Maidstone Invicta Rowing club (MIRC), managed to qualify with 4 boats at Henley Royal Regatta last week 1st – 5th July. 3 of the boats (coxless 4 competing in the Wyfold Challenge Cup, Double scull competing for the Challenge Cup and the Mens Eight A competing for the Thames Cup) managed to automatically qualify for this prestigious event. Whilst the Mens eight B also competing for the Thames Cup had to prequalify on Friday 26th June where they had to beat eight crews to enable them to Race at this Regatta.
The regatta course is 1 mile 550 yards (2,112 metres) long. It has 2 crews racing at one time in knockout stages, which take place each day, leading up to the final on the Sunday (5th)
On the first day of the regatta Wednesday 1st July, MIRC had 3 boats racing. The first Maidstone crew to race that day, was the Coxless 4 (Josh Pendry, Will Tew, Alex Torbica and Craig Turner) In the Wyfolds Challenge cup. They had been drawn against Nottingham Rowing Club and managed to beat them by 2 ½ lengths, qualifying them to race on the Thursday when they beat Worcester rowing club by 1 ¾ lengths, which got them through to the Quarter finals on The Friday, unfortunately they lost to Sydney Rowing Club, Australia by 3 ½ lengths. Sydney RC went on to win the Wyfolds Challenge Cup.
The 2nd crew to race that day, was the eight B (James Knight, Alastair Cooper, Geraint Evans, Mark Tomkins, William Purnell, Richard Ridgeway, Guy Sticklee and Owen Mills – coxed by Sue Mobbs), The Eight were up against Chester RC, but were beaten by 3 ¾ lengths. Chester were very nearly disqualified due to bad steering.
The Mens eight A (Sam Blackwell, Tim Grant, Lance Tredell, Tom Mason, Morgan Hellen, James Crumpton, Jon Farrar, Ben Farrar, coxed by Ross Porter) raced later in the afternoon and were up against Monmouth Rowing Club, where they beat Monmouth by 3 lengths, qualifying them for the Thursday where they up against Green Lake Crew, USA and won by 2 ¼ lengths, pushing them through to the Quarter final stages on the Friday and were up against one of the favourites London Rowing Club A. Unfortunately London Rowing Club beat them by 3 lengths. The Winners of the Thames Cup were Molesey Boat Club A.
Also racing on the Friday in the quarter final, was Stuart Hampshire and Chris Mollison who were racing their Double Scull in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup. They lost by 1 ¾ lengths to the New Zealand international double Matthew Trott and Nathan Cohen who were the eventual winners of the Challenge Cup and beat the GB international and Olympic bronze medallists Double (Matthew Wells & Steve Rowbotham) in the final.
Well done to all those who participated.
MIRC's next regatta is Nat Champs in Nottingham on 17th 18th and 19th July.
Laura Johnson
