Henley Royal Regatta 2015 – REPORT

In a year that saw the first live streaming of the event, we knew the competition would be tough along with a heavy media focus on all the crews racing.

The Oxford Brookes Temple ‘A’ crew smashed the course record by almost 8 seconds – but that still wasn’t enough for them to emulate the glory of 2014, as they lost to the eventual winners Nereus by a canvas. All the student crews raced well at the Regatta, and the returning squad have high hopes for next year with the Temple ‘B’ crew losing by a mere 3ft to the hotly-tipped American crew from Cornell University. The Temple ‘C’ crew went down to 2013 winners D.S.R.V. Laga from the Netherlands.

Brookes fielded two crews in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for Student 4+’s. The P.A. ‘A’ crew – featuring the 2014 Temple-winning coxswain Rory Copus – got through to the Quarter Finals, before losing out to Dutch rivals Proteus-Eretes in an extremely tight race . The ‘B’ crew progressed through the first round, but were knocked out by Imperial College.

Matt Tarrant raced in the Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Cup, but couldn’t quite catch the reigning fastest GB pair.

Jamie Copus & Joel Cassells had a tough race in the final of the Prince of Wales for Intermediate 4x’s as part of the selected GB U23 Lightweight 4x, but the headwind unfortunately favoured the heavier crew from Leander Club.

Olivia Carnegie-Brown had a tough final in the Remenham Challenge Cup, with the win eluding the GB Women’s 8+, coxed by fellow alumnus Zoe De Toledo.

Scott Durant added another win to his HRR tally, with crewmates from Leander & Imperial, in winning the Stewards’ Challenge Cup as the GB Senior 4-.

Congratulations to Scott, but it’s on to U23’s for the students, or time for a summer break before once more getting back to the grind at Brookes.