Flat Water - Fast Times

30/6/2010 - Regatta underway in warm bright conditions - See the Webcam sited just past the finish on the Berkshire station looking down the course.  In the Centre is the finish line box on the Buckinghamshire Station with the Phyllis Court Club Stand on the bank behind it.

All the New Zealand crews apart from the eight and mens quad have been seeded in their respective events - even the West End RC crew in the Thames cup - 30/6/2010 updated

In the Grand Challenge Cup The Waiariki /Tideway Scullers School crew are set to meet the British National eight in the semifinals on Saturday and in the bottom half of the draw the current German national crew rowing as Hansa Dortmund, winners at the recent World Cup in Munich are expected to have no problems with the Canadian and USA crews who are also in the event. (The TSS contribution to the crew is in the form of Gr88 Cox woman, Ali Williams).
 
The Silver Goblets and Nickall’s Challenge Cup has the British combination of Reed and Triggs Hodge in one half of the draw with Murray and  Bond from New Zealand in the other half the New Zealanders should have few problems getting through to the final and if there is rain during the week they will be certainly at a disadvantage coming in on the Bucks station so we must pray that there is no rain.
 
The Princess Royal Challenge Cup defending Champion Emma Twigg, in the top half of the draw, will meet Stone of United States assuming all goes to plan in a semi-final.  Knapkova from the Czech Republic is in the other half and must be favoured to beat Debbie Flood of Great Britain in their semi-final, this should, hopefully produce a New Zealand/Czech Republic final on Sunday.
 
With the withdrawal of Great Britain’s Alan Campbell  from  The Diamonds Mahe Drysdale should be untroubled in the top half of the draw having beaten Ian Lawson of Great Britain last year, although the up-and-coming Malcolm Howard of Canada, who has moved from the eight last year to the single, may present some problems, he was sixth in Munich and is improving with every race.  Although seeded, Duncan Grant however has a much tougher half with Karronen from Sweden and Hacker of Germany being the scullers one would expect to fight out a semi-final. - 30/6/2010 - With the withdrawal of Marcel Hacker the wily Duncan Grant will be a difficult contender for Karonen whom he will meet in the quarter final.  Karonen will have to overcome the former NZ World Champion, Carl Meyer, now trying his hand(s) in the single while living in Australia.  In the top half of the draw is the New Zealand team spare Michael Arms.
 
With only six entries in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup for quadruple sculls Waiariki will meet the seeded Reading University and Leander Club, in other words the British National crew, in a semi-final and the other half of the draw Princeton Training Centre from the USA is the seeded crew.
 
For the women’s quad once again they are seeded in the top half of the draw and whilst Hollandia Roeiclub club from Holland may present some tough opposition in their semi-final we should expect that they will end up in a final against the current world champions from Great Britain rowing as Gloucester and Leander Rowing Club’s.
 
In the men’s double sculls the two New Zealand crews are in opposite halves of the draw. The British combination of Wells and Bateman have a bye  and assuming Cohen and Sullivan beat the Canadians they were meet each other in the quarter-final. In the other half of the draw Uru and Taylor look set to meet the current world silver medalists Berrest and Bahain of France in the semi-final on Saturday.
 
In the Thames Challenge Cup West End Rowing Club are one of the seeded to crews in the top half of the draw. There will be strong competition from the Potomac Boat Club of the USA and Henley Rowing Club who, in the past, produced excellent Thames Cup crews.  In the other half of the draw two Irish teams from Galway and St Michael’s RC also will present some challenges but in this event sometimes the seeded boats do not necessarily get through.