LONDON ROWING CLUB Newsletter June 2011 Happy Birthday! Members will have noted that our Patron attained a notable milestone lately in reaching his 90th Birthday. Set out below is the full text of the congratulatory letter sent to Buckingham Palace by Hon. Secretary Chris Whyte On behalf of the President and Members of London Rowing Club, I write to offer Your Royal Highness our sincere congratulations on your 90 th birthday and to wish you many happy returns of the day. Your Royal Highness’s long standing patronage of London Rowing Club is greatl y appreciated by the membership and your visit to the Club in 2006, as part of our 150 th “Anniversary celebrations, is warmly remembered. I am pleased to report that the Club is performing strongly at both club and interna - tional level. Last November, for the first time in over 50 years, the Scullers’ Head of the River Race was won by a London member, Mr Stephen Feeney, whilst at the Head of the River Race in March the Club retained the Vernon Trophy. Mr Rob Williams is currently World Champion in the Lightweight Coxless Four and took a bronze medal for Great Britain in the same event at the first round of the World Cup, two weeks ago. Also at the World Cup, Miss Sophie Hosking won a gold medal as part of the Women’s Lightweight Double which is coached by London member Mr Paul Reedy. The Club has other members participating in the national squad and has also won several events at domestic regattas. These wins include, most recently, Elite Coxed Fours at last weekend’s Metropolitan Regatta – the Club’s ‘home’ regatta. The Club is now looking forward to the remaining rounds of the World Cup, to Henley Royal Regatta, the World Championships and, of course, next year’s London Olympics. In wishing Your Royal Highness a v“ ery happy birthday the Club would also like to take this opportunity to thank Your Royal Highness for your continued interest and support. I have the honour to remain, Sir, Your Royal Highness’s most humble and obedient Servant Chris Whyte Honorary Secretary HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA Our traditional rundown on LRC’s crews entered for Henley Royal Regatta appears on the centre pages 4 and 5. 1 With a number of the larger boats failing to impress, Racing results (apart from the Bell, Gilfillan, Grant, Thomas, Jackson 4+ which won IM1 4+ with something to spare) it was down to numerous pairs, doubles and singles to win the (ever-so- desirable) ceramic pots. After the disappointment of the Head, the squad E 2- was a hard fought, painfully close, race between disappeared for their annual training camp in Spain where two halves of the “A” coxless four, Mark Aldred and Richard their fitness was put under the microscope. Away from the Dunley (Dundred) against Alex Cawthorne and Marco Espin pressures of work they were put though a gruelling ten days (Cawspin), ending in a win for Dundred by half a second, in from which they emerged, we hope, better prepared for a time of 8:06.6 the rigours of the racing season. The policy has been to select crews relatively early, and to treat racing as part of In IM1 2- the heavyweight contenders battled down the training, with little or no taper leading up to the major course, taking it in turns to lead the race, with the win multi-lane regattas. The squad have done a lot of racing finally being secured by “Goof” Gilfillan and Chris Thomas this year; with steadily improving results; and we hope and in 8:18.7 anticipate that the best is yet to come. IM2 2- saw entries from St Edward’s School, Cardiff, Marlow and London. The LRC pair of George Hobson and st Henry Bennett toyed (albeit not deliberately) with their Wallingford Regatta, Dorney, 1 May opposition, and were 10s up on the Cardiff pair at 1,000m, Only the top three LRC boats entered this year, in Elite but as they crossed the line there was only 1s between eights, and Elite coxed and coxless fours. Sadly, very strong them. 8:41.3 was their final time. easterly, cross-head, winds made conditions very difficult IM1 2x proved a synch for Dominic Wilson and Stuart for younger and less experienced crews getting attached; Heap who won convincingly in a time of 08:26.8, beating and when the timetable had become irretrievably delayed, Cardiff and Champions of the Thames. racing had to be abandoned in mid-afternoon. Of the three LRC boats, only the eight actually raced, finishing fourth in It was a good day at the races for the single scullers, good company. Early season favourites Thames were with Pete Stuart, Charlie Jarvis, Mark Bavington, Chris second, 5s ahead of LRC, behind