Flat Water - Fast Times

 The Qualifying Races took place at Henley this weekend.  These are time trials for non seeded crews in events that are oversubscribed.  It is brutal so spare a thought for crews that have travelled from all over the world for this regatta and don't even make it to the main regatta. There are a few changes that affect the NZ Crews. 

 Also of note is that Mahe has not withdrawn but Alan Campbell is out of the Diamonds.  This should help Mahe defend his title - just Hacker to overcome!

Looks like the Poms are taking the Grand very seriously as they have scratched the four who were doubling up in the Stewards.  With the Waiariki crew and the German crew who beat them in Munich both in the event they will need to concentrate on this event. 

You can download the full draw HERE 

The Entries for Henley have been announced and the Kiwi contingent visit to Henley this year will be a much sterner test than last year's 4 trophy sweep.  Many are taking the opportunity to get in additional racing with the World Championships later than normal in the year.

The Kiwi contingent visit to Henley this year will be a much sterner test than last years 4 trophy sweep.  Many are taking to opportunity to get in additional racing with the World Champion ships later than normal in the year.

 In the Diamonds, the men’s single scull, defending champion Mahe Drysdale is listed as an entry but it may be some time before the management ream make a final decsion on his entry.  He will have to face a couple of his old foes, Alan Campbell from the Tideway Scullers, 2nd in Munich last weekend, Marcel Hacker, 3rd in Munich and the new boy on the block Howard from Canada, who was also a finalist in Munich.  Add into this mix New Zealand’s Duncan Grant and Lassie Karonen from Brudpiga Roddklubb in Sweden and the public can expect the cutthroat racing to start on Friday as long as the seeding is done correctly.
 
Defending Champion, Emma Twigg, had an easy run last year in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup but this year wil be very different.  There is Knapkova from the Slavia Praha club in the Czech Republic, 3rd in the women’s single in Munich, the 2000 winner, Debbie Flood from Leander Rowing Club and, assuming that Harriet Austin is back in the quad, Fiona Patterson, all will proved a good test for Twigg.
 
In The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup, for the men’s pair, hopefully, the seeding will bring the Leander/Molsey and Waiariki’s Murray and Bond together in Sunday’s final and forego the problem last year when this defining race was a semi-final.  Match racing is a very different type of race but the kiwis showed they were up to the challenge in the finals against the British combination at Munich – less than half a length separated them at the end.
 
The two fours will combine to from an eight in the Grand Challenge Cup.  A New Zealand men’s Eight for the first time at this level for many years.  They will be up against the British National crew in the form of Leander and Molsey the defending Champions.
 
The Men’s and Women’s Quads will race in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup and the Princess Grace Challenge Cup respectively.  For the women they will have the World Champion British and gold medallists at the World Cup regattas this year to contend from Gloucester Rowing Club & Leander Club and for the men the new British combination from Reading University & Leander Club.
 
Only Juliet Haigh and Rebecca Scown appear to be left at a loose end with no event to enter