Following their success at the selection trials the Henley Rowing Club Girls J16 quad of Kate Osborn-Jones, Gemma McIntosh, Melanie Gilson and Hannah Smith Willis travelled to Nante, France last Tuesday with the rest of the J16 squad to represent Great Britain in the annual match against France. The match was preceded by a three day training camp that gave the girls the opportunity to acclimatise to the conditions and train on the 1500 metre course that is laid out on the Loire river in the centre of Nante. This proved to be very worthwhile as Great Britain won two of the three trophies on offer. Great Britain winning the overall match by seven events to five and the women’s event by four events to one, the boys only just losing their match three, four to the French. This is believed to be the first time in 22 years that Britain has won the match on French soil. The Henley girls contributed to this success by winning their event by half a length in a very exciting and close fought race. The French took an early lead in the race but some poor steering causing them to clash with the buoys this allowed the Henley girls to take the advantage and a one length lead. The French then put in a major push to draw back to just a third of a length down. Working exactly to their race plan the Henley girls continued at a solid rating of 35 with good long strokes which proved effective in the oppressive heat and from half way the French pushes where of no effect and the Henley girls pulled out to win by half a length.

This concludes a very successful season for the crew who have won all their regattas including both major events, The National Schools Regatta and The National Championships and will hopefully provide a stepping stone to further international success next year.

Whilst a number of the junior ‘s will be competing in crews at this weeks T & V regatta the main junior regatta’s of the season have now come to a close. This has been another successful year for the juniors with two golds, two silvers and a bronze at the National Schools regatta and two golds and two silvers at the National Championships. This has contributed to the Henley Rowing Clubs second place position in the Women’s Premier Division of the National Rowing League behind Thames Rowing Club of London but well ahead of all other clubs.