Henley Royal Regatta

After an extended season, with very few opportunities for rowers to compete in, it was a joy for GMS rowers to be part of a very full racing programme at Henley.

For Great Marlow Boat Club it was also a very memorable occasion: Anna Bradley, Ruth Rackstraw, Natasha Stewart and Hannah Clayton became the first girls from the school to qualify for the elite Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup: a wonderful year’s finale for the four girls.

Great Marlow School Boat Club (GMSBC) has grown hugely since Mr Murison took it under his wing. Many of our students have become rowers post-18. Many represent their university or row for clubs such as Leander. The 2021  Henley Regatta saw no less than five Alumni racing in various events. It was great to see Emily Paul, rowing in her first Henley Royal Regatta, since leaving Brookes, for a very strong Marlow crew; and Blaise Ivers-Dreux competing in the elite Vistors Challenge Cup for Oxford Brookes. Ollie Emmet-Bird rowed for Bristol University and Eddie Allen for Nottingham: both won races in the Temple. The strongest performance was from Toby Lassen in the Oxford Brookes Four. In the semi-finals there was an absolutely nail-biting back and forth race with the University of London crew, that saw the Oxford Brookes Four fall behind, meaning the University of London won the final – that’s not to denigrate the effort and skill of the crew members who once were coached in our school.