NORTHWICH Rowing Club can reflect on making history at the sport’s most prestigious event.
For the first time ever, they qualified four crews for the world-famous Henley Royal Regatta – including two junior boats getting the Henley experience for the very first time.
Top performers were the senior men’s coxless four, who reached the semi-finals of the Wyfold Challenge Cup.
A very proud club chairman Graham Jump hailed the efforts of the Northwich rowers, especially given the challenges Covid-19 has laid in front of them.
“To get four crews to race at this standard, especially after everything that the past 17 months have thrown at us, is amazing,” he said.
“The commitment and dedication shown by all our athletes and coaches deserves the highest praise.
“They are a credit to the club and the town.”
Having comfortably beaten Bristol before dispatching a crew from Germany, the Northwich men were drawn against a strong London Rowing Club crew but a good start allowed them to win comfortably.
This earned them a spot in the last-four against Lea Rowing Club and in a race that was nip-and-tuck the whole way, Lea emerged victorious by less than a boat length.
The club were also represented in the senior men’s eight for the first time in many years and the crew enjoyed a fantastic race against Upper Thames RC in the Thames Challenge Cup.
They led for much of the race but were just edged out on the final push for home by the Upper Thames crew, who were racing on home water.
The Northwich men's eight in a tight battle with Upper Thames Rowing Club
The junior quads for both the boys and girls both sculled well – the former gave a strong Exeter RC crew a great race in the Fawley Challenge Cup while the latter put up a good fight against Walton RC in the Diamond Jubilee Cup.
Northwich Rowing Club crews, Henley Royal Regatta 2021:
Senior men’s eight: Jordan Simmonds, Zain Hashmi, James Brown, Patrick Brogan, Greg Murphy, Craig Taylor, Rhys Coffey, Chris Sim, Lucy Gillbanks (cox). Coach – Jed Barlow.
Senior men’s coxless four: Joe Anderson, Finn Lawton, Leon Langmead, George Lawton. Coach – Jed Barlow.
Junior boys’ quad: Finn Gamble, Luke Harris, Charlie Villiers, Dylan Howard. Coach – John Baxter.
Junior girls’ quad: Hannah Middlebrook, Tess Asteraides, Mila Speakman, Ellen Hardisty. Coach – Paul Rafferty.
The junior boy's quad
The junior girl's quad
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