Last week was a busy and important period for the Henley Rowing Club with four major events taking place. On Thursday The Schools Head of the River Race, Friday the Oarsport National Junior Sculling Head, on Saturday the Women's eights Head of the River Race and on Sunday the Hammersmith Head.

The Schools Head is the major head for juniors and whilst for the last few years it has been a sweep event only, this year it also offered Girls and boys Junior Quads. The event is raced over the 4 1/4 miles of the Boat race course but in reverse from Chiswick Bridge to Putney. The Henley girls quad of Gemma Hall, Abbie Stephens, Charlotte Mills and Florence Lock started 175 of the 260 crews taking part. In good conditions the girls sculled well and very determinedly to pass not only most of the quads that started in front of them but also a number of the eights. This good performance from the girls was rewarded with the bronze medal position.

While at the Junior Sculling head on Friday at Dorney, the girls Junior 15 quad  faced 42 entries from around the country . After the second 1800 metre time trial they were delighted to take the silver medal just 2 seconds behind winners Headington School and 5 seconds ahead of last year’s National Champions, Trentham. Although frustrating to be so close to the gold, this was a very solid result which sets a good platform for success in the major regattas to come. Two members of the crew only started rowing last summer and this was their first major event, so further improvement can be expected. Congratulations to Kate Tillotson (stroke), Abbie Roels, Molly Thorp, Maddy Wynn-Jones (bow) and cox Didi Horsburg-Wade.

The WJ14 quad consisting of Ruby Cooper Ella Seabury Ruby Fletcher Caitlin Sutherland and Bradley Ralph as cox rowed the 3600 metre course in a division of 32 crews and finished a very creditable 4th place just 2 seconds behind Warrington RC, the gold medal going to Headington School who held off Wallingford.

In the boys divison of 39 entries the J14 quad consisting of Alfred Plaskitt, Tom Soroka, Will Hayes, Andrew Lewis and Elena Cotton as cox  overcoming recent disruption due to injuries finished in a highly respectable 8th place

On Saturday Henley's senior women teamed up with the junior women to  compete in the Womens Eights  Head of the River Race,  finishing a very creditable 32^nd overall amongst a field of 300 International and overseas crews, as well as club crews from all over the UK.

The crew of Steph Cooke, Bethan Thomas, Abbie Stephens, Gemma Hall, Juliet Hookey, Alice Bentley, Florence Lock and Lizzie Blair with cox Sian Ralph was made up from four senior and four junior rowers. The crew showed great skill having not practiced together owing to the juniors having competed over the same course in a quad scull in Thursday’s Schools Head of the River where they finished third.

Finally on Sunday Henley RC's senior men headed to the Tideway to race at Hammersmith Head, hoping to retain the headship which they won last year. This event is a dress rehearsal for the Head of the River Race, in three weeks time which is the major event of the winter season.

While the Women's Head was raced in glorious spring sunshine the day before, the weather took a considerable turn for the worse on Sunday and Hammersmith Head took place in high winds and turbulent water. Henley I starting first, was closely followed by London I. Henley’s crew, which included Richard Moody, Conor Ward, Robert Barnes, Luke Wootton, Bradley Whale, Richard Thompson, Matthew Hullet, Thomas Cannon and cox Theo Millward, raced with length and rate.

London closed up on Henley in the first half of the course but then Henley used there guts and fitness to pull away in the second half of the race. The result was close and Henley I narrowly lost the headship to London I by just two seconds although they retained Elite eights title. The London crew were of the highest calibre and included multiple Henley winners and a 2007 World Champion. It was a credit to Henley that they were so close against such a formidable crew.

Henley II and III put in good strong performances showing the calibre and depth in Henley’s senior men’s squad. Both crews included members of the junior squad, providing them with a great experience and further aiding their development. Members of these boats are still pushing the first eight hard and the squad as a whole shows great promise for the Head of the River Race and the oncoming summer season.