Friday was the busiest day of racing for Australian crews by far, with twelve crews taking to the water amidst the most challenging conditions of the regatta. Notably, the campaigns of several of our senior team crews stepped up a notch, with the small boats providing some of the most nail-biting racing of the day.
Race 4: The Double Sculls Challenge Cup – Oscar McGuinness & Mitch Reinhard, AUS vs J.O. Gare & T.M. Schroder
Once again, we were treated to an Australian crew in the first handful of races this morning. This time, the South Australian combination of Oscar McGuinness and Mitch Reinhard representing their National team. Lining up against a Leander double who they had seen off at both World Cups this year, but not by an extravagant margin. Despite anticipating a close race, the Aussies dispatched with Gare and Schroder convincingly, with a chance to step through the middle of the race to secure a two-length margin at the line.
Race 24: The Prince Phillip Challenge Trophy – Kinross Wolaroi School, AUS vs Latymer Upper School
After a day off yesterday, the girls from the central-west faced up against the school that knocked them out in their last trip to the regatta, Latymer Upper. After their boys’ crew’s defeat in the Fawley yesterday, Kinross knew they had to produce something special to overcome the crew that placed fourth at the National Schools’ Regatta. Kinross seized the ascendancy early, slowly eeking out the margin over the middle 1000m of the race. Latymer hung on well, not letting Kinross break clear water for most of the race. At the Enclosures, though, Kinross turned on the sprint that saw them hold on to the NSW Head of the River Race title in March, sealing them a spot in tomorrow’s semifinals.
Race 25: The Princess Royal Challenge Cup Challenge Cup Challenge Cup – S.N. Kennedy, CAN vs Laura Gourley, AUS
This was the singles race of the regatta so far. Australia’s national sculler, Laura Gourley, faced Shannon Kennedy from Canada after a bye on Thursday. The start did not go to plan for the UTS sculler, and at the Fawley marker, Kennedy led Gourley by a margin of three lengths. What came next was phenomenal, as Laura charged her way back into contention. Re-watching on the broadcast is a must if you missed this one. Gourley was in contact as they came past the Enclosures, where Kennedy put in a couple of efforts to try to absorb the move. A few gears later, the Aussie cracked the Canadian just 100m before the line, taking the win by a margin of two lengths.
Race 28: The Town Challenge Cup – Rowing Australia, AUS vs University of London
As the enclosures became increasingly busy just before midday, the wind picked up from the south for the first time this week. As it picked up, the Australian women’s four were on the start line preparing for their tussle with the University of London. At first glance, this was likely expected to be a fairly easy affair; however, digging deeper revealed that UL had a number of British and Irish internationals on board and would make a formidable opponent. In a race that was frequently punctuated by minor steering corrections requested by the umpire as a result of the blustery winds, the Aussies raced hard after UL got the better of them by a slender margin out of the blocks. That margin never grew beyond half a length through the majority of the race, but the roars of the home crowd proved decisive, as the UL crew stepped on in front of the Enclosures to take the win by one length.
Race 31: The Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup – V. Meijssen & T. Ruiken, NED vs Mitch Salisbury & Nick Smith, AUS
A new combination, the Australian pair of Mitch Salisbury and Nick Smith lined up on the course for the first time today after a bye in yesterday’s racing. The Dutch combination they faced had a proper race in their legs to overcome the selected South African combination on Thursday afternoon. The opening exchanges went the way of the Dutch pair, who led by half a length at the End of the Island. Once Salisbury and Smith found their rhythm, though, it was all about the Aussies. The green and gold carried their momentum all the way through the second half of the course with great length and composure; however, if you can catch the replay, you can see Salisbury making some aggressive calls through the third quarter of the race. This aggression was key in the end, sealing the victory and a semifinals berth by one length.
Race 33: The Hambledon Challenge Cup – J. Kirstein & L. Osterkamp, GER vs Bronwyn Cox & Georgia Patten, AUS
Taking a year off from the National Training Centre following their Paris campaign in the Eight, Bronwyn Cox and Georgia Patten could emerge as a dark horse in the Women’s Pairs at Henley. Racing a German combination with international experience. The West Australians made the most of the start, settling into a comfortable rhythm that was never challenged in their journey to a two and a half length victory. Interestingly, their time to the barrier was only a second off the quickest of the day, despite being set in conditions that were significantly slower than those earlier in the morning.
Race 44: The Wargrave Challenge Cup – Mercantile R.C. AUS vs Thames R.C. ‘A’
The afternoon session had Aussies hurtling towards us in the press box thick and fast, with four races in the space of the first hour following the lunch break. The first of which was always going to be a big ask for Mercantile, as the Victorians faced up against what is potentially the strongest women’s rowing program at any level anywhere on the planet, Thames Rowing Club. Having won this event three times on the trot, Thames were not looking for a fight, and showed a clean pair of heels to Mercs early in the race, breaking clear water before the Barrier. In the end, Thames bested Mercs by three lengths, and in the process were only 9s off the record set in rapid conditions on Wednesday, despite the gusty headwind this afternoon. A consolation to Aussie fans is that Nikki Martincic of UTS features in the engine room of this boat, and looks to be a good chance at securing a red box on Sunday.
Race 45: The Stonor Challenge Trophy – F.B. Keto & V.A. Obukohwo vs Grace Sypher, AUS & Emma Twigg, NZL
The Antipodean combination of U23 World Champion Grace Sypher and Olympic Gold and Silver medallist Emma Twigg faced off against the experienced British combo of Keto and Obukohwo. Both of those pairings have reached the finals of this event before, and that experience paid dividends in the end. Sypher and Twigg went with the Brits early, keeping in touch for the first half of the race, but ultimately the locals had enough gears to pull away and enjoy their journey to a three and a half length victory.
Race 49: The Silver Goblet & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup – Rohan Lavery & Paddy Holt, AUS vs M.R.A. Chute & T.H.M. Bell, USA
Another pair of Australian international medallists taking a year out, Paddy Holt and Rohan Lavery, had a bye yesterday and would have enjoyed watching the Princeton combination of British athletes Chute and Bell race hard to overcome a skilled German pairing. The Aussies got out to a length lead early on, which in faster conditions may have proved a greater advantage, but they were no match for the mid-race clinic put on by Chute and Bell, who moved out to a two and a half length lead in front of the Stewards Enclosures. A late mini-crab from the Princeton boat had me shooting out of my seat in the press box, but it wasn’