The Morning Session
Crossing the finish, Leicester R.C. and Leander Club secured their place in final of The Princess Grace Challenge Cup, at Henley Royal Regatta on Sunday, 2 July © Ben Rodford
Dutchmen K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop beat Leander to secure a place in the Thames Challenge Cup final, at Henley Royal Regatta on Sunday, 2 July against Thames Rowing Club 'A' © Ben Rodford
conditions: Bright with a light cross-headwind.
Semi-Finals Day at Henley Royal Regatta. The number of races almost halves from 81 to 43 and the prize doubles with a chance to make Finals Day.
The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (Intermediate Men's Quad Sculls)
Thames pushed Hollandia hard in the second semi-final, possibly tiring them for Leander, who had a much easier win over A.A.S.R Skøll, NED in the first race of the morning.
Final: Leander Club vs Hollandia Roeiclub
The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup (Junior Women's Quad Sculls)
The Tideway Scullers’ School and Wycliffe Junior R.C. ‘A’, the national champions and winners of Henley Women’s Regatta, confirmed the form guide with strong wins from the front against Shiplake ‘A’ and Henley Rowing Club respectively.
Final: The Tideway Scullers’ School vs Wycliffe Junior R.C. ‘A’,
The Thames Challenge Cup (Club Men's Eight)
Thames ‘A’ made a surprisingly dominant start, pulling out to over a length by halfway. Sydney shifted gear as they entered the Enclosures and seemed to have overlap, but Thames responded in fine fashion to close it out and win by 1 ¼ lengths.
Flying Dutchmen K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop were 1 ½ lengths up by the Barrier against Leander and controlled the race from there.
Final: Thames Rowing Club ‘A’ vs K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop
Queen Mother Challenge Cup (Men's Quad Sculls)
Poland’s world-beating men’s quad easily beat Canada to set up a final against Great Britain. Poland, racing as Akademicki Zwiazek Sportowy Torun and Wloclawskie Towarzystwo Wioslarskie were ahead of Ridley College & Maple Bay RC, CAN from start to finish.
Fabian Baranski, Miroslaw Zietarski, Mateusz Biskup and Dominik Czaja are the reigning World and European Champions and one of the most impressive crews in world rowing. Czaja and Baranski were in the quad that finished fourth in Tokyo.
This quad won gold at the Varese World Cup a fortnight ago in 5:35.5, just three seconds off the world record and without favourable conditions. Great Britain were third, almost two seconds back.
Poland has won the Queen Mother at Henley four times and are favourites to make it five.
Nottingham R.C. & Leander Club had earlier enjoyed a Scull Over with their opponents from Austria having withdrawn.
Final: A.Z.S Torun & W.T.W. Wloclawek, PO vs Nottingham R.C. & Leander Club
Town Challenge Cup (Women's Coxless Four)
Final: Leander Club vs Leander Club & Imperial College London
As expected the current GB women’s four racing as Leander Club & Imperial College London beat the combined four from University of London & Leander Club. Helen Glover, the double Olympic gold medalist and the rest of GB women’s four, world champions Heidi Long, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten will face the GB development crew in the final - Leander Club ‘A‘ which has two of the crew which won U23 World Championship gold in 2021, Daisy Bellamy and Amelia Standing and produced the upset of the morning by beating a powerful Stanford University crew
The Princess Grace Challenge Cup (Women's Quad Sculls)
The GB women’s quad, one of standout hopes for Paris 2024, were dominant in beating D.S.R Laga & A.S.R Nereus, the Dutch champions. They were joined in the final by the Canada quad who beat the Netherlands under-23 development boat, Hollandia Roeiclub. The GB quad set a new British record of 6:09.3 in the process at the Varese World Cup a fortnight ago, taking silver just 0.5 seconds behind the Olympic and world champions, China. Canada’s very new quad, based around Carling Zeeman, the stroke, were ninth. Because of a late withdrawal, Zeeman, is doubling up and having never been to Henley before, will be trying to make her second final in the Stonor (Women's Double Sculls) in Race 40 at 19:00.
