Cygnet Rowing Club

Henley Town & Visitors 2009

Many thanks to Neil for the text and photos (and apologies for the delay getting them up):

Henley Town & Visitors Regatta for thoses of you that don't know it, takes place in the half-struck remains of Henley Royal, starting at the Barn Bar/Barrier and finishing 1000m up-stream somewhere in the vicinity of what was once the Stewards enclosure. It also takes place at the height of the British summer so naturally it was raining, again.

First up was an IM3 4+ comprising The Eternal Novice (Dawsey) at stroke, The Black Prince (Matt) at 3, recently denoviced Strangley Brown (Josh) at 2 and The Flying Scotsman (Gavin) at bow. Certainly a step up in quality for the bow pair and a four length win for Twickenham.

IM3 4+...

The IM2 4+ of Papa Baz, Papa Bates, Papa French and JJ (he must have a few kids scattered about the planet, surely?) nearly didn't get a race after a frantic dash back to London for ARA cards and back spasms for Batesey that necessitated a vertiable chemist shop of creams, gels and ointments being massaged into his back by crew mates prior to the race. A powerful start saw them surge ahead before they were pegged back by a Stratford crew who, rather unsportingly, had obviously been practicing a lot, to lose by 3/4 length at the line. Stratford went on to win and, as their trailer was parked right next to ours, informed the boys that their heat had been a much better race than the final!

IM2 4+...

After powering to victory in a double last weekend, Pickford was forced to change his status to IM2 for the single sculls. In wash conditions more akin to the Tideway and sandwiched between two Vesta boys he found it a step-up too soon for his first (and last) single race of the season. The verdict 2 lengths.

Lucky Bar Steward...

The IM3 eight which was randomly made up from a combination of the fours to get a bit more racing but hadn't banked on the Henley RC composite boat being stroked by Olympic Gold medalist Zac Purchase! The third boat in the race was a Putney Town composite and with the banter between them and Henley at the start if felt that Cygnet had rather gate crashed their cosy little party. We'll brush over the result and move quickly on.

IM3 8+...

Not for the first time this season, Cygnet was drawn in the last race of the day, a bye to the final of the IM1 4-. Even this race had to be pushed back further because the opposition, Vesta, had a boat clash. So in the gathering gloom and lashing rain, with hardly anybody left to watch, the final of the IM1 4- got attached. And what a race; neck and neck all the way down the course, push after push and over the finish line together, Cygnet nearly taking out the finish pontoon in the process. But who won? Vesta by a foot but a great race to end on. Four's head anyone?

IM1 4-...