Team Surrey Rowing narrowly misses out on qualification for Henley Royal Regatta
29 June 2012
While many students have finished for the year and returned home, Team Surrey's Rowing Club are still working hard. In this update we find out about their close qualification for the Henley Royal Regatta and how the women's squad are fairing after an undefeated season on the water.
Update courtesy of Nick Bright, Team Surrey Rowing.
Team Surrey Rowing narrowly misses out on qualification for Henley Royal Regatta
On 22nd June, Team Surrey travelled to Henley-on-Thames with the aim to qualify for one of the most prestigious and elite rowing events in the world- the Henley Royal Regatta. The crew, consisting of students Darryl Kelly, Robert Sillitoe, Jon Rains, Rupert Graham, Joseph Davis, Nick Bright, Phil Elton, Ashley Epps and coxswain Eleanor Willetts have had a club record breaking season under the tutelage of Molesey BC’s (home of gold medal Olympians Andy Hodge, Tom James and Greg Searle) Head Coach Ben Lewis.
The crew had hoped to pre-qualify for the Regatta based on previous race results (winning at Marlow Regatta at the Olympic Rowing Lake at Dorney) but unfortunately were required to attend the qualifying races last Friday. The qualifying races take the form of a time trial over 2,000m with [this year] the fastest 12 out of 65 crews being progressed through to racing on Wednesday 27th June.
Crews from all around the world including the USA, Russia, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Poland, Australia and the Netherlands are all competing in this regatta. The results of the race meant that Team Surrey were the fastest non-qualifying crew (across all events) in a time of 7:28.1 (rowing into a stiff head wind and stream). The times of the crews that qualified are not released to the public so it is not possible to say how far off the crew were from qualification. This result makes Team Surrey Rowing unofficially the 33rd Fastest University VIII in the world.
Team Surrey Rowing women continue their excellent results
To round off an undefeated season in the double sculls (including winning Gold at the University Championships in May, Laura Hunter-Smith and Aimée Jonckers took on the challenge of competing at the Women’s Henley Regatta on the 15th June. This year celebrating its 25th Anniversary crews travelled from as far as the USA and Australia to compete.
Laura and Aimée competed 3 categories above their own in the Senior double sculls, of 22 entries they made it through the time trial into the top eight in order compete in side-by-side racing in the quarter finals. Racing against Royal Chester RC the girls comfortably won their quarter final, and were absolutely ecstatic to make it through to the semi-final. In the semi-final stiff competition was drawn in the form of a Reading RC/Wycliffe Sculling School composite crew (the current National Champions), and the Team Surrey crew narrowly lost.
Overall, the girls could not have been more pleased with their season’s results and ending on a high at such a well-respected regatta. Furthermore, finishing as the highest placed University double at the event was the perfect way for Laura and Aimee to end their season.
