Dragons bring home trophies from National Championships
The Henley Dragons took the National Championships by storm, fielding a powerhouse squad of 36 paddlers at a fierce, wind-swept Holme Pierrepont. Competing across five premier divisions, the team showcased incredible depth, tactical brilliance, and pure grit against the UK’s absolute best—unleashing a weekend of spectacular victories, dramatic collisions, and massive trophy hauls.
On Day 1 Henley Dragons set the water on fire during the 200m sprints, proving they are among the elite:
- Mixed Premier 200m (National Champions): The Mixed crew put on a masterclass. After cruising through their heat (54.99s) and semi-final (55.79s), they dug deep in a breathtaking grand finale, edging out rivals Wraysbury in a thrilling sprint to clock an incredible 54.43s to take the Gold!
- Open Premier 200m (Silver Medal): Defying the odds by racing with six women in the boat against all-male crews, the Open boat fought through a rapid heat and semi-final. In the Major Final, they launched an explosive sprint to clock a blistering 53.15s, beating Chadwell Heath and St Neots to secure a magnificent Silver.
- Women Premier 200m (Top-8 Finish): Facing an exceptionally stacked field of 19 teams, the women’s crew showed immense spirit. Missing the Major Final by a razor-thin margin, they battled fiercely to take 2nd in the Minor Final (1m 10.94s), cementing their status as the 8th best crew in the nation.
Day 2 on Sunday brought a spot of calm, following schedule changes from the Saturday’s severe winds, and unparalleled drama as the racing shifted to longer distances:
- The Dramatic 2km Pursuit (Mixed Gold Medal): In the race of the weekend, Henley clinched a spectacular 1st-place finish (10:16.76) despite pure chaos on the water. A multi-boat steering tangle caused a rival boat to collide with Henley, snapping the Dragons’ wooden dragon head clean off! Unfazed, the stroke seat scooped up the bobbing head mid-race—missing just a single stroke—and the crew powered on. Even after a 5-second penalty was applied, their relentless determination kept them ahead of Soaring Dragons to claim the win.
- Mixed Premier 500m (Silver Medal): After dominating their heat (2m 19.46s) and shaving off three seconds to win their semi-final (2m 16.91s), Henley emptied the tank in a lung-busting final sprint. They clocked their fastest time of the day at 2m 16.84s, finishing just fractions of a second behind Amathus to bring home National Silver.
- Open Premier 500m (4th in the Nation): The Open crew stormed through their bracket, winning their heat in 2m 15.04s. They saved their fastest raw time of the entire weekend for the Major Final, flying down the course in a blistering 2m 13.78s to lock in a phenomenal 4th place nationally in a hyper-competitive field. Rafters won the event, but a non-official British Dragonboat Team, do taking them out of the mix, Henley did even better!
- Senior A Standard 500m (Round 1 Winners): The Senior crew proved clinical, executing a pacing masterclass to win their round in 2m 21.32s, throwing down the fastest senior time of the day.
Testament to the Eyot Centre’s aims and objectives, under which the Henley Dragons fall, the youth members of the squad not only raced with Henley Dragons but came together to race with youth members from across the country in combined youth crews. These budding new paddlers are the future of the sport, and they all put on fine performances.
To cap off an already unforgettable weekend of elite racing, Henley Dragons proudly hoisted the ultimate prizes, taking home both the overall National Mixed Trophy and the Senior Trophy!
Leave a Comment
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!