their bows across the finish first, before the Germans unleashed a monumental sprint to which the French had no reply.
A Sun-Soaked Spectacle
It’s anyone's game moving into the semi finals of The Bridge Challenge Plate. This afternoon saw a Leander Club and Hartpury University composite take on Cambridge University, bolstered by the inclusion of Olympic champion, Imogen Grant. Both boats looked confident, but by the three-quarter Mile marker, Leander & Hartpury had taken command and were a length ahead. Down but not out, Cambridge made their move at the foot of the Enclosures, who stroke by stroke ate away at their lead. Cohesive when it hurt most, Cambridge stunned crowds with a victory by a ⅓ of a length.
A Greek Tragedy
Since winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, Stefanous Ntouskos has been seen as a hero of Greek rowing. He will surely have been hoping to be able to collect a Diamond Challenge Sculls title to go alongside his Olympic triumph. Logan Ullrich, the young sculler from New Zealand who won the Lucerne World Rowing Cup last weekend, took the race head on, quickly taking the initiative and opening up an early length lead. Ntouskos was unable to find a rhythm as smooth as Ulrich and, passing the Barrier, found himself well behind. Ulrich was able to comfortably ease across the line, showing he is clearly in very good form and a threat for any of the big names in this event.