a Leander boat intended Guest and Steven Artist braving it alone in the tough for the Ladies’ Plate. conditions. Pete Stuart won IM1 1x, beating the rest of the field by 8 seconds, in 8:53.9 and IM2 1x was also won comfortably by Pete. IM3 1x was something of a London derby, with Charlie, Bav and Steven ‘The’ Artist, battling it Ghent Regatta, Belgium, 7 th -8 th May out. Sadly there were no ceramics for LRC in this race, but Ghent was another venue plagued by cross head winds it was good to see all three London scullers making it producing difficult conditions. Nevertheless LRC’s first through their heats to the final. regatta win of the season went to Chris Anness in In Nov 1x there was another appearance from The lightweight Senior sculls on the Sunday. There were second Artist, who finished third. places on both days for the “A” coxless four, with a four of O’Connor, Birrell, Young and Loveday in third.Those two th th fours then combined to contest Senior eights and scored Metropolitan Amateur Regatta, 4 -5 June another third place behind two Dutch crews. There were strong winds at the Met, but their direction was almost perpendicular to the course. Whilst The heavy coxed four took fourth in Saturday’s event, attaching was difficult for some, and Lane 1 was definitely well ahead of potential Britannia opposition from Taurus, smoother than the rest, conditions were not grossly unfair and a four containing Chris Anness, Dom Wilson, Ashley and lane draws were not decisive in determining results. Maitland, and Steve Salter scored another third place. Both our top fours performed well, with the coxless boat taking second place on Saturday and fourth on Sunday; in both cases beaten only by Visitors’ class opposition. The coxed four meanwhile raced both Elite and Poplar Regatta, 15 th May Senior on Saturday, coming second in both; but having been beaten by a talented Star Club crew in Elite, they had their The third windy regatta of a very warm but windy revenge in Senior where they beat all their club level spring produced difficult starting conditions and slow opposition. On Sunday they went one better and took the times, but no great unfairness for those who could handle Layton Cup for Elite coxed fours. the bouncy water. There were no LRC wins, but the squad derived a good deal of experience (and perhaps a hefty Chris Anness had a good weekend, winning IM1 sculls dose of resistance training) from multiple rows down the by over a length on Saturday. On Sunday he led the final of Docklands course. As consolation there were second places Senior sculls with 500 to go, but was caught by faster in Senior coxed fours, senior eights, IM3 eights, and IM1 finishers and finished second. fours; and Pete Stuart took third in Senior sculls The improving “A” eight made the final of Senior eights on both days, finishing sixth and last each time, but well in touch with the pack. st Nottingham City Regatta, 21 May Reading Amateur Regatta, 11 th -12 th June Holme Pierrepont, oriented to line up with the Our “B” Britannia four went to Reading and in Sunday’s prevailing wind, is notorious for headwinds and rough event won IM2 coxed fours, beating Twickenham by two conditions, and this year was no exception. thirds of a length. 2 British Rowing Masters Championships, Not - GB Team Selection tingham, 12 th June The GB team for the first World Cup regatta was Congratulations to Martin Gaylard who saw off both his announced in mid-May. Bill Lucas retained his seat in the opponents in the H/I single sculls to come home nearly four heavy quad, Rob Williams was selected in an unchanged seconds in front for an excellent win, the latest of many. lightweight four; and Sophie Hosking with partner Hester Goodsell comprised the “A” crew of two lightweight There was a second LRC win, in a composite (with doubles. Walton RC) B pair; but enquiries have yet to identify the person concerned. There was a race off for the second slot in the LW2x between Steph Cullen and Imogen Walsh, both of LRC, and th th Andrea Dennis and Katherine Twyman. It was won by the Henley Women’s Regatta, 17 -19 June slender margin of a second by Dennis and Twyman; and LRC’s only representative was Roxana Islas-Garcia, whilst this was an obvious disappointment for the London returning to the UK after spending the winter in her native girls, in view of the Munich results, it is suggestive of Mexico. Roxana contested the Lightweight Elite sculls, but considerable strength in depth the fruits of which should was unlucky enough to meet the eventual winner, Carolyn become apparent later in the season.