Weekend Brilliance

What a rowing weekend! On Friday 23rd June, GMS’s top crews participated in the Henley Royal Regatta qualifiers.

Our Boys’ Quad, of Rafa Quinn, Lucas Gray, Sal Dunn and Ethan Hunt, had already qualified for the Fawley Challenge Cup; a Boys’ Eight was going for Princess Elizabeth; our Girls’ Quad was trying for the Diamond Jubilee.

The Boys’ Eight raced first and looked strong coming down the track into a brisk head-wind. They needed to finish in the top eight crews of nineteen, so the tension was significantly high as the crew waited for the roll call of successful crews. As it is called in alphabetical order, we would know earlier rather than later whether we made it. The crew erupted in true celebration as their name was read out and the master in charge of rowing at Eton, who was standing nearby, came across to shake Mr Murison’s hand. Two crews in and one to go.

The girls had done an amazing job qualifying for Henley Women’s Regatta the weekend before, and they felt they would be stronger over the longer course, so the odds looked good, however, it did not stop the nail-biting and anxious looks: only the top nine crews, from thirty seven, qualified, which meant there was a significant challenge. Waiting for the names to the called was suspenseful: GMS knew that crews announced ahead of them alphabetically would be a severe blow to their chances of success, as the majority of the talent came further down the start order.

When the announcer started the roll call, there was one name that resounded Great Marlow School: the cheers were so loud and so exuberant that the other named teams that qualified were not heard at all.

GMS has never had more than one crew racing in the regatta, and occasionally none, so three crews qualifying, in three different events, is a first of spectacular degree. No other school or club had this many crews in different junior events at this regatta.

Racing starts on Tuesday with the Girls’ Quad at 11:15; the Boys’ Quad at 4:30; and the Boys’ Eight at 6:30pm.

You can watch these on the live feed if you would like to follow GMS’s progress.

Saturday saw many rowers at Reading Town; a separate report about this is coming.

On Sunday 25th June, the J16 Four, Rafa Quinn, George Spencer, Ethan Hunt, Sam Terret and Luke Reynolds, went to Nottingham, to compete in the Trials for the Great Britain selection team to compete against France. The schedule had been revised due to adverse weather conditions, so an early start was required.

Old adversaries, Hampton, were there, along with crews from Eton and St Paul’s. The Boys’ J16 had a good row, but due to being out of the crew for a month they were perhaps not quite as smooth as at the National Schools event. They missed selection for the Eight by 1 second to Eton but beat both St Paul’s crews. A very respectable result of which they should be proud but not a GB vest yet.

GMSBC had a brilliant weekend… AGAIN.