HWR delighted with strong entries

With almost 340 crews scheduled to do battle at this year’s Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) from 17th to 19th June, regatta chairman Diane Graham has welcomed an expansion in elite and senior entries which she says has brought balance to the event.

The Elite Eights event features its highest entry yet with seven crews including GB’s under-23 lightweight crew and, possibly hoping for a rematch, the Princeton and Brown crews from the USA that came first and second in its NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Championships this year. The Senior Eights event, with 12 entries, sees the US, the Netherlands and Ireland pitched against a selection of strong British crews.

In the Intermediate events, for the first time in several years, there are no qualifying rounds for Club Eights and Fours events, although both Academic events are still significantly oversubscribed and will undergo qualifiers on the Friday, as will Senior Double and Single sculls.

“Part of the marvel of HWR is the way people who have not been rowing long can rub shoulders with elite athletes from other countries,” says Diane. “We are delighted with the stronger presence at Senior and Elite levels in particular.

“A clash with exams this year has had an impact on Junior entries, but we’re delighted to welcome back some excellent overseas crews to race the best of our schools crews from the UK.”

In Junior Quads, Headington and Latymer have been drawn on opposite sides of the event; these two crews clashed recently at the National Schools Regatta, eventually re-rowing their race after a collision close to the finish line. In School Eights, St Pauls School Concord from the USA is making a debut appearance as is Merion Mercy Academy, who won the US Scholastic Championship in late May, in Junior Coxed fours.

Henley Women’s Regatta was founded in 1988 and runs on the same reach as the Henley Royal Regatta which starts 10 days later; it has been hosted and supported by The Copas Partnership and the Copas family since its inception, both of which have made its continuation possible. Further details and the draw can be found at www.hwr.org.uk.