The Henley junior girls' squad returned triumphant from last weekends National Schools Regatta with two gold and two silver medals The regatta held at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham is the premier regatta for junior crews in the UK with over two hundred races taking place over two days. In the past the regatta has suffered from poor weather conditions with some years a whole days racing being cancelled. This year though conditions remained good and whilst a stiff cross wind made racing in lane one that little bit more comfortable it was perhaps not enough of an advantage to effect the outcome of many races.

In girls under 15 double sculls, one of the largest events with 29 crews entered, Lucy Lewington and Kaye Davies demonstrated brilliant sculling to win one of the Gold medals. In all three races, heat, semi-final and final, the girls established an early lead and were able to settle to a good rhythm with a good long stroke that allowed them to control the race and in the early rounds conserve energy for the final which they won two lengths up on second place Wycliffe.

The second Gold medal came from the under 16 quad scull of Gemma McIntosh, Melanie Gilson, Kate Osborn Jones and Hannah Smith Willis. The first round draw was not kind to the girls placing them in the same heat as Royal Chester who had beaten them at the Inter Regionals and Wycliffe who had beaten them at the schools head. At 500 metres in the heat Henley, Wycliffe and Royal Chester had established a comfortable lead over the other crews and with three crews to qualify from the heat were able to cruise the remaining 1500 metres Henley finishing in third place. In the final the girls had a poor start but recovered well in the first 250 metres such that by 500 metres they where starting to nose ahead of the other crews. Like the double the girls kept a long rhythmical stroke that saw them extend their lead throughout the remainder of the race. At 1000 metres the lead over Wycliffe was two thirds of a length by 1500 this had gone out to just over a length which the girls held to the finish, local rivals Reading taking third place some five lengths behind.

The under 16 eight of Becci Griffiths, Gemma Johnson, Natalie Robinson, Caroline Green, Elley Lewis, Becci Varley, Amanda Moore, Hannah Boyd and cox Nicola Johnson had a very exciting straight six boat final. Off the start the Henley girls just led from Haberdashers Monmouth and Dame Alice Harpur at 1000metres Haberdashers had taken a third of a length lead over Henley who in turn had half a length on Dame Alice. With 500 to go Henley with a determined push had drawn all but level with Haberdashers and pulled out to nearly a length on Dame Alice. With less than 250 to go when it looked as though Henley could go through to win the seven girls seat got stuck. This could have been a real disaster but Caroline recovered well and the girls finished just a length down on Haberdashers to take silver medal and half a length ahead of third place Dame Alice Harpur School.

The second Silver medal came from the under 15 quad of Becci Griffiths, Hannah Read, Kaye Davies, Lucy Lewington and cox Nicola Johnson. This was another large event with 22 entries. After a comfortable win in their heat the quad had a good race in the semi final from which the first three crews would qualify for the final. In the semi-final Newark established an early lead with some strong high rating sculling but the Henley girls sculled through them at 1000 metres with long flowing strokes and the boat doing all the work. From here the girls continued to pull away from Newark until the last few hundred metres when the girls aware of the tough final to come wound right down and allowed Newark to go through them. The final saw the girls up against old rivals St Neots who along with Newark set the early pace and at 500 metres St Neots had a length and half on Newark who in turn led Henley by a length. By a 1000 metres St Neots had pulled out to two lengths and at 1500 metres St. Neots remained two lengths up but Henley had drawn up on Newark and with good long powerful sculling continued to draw through Newark and close on St Neots. The girls though had left themselves too much to do and St Neots finished first, a length and a bit up on Henley with Newark in third place and local rivals Sir William Borlase in fourth place.

The boys squad was reduced to four through illness and although they were disappointed not to come away with any medals performed well in a very tough field.

The boys quad sculls crew of Simon Thompson, Rob Friend, Ryan Davies and David Read finished fourth out of a field of 17 in the Championship Quads event. They won their opening heat in a fast time and qualified for the final by finishing 2^nd in their semi-final. However in the final their slow start meant they were 5^th at the first three marks and were only able to get past Lea RC in the last 250 metres and closed fast on Evesham RC to finish 4^th, 4 secs off the bronze medal.

In the Championship Double Sculls Simon Thompson and David Read won their opening heat but had a very tough semi-final and with only two going through were never able to get on terms with the leaders.

The Championship Coxless Pair of Rob Friend and Ryan Davies finished 2^nd behind Radley in their opening heat qualifying them directly for the final. In the final they moved into 3^rd after 500 metres leading the 4^th placed crew, Tiffin School, by a length. With 750 metres to go, Tiffin put in a sustained push to draw level and in the final 500 metres drew ahead to beat Henley into 4^th place by 3 secs.