The Windsor Boys School collected their fourth Henley Royal Regatta title in eight years in The Fawley Challenge Cup at this year’s edition of the event, racing to a stunning victory in their WinTech Cobra (the same shell that has carried them to victory in the past three too).
The state school – who arrived into Henley as national champions and winners at the recent Marlow Regatta – were relatively untroubled throughout the week, winning their final by nearly three lengths against Marlow Rowing Club.
“This was the most special Windsor Boys quad of them all,” commented Mark Wilkinson, Director of Rowing. “Sadly, Henley’s conditions did not allow them to show that. That boat is the quickest a WBSBC quad has ever gone, including the 2018 crew, and had they had the same conditions would have broken all the records.”
Elsewhere, King shells were used right at the very top end of The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy. The three fastest American crews from US Youth Nationals descended on UK shores to take on the best of the British and all chose to race in King racing boats, indicating how highly-regarded these hulls are in the USA. RowAmerica Rye – winners of the youth women’s eight at the USRowing Youth National Championships – were beaten finalists, coming up against a Headington School unit who took the title at both the Royal and the women’s regatta.
Alongside them were Newport Aquatic Centre, who fell to Headington in the semi-finals, and Marin Rowing Association, who were beaten by Rye on the Saturday. They were silver and bronze medallists respectively at the USRowing Youth National Championships.
Karina Feitner and Katy Flynn – competing for the Advanced Rowing Initiative of the Northeast, U.S.A. – were beaten semi-finalists in a WinTech Cobra, having raced all the way to the Saturday of The Stonor Challenge Trophy.
Elsewhere, Whitemarsh Boat Club took part in one of the races of the Regatta on the Friday of The Fawley Challenge Cup, running Marlow Rowing Club all the way to the line in their WinTech Cobra. They were eventually beaten by a quarter of a length, before Marlow went on to lose in the final to the aforementioned Windsor Boys.
Other highlights included Leander Club taking a famous win in The Remenham Challenge Cup against The Ivy Club of Princeton, before falling on the Friday to Hollandia Roeiclub of the Netherlands.
Despite the rainiest conditions in recent memory, fierce and frantic racing meant that Henley Royal Regatta 2024 was not dampened in spirit. Stunning finals on a kaleidoscopic Sunday saw the University of Washington hit the booms in the final of The Grand Challenge Cup, Oxford Brookes secure six Trophies including the premier open and women’s eights and Thames retained all three club events that they won in 2023.
With the Olympic and Paralympic Games looming large on the horizon, we can’t wait to watch the fastest athletes in our sport take each on in pursuit of ultimate glory. Team WinTech and King will be attending both the Henley Masters Regatta and British Rowing Championships and look forward to meeting many of our athletes and clubs as the season comes to a close.
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