The Morning Session
conditions: Sunshine, Little to no Wind
Grant The Seed
Paris 2024 Olympic Champion, Imogen Grant, kicked off Day 3 of racing alongside Kateryna Maistrenko in The Princess Royal Challenge Cup. With still waters, Grant took advantage, beginning the race striking 45 which enabled a three-length lead by The Barrier. With calm command of the race, it was Grant who revelled in this morning’s conditions, crossing the line and heading straight to work. She returned to race in the evening session under Cambridge University Boat Club in The Bridge Challenge Plate, which, luckily for Grant, was the final race of the day.
Princeton Pay the Price
The Visitors’ Challenge Cup started today, showcasing a tight battle for the line between The Ivy Club of Princeton, USA and R.V Münster & Marbacher R.V of Germany. Ivy Club led the way, carving out a lead from three feet off the start to a boat length by The Barrier. The race however, became a tale of two halves. As Remenham Club approached, Münster & Marbacher found fresh legs, narrowing the gap to a canvas length by the One Mile marker. A tight final dash saw the German crew cross the line first in what was an exciting race to spectate.
Building Bridges
It was quite the opener in the inaugural race of The Bridge Challenge Plate. With Marlow Rowing Club and Leader Club coming head to head, it was a suspenseful race from the outset. Whilst Marlow bagged an early lead of one length, Leander Club were steadfast in their racing, maintaining contact and benefiting from a waver in confidence from Marlow at The Mile. Both crews accelerated towards the line, but it was Marlow who came out on top of these Thames-based crews.
The Afternoon Session
Conditions: Warm, Cloudy, Occasional Breeze
Dutch Down and Out
Two international crews commenced afternoon racing in The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup with a fiery contest down shaded waters. The Dutch crew, A.S.R Nereus & R.S.V.U Okeanos, had a sharp start against Bonner & Erster Kieler of Germany, and whilst both crews mesmerised with their blade work, it was the Germans who were ½ a length up by The Barrier. Nereus began their sprint early, but in spite of a steering warning for the Germans, the Dutch outfit were unable to recover the deficit.
Goldie Power
Both dominant off the start, Durham University ‘A’ and Cambridge University battled between the booms to come level at The Barrier in their heat of The Temple Challenge Cup. Nothing short of brutal in both pace and power, Cambridge’s majority ‘Goldie’ crew put Durham through their paces, gaining space to claw a ¾ lead by The Mile. A glorious race for spectators, the relentless catches of Cambridge brought them over the line before the men in Palatinate, a result that will have devastated Durham in their aspirations to secure The Temple Challenge Cup.
Brookes Square Up
It was derby day for Oxford Brookes ‘A’ and ‘B’ crews in The Temple Challenge Cup. Both boats were matched in technical prowess, rowing long and strong through the first couple of minutes of racing. By the Barrier however, Brookes ‘A’ had taken the lead, striding out to a one and a quarter boat lengths that left their comrades digging deep to narrow the gap. Brookes ‘B’ ignited a lift towards the finish, but the unceasing quality of the rowing from their teammates a length ahead was too much to tackle in the final strokes of the race.
The Evening Session
Conditions: Cooler, Light Breeze
An Ambush of Tigers
A ferocious start for both Princeton University ‘A’ and the University of Bristol brought them level out of the blocks in this round of The Island Challenge Cup. Punch from the bright oars of the lightweight boat from across the pond gave them a ⅓ length lead by the Barrier. This margin was not enough to dampen the rhythm of the Bristol boat, who fought to stay close in a cat-and-mouse-chase – a little too close towards the Enclosures where blades came only inches apart. Nonetheless, the Tigers remained diligent in their pacing and crossed the line ⅓ of a length up.
An Olympic Affair
The Stonor Challenge Trophy drew in senior internationals on both sides of the booms in a race between Sypher and Twigg (NZL) and Gutfleisch and Meakin (SUI). With Olympic silver medallist, Emma Twigg, in the bows, New Zealand found a punchy rhythm, maintaining a striking rate at 36 or above throughout the race. The Swiss composite were left with less to give following their surge out of The Island, so when push came to shove, it was Sypher and Twigg who had enough in the tank to maintain a lead through the finish.
Scottish Star
It was misery for another Oxford Brookes crew in this round of The Temple Challenge Cup against Edinburgh University. The race provided it all for our evening spectators; a stroke for stroke battle out of the island, bow ball overlapping bowball. Brookes were able to maintain overlap with the accelerating Scottish crew, but it was the remarkable bravery of the baby blue in trusting their pace and decisiveness when it mattered which knocked another Brookes crew out of this year’s Regatta.
