Henley Rowing Club

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Home Countries International

As a result of their successes at the National Rowing Championships of Great Britain two weeks ago three of the Henley Rowing Club junior girls crews were selected to represent England at the Home International Regatta.

The Home International is a four-way match between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and is also split into four sections, Junior Girls, Junior Boys, Senior Men and Senior Women. The winning crews being awarded Gold Medals and points being awarded for each placing four for a win three for second etc. Each country takes it in turn to host the match this year it was England’s turn. The competion taking place last weekend on the 2000 metre lake at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham where for a change the water conditions were ideal with what light breeze their was being insufficient to raise a ripple on the water.

The first race of the competition was the Junior girls coxless four with the crew being the Henley girls of Katharine Boothroyd (bow steers), Louisa Pickworth, Clare Ansley-Watson and Juilet Hookey at stroke. The race quickly turned into a two boat race between England and Ireland with the Henley girls having a slight advantage over the first 500 metres, which they further extended with pushes at 650 and 1250 but where unable to pull fully clear from the Irish. By 1500 metres the girls had extended their lead to a length but it was not until the last 250 metres that they really pulled away to win by two lengths. Earning themselves the Gold Medal and the England team four points for a win and a perfect start to the regatta.

The second Henley boat to race was the junior girls double of Kirsty Holland and Lucy Mills. Again the real competion came from the Irish who by the 250 metres mark had perhaps a three-quarters of a length lead. This did not phase the experienced Henley double, both of whom have previously represented Great Britain at International level, and whilst still under rating the Irish double by three strokes steadily pulled passed them to have a clear lead at 600 metres. From a thousand metres the girls so dominated the race that they where able to drop the rating to a cruising pace and provide the spectators with a demonstration of near perfect double sculling technique. Another Gold medal for the Henley girls and another four points for the England team

The last boat of the Junior women’s competion and the third Henley crew was the quad scull where Kirsty and Lucy from the double where joined by Clare and Juliet from the coxless four. The start of this race produced some controversy with the Irish quad twice false starting but not being disqualified. When the race did get away cleanly the clearly powerful Irish established an early lead which they maintained to the 1000 metre mark and whilst they extended this to may be a length were never able to shake off the Henley girls. After the 1000 metres the Henley girl’s better technique (and fitness) allowed them to start pulling back on the Irish and by 1500 metres had taken a clear lead which they continued to extend to the finish. The third Gold medal for the Henley girls.

England won all four sections with over half of the points won by the Junior Girls coming from the Henley crews.

This was a very successful conclusion not only to the season but to the girls junior rowing careers as for all but one this was their last race as juniors. All the girls can though be seen competing in Senior events at this weekends Henley Town and Visitors Regatta.