Final: Leicester R.C & Leander Club vs Shawnigan Lake School, CAN
Closest races of the morning:
Great talent on the water but there was one standout contest:
Race 6 - Leander produced the first upset of the morning as they beat a powerful Stanford in the Town Challenge Cup (Women's Coxless Four). Leander led by ⅓ of a length at the Barrier but Stanford, with half of their first Varsity crew which won silver at their national championships (NCAA), looked composed. With a lower rating they took the lead and appeared to be pulling away as they passed Remenham. But they could not shake the Leander four. Some steering issues and over-correction as they were entering the Enclosures with 400m to go cost Stanford. Leander pounced to stunning effect and re-took the lead under the Grandstand and won by nearly a length.
Juliette Perry & Amelia Standing, Leander’s seat 3 and 2, will need to recover quickly as they are doubling up in the Hambleden (Women's Pair) semi-final in Race 26 at 15:40.
The Afternoon Session
CONDITIONS: Bright with a light cross-headwind.
The Princess Royal Challenge Cup (Women's Single Sculls)
From the start of the race, Sophia Luwis, a US national lightweight sculller, led Marta Wieliczko, from Poland, by around a length. It was at the death that Marta launched an attack, drawing in Luwis through the Enclosures and taking the race by 3 feet.
Final: D. Dymchenko, AZE vs S.M. Luwis, USA
The Double Sculls Challenge Cup (Men's Double Sculls)
With a depth of experience in the crew, Aidan Thompson & John Collins were able to establish an early lead in a race with Wang and Zhang from Shanghai Jiaotong University. Collins will look to lift the event’s trophy for the third time in tomorrow’s final.
In a race which showed their pedigree, the top spanish double of Pujolar and Romero easily controlled the race, taking the win by three lengths.
Final: A. Thompson & J.E. Collins vs A. Garcia Pujolar & R. Conde Romero
The Temple Challenge Cup (Student Men's Eight)
The seemingly inevitable took place in the first Temple race of the afternoon, as Brookes broke Washington at the Barrier and took them out to a two length lead.
In the second semi-final, Syracuse’s distinctive double bucket proved too much for Brookes ‘B’, as they denied Brookes some guaranteed silverware, leading by more than 3 lengths for much of the race.
Final: Oxford Brookes University ‘A’ vs Syracuse University, USA
The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (Junior Men's Eight)
St. Pauls, looking to retain their 2022 Princess Elizabeth title, produced one of the races of the afternoon, holding off a gutsy Shiplake crew who had knocked out three different American crews to reach Semi-Finals Day.
In the second semi-final, lightning was not to strike twice for Radley College after their barnstorming comeback against Eton last year, giving St. Edward’s an opportunity to lift the Princess Elizabeth cup for the first time in 24 years.
Final: St. Paul’s School vs St. Edward’s School
The Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup (Women's Pair)
In stiff crosswinds, L. Van Aanholt & N. Wilms, from the Netherlands, held a measured half a length lead over Emily Lindberg & Elizabeth Witt from University of London and Imperial University. The British crew had too much power for the Dutch coming through the Enclosures, and broke them down to the adulation of the home crowds, taking the win by just over a length.
In an all Leander second semi-final, Edwards and Brew took the win against Perry and Standing after making their move from behind at the Fawley to lead the other Leander boat by almost a length.
Final: E.M. Lindberg & E.C. Witt vs R.E.S. Edwards & C.P.W. Brew
The Stewards' Challenge Cup (Men's Coxless Four)
In what might have been the most predictable semi-final of the afternoon, Thames ‘A’ beat Thames ‘B’ to set up a final with the GB national four.
Final: Thames R.C. ‘A’ vs Oxford Brookes University
The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy (Junior Women's Eight)
Headington, the last standing British crew in the Prince Philip, were met by too much from Greenwich Crew, USA. The American crew were led up to the mile before drawing back level foot by foot and going on to win by half a length.
Breaking Winter Park Crew’s hearts, the formidable Deerfield Academy settled the all American semi-final with clinical power. They now will meet Greenwich Crew in the final to determine the top of the American school-girl pyramid.
Final: Greenwich Crew, USA vs Deerfield Academy, USA
The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup (Men's Pair)
After a stoppage because of a boat on the course, Wynne-Griffith and George were able to take a comfortable win over the Yale pair of Geffen and Beeson and set up a second opportunity to take the title after their loss in the final of the same event last year.
Although the second semi-final had fewer stoppages, it was no less dramatic, with the Canadian pair of Walkey and Cullen coming from behind the Dutch pair of Brouwer and Veen in the final hundred metres to draw level. The shift of speed from the Canadians unsettled the Dutch, causing a small crab on which Walkey and Cullen capitalised to take the final win of the afternoon session.
Final: O.H. Wynne-Griffith & T.J.E George vs J. Walkey & J. Cullen, CAN
M. Wielieczko, Poland faced S.M. Luwis, USA in the last race of the The Princess Royal Challenge Cup on Semi-Finals Day at Henley Royal Regatta on Saturday 1 July ©HRR Photo
Top Spanish double of Pujolar and Romero secure a place in the final, storming to victory by three lengths © Ben Rodford
The Evening Session
Hinksey Sculling School 'A' Celebrate reaching the Finals after crossing the finish line © Ben Rodford
Oliver Zeidler, the German world champion, winning his semi-final in style at Henley Royal Regatta on Saturday 1 July © Ben Rodford
conditions: Bright with a light cross-headwind
The Island Challenge Cup (Student Women's Eight)
After the all-American final last year, we were guaranteed an Anglo-American final this year and University of Pennsylvania ‘A’, beat USA rivals Stanford comfortably to face Oxford Brookes ‘A’ on Sunday. Brookes had earlier looked just as relaxed in beating Durham.
Final: Oxford Brookes University ‘A’ vs University of Pennsylvania ‘A’
The Remenham Challenge Cup (Women’s Eight)
Leander ‘A’, the Great Britain eight were too strong for University of Texas in the first race of the evening session and will face Canada’s eight in the final after they beat the composite Marlow & Leander boat.
Final: Leander Club ‘A’ vs Maple Bay Rowing Club, CAN
The Diamond Challenge Sculls (Men’s Single Sculls)
A high rating Poland’s Piotr Plominski beat Will Young with some ease to earn the right to face Germany’s world champion, Oliver Zeidler in the final. Zeidler, the champion in 2022 and 2019, had earlier beaten Canada’s Trevor Jones even more comfortably. Jones, who finished ninth in Tokyo was seen as Zeidler’s most likely challenger, but Plominski was an u23 world silver medalist and will go out fast on Sunday.
Final: Oliver Zeidler (Frankfurter Rudergesellschaft Germania 1869 e.V., Germany) vs Piotr Plominski (WTW Warszawa, Poland).
The Stonor Challenge Trophy (Women’s Double Sculls)
In an all-Canadian semi-final, Jill Moffatt & Jennifer Casson beat the hastily assembled double of Marilou Duvernay-Tardiff and Carling Zeeman to face Vwaire Obukohwo & Katherine George in the final. Zeeman was doubling up from the Princess Grace after a late withdrawal by Katie Clark. Obukohwo & George are trying to break into the Great Britain senior squad.
Final: Jill Moffatt & Jennifer Casson (Shawnigan Lake School, Canada) vs Vwaire Obukohwo & Katherine George (Twickenham Rowing Club and Leander
Club)
The Fawley Challenge Cup (Junior Men's Quad Sculls)
After their incredible comeback in their quarter-final against Sydney Rowing Club on Friday evening, Hinksey Sculling School ‘A’ won from the front to beat Los Gatos, USA from California. Hinksey, a community rowing club in Oxford, who are getting used to upsetting all expectations, were behind at the Barrier but pulled through and Los Gatos could not find a way back.
Hinksey will have perhaps their most daunting task in the final as they face the 2019 champions Leander, who beat The Windsor Boys’ School, who won in 2022 (against their ‘B’ in the final). In what could have been the final of the Fawley given the honours they have shared this season, The Windsor Boys’ nearly pulled off a stunning comeback only to lose a photo finish by half a canvas in one of the races of the Regatta.
Final: Hinksey Sculling School ‘A’ vs Leander Club
The Wargrave Challenge Cup (Club Women’s Eight)
Thames ‘A’ beat their ‘B’ boat - more comfortably than the ‘B’ boat had beaten their ‘C’ boat in the quarters - to face Leander Club, who earlier in the session had beaten Tyne by a distance. Thames are celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s rowing at the club and will hope to do it in style tomorrow.
Final: Thames Rowing Club ‘A’ vs Leander Club
The Visitors' Challenge Cup (Intermediate Men's Coxless Four)
Leander Club finished another amazing day for the local club by beating Princeton University, USA. Leander led from start to finish in the final race of the day. Oxford Brookes had earlier beaten the composite boat of Molesey & Leander even more comfortably.
Final: Oxford Brookes University ‘A’ vs Leander Club
