Henley Regatta Day 4: Things hot up for local crews and spectators alike!

As the temperatures heated up, so did the action on the course on day 4 of the regatta. Leander club athletes were once again out in force along with Shiplake College and Upper Thames and with crowds amassed along the length of the tow path, there were some highly contested match ups in action.

The very first race of the day saw a Leander and Leeds composite crew take on a Nautilus and Edinburgh University crew. Unfortunately the early start did not help the local men’s 4, as they were beaten by a length and a half in the The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup.

Just two races later, in The Visitors’ Challenge Cup, there was a tasty match up that saw Leander A take on Leander B. The race could not have been closer, with Leander B edging out the A squad in the tightest of finishes – by a canvas.

Race 13 was not lucky for some, namely Leander athlete A.G. Hempleman-Adams, who was ‘easily’ beaten by L.R. Henry of Leicester Rowing Club in The Princess Royal Challenge Cup.

Last year’s champions, Shiplake College boys 8 also lost out – this time to Teddies School, in an extremely closely fought battle that went down to a canvas finish in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. However, Shiplake evened the scores when their girls 8 took to the course an hour and a half later, also against St Edwards School. This time it was Shiplake who powered to the win in The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, a length and a half ahead at the line and seeing them through to tomorrow’s semi-finals.

The action continued with, Leander’s M4 intermediate quad, rowing in The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, easing to a 2 1/4 length win against Reading University. Just 2 races later, Leander were back in action again in The Thames Challenge Cup, where their men’s 8 grasped a 1 length win against Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia.

After the Luncheon break, in The Queen Mother Challenge Cup, Leander were beaten by a length and 3/4 by a composite crew from Oxford Brookes University and Queen’s University, Belfast.

The first race of the inaugural Princess of Wales Challenge Trophy, saw a record breaking time and the tightest of finishes with the composite crew of Leander Club and Hartpury University edging out the Dutch crew of Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus.

Leander’s fortunes ran out in The Bridge Challenge Plate however, when their women’s 8 were beaten by a length in a record breaking time by Yale University from the USA.

Americans also saw off another Leander crew – a composite with Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University. This time it was Washington’s W4 who won by 2 1/2 lengths in The Town Challenge Cup. 4 races later, Leander turned the tables when their men’s 4, in The Fawley Challenge Cup, rowed to a 3/4 length win over Belen Jesuit Preparatory School ‘A’, U.S.A.

After the Tea interval, Leander Club’s men were back in action in The Ladies’ Challenge Plate. The men’s 8 were pushed but held off London Rowing Club by half a length at the finish.

An exciting day’s racing came to a close, with some interesting match ups in prospect for Saturday’s timetable – the penultimate day’s competition.