Success for Boat Club on three fronts
Photograph: Rebecca Jayne Dobinson, Henley
The University Boat Club rounded off their season in style with success in three different competitions over an unbelievably hectic weekend. The women’s squad advanced beyond the first stages of the world-famous Henley Regatta for the first time, while the men split ranks to record excellent results on the Thames at Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and the Ouse in York.
The women marked their nomination for Squad of the Year in this week’s annual York Sport Awards by dispatching two crews of eight to Henley, an unprecedented number. Having waited years to qualify for this prestigious event, York suddenly were able to enjoy the luxury of having a huge squad taking part, and they took full advantage of the opportunity.
The first eight, consisting of Alix Odgers, Raeesa Chowdhury, Hannah Kirton, Charlotte Bentley, Charlotte McDonald, Lara Wainwright, Rosy temple and Sophie Mottram, and coxed by RJ Dobinson, advanced through their heat with a very respectable unofficial time of 5 minutes 25 seconds. The second eight, made up of Alex Mahan, Joanne Rea, Katharina Auersperg, Becca Melville, Becca Robinson, Irene Sieberger, Thea Hudson and Sarah Collins, with cox Ngaio Simpson, also progressed, with a time of 5 minutes 35 seconds. Unfortunately, the crews lost out to Cardiff University and St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge respectively in the next round, although their achievements had already far exceeded expectations.
On the following day, Saturday, the men’s senior four, who have Henley to look forward to this coming weekend, competed at Marlow. Racing in a category two places higher than their usual standard, the crew of Dan Steele, Will Lawrence, Ben Coverdale and Jack Savage, and coxed by Ashley Haycock, finished very respectably, only one length behind third placed Glasgow University and two lengths behind the winners, setting them up nicely to emulate the women’s success at Henley.
The men who had not travelled south represented the university on Sunday at the York Summer Regatta, again with great success. The senior four, consisting of Dane Moore, Josh Clarke, John Appleton and Edd Davenport, coxed by Rosamund Wood, won all three of their heats by at least two lengths before winning the final against Van Mildert College, Durham.
Meanwhile, the novice four of Seb Allen, Miguel Holloway, Ben Strickson and Teddy O’Brien, coxed by Alice Taylor, battled through to the final of their category, before narrowly losing to the same Durham opposition. St. Aidens College, Durham got the better of our senior eights crew of Dane Moore, Edd Davenport, John Appleton, Josh Clarke, Jordan Huey-Abbott, Miguel Holloway, Ben Strickson and Teddy O’Brien, and coxed by Deborah Burgess, by one-and-a-half lengths in a head-to-head final.
Thanks to Becca Robinson
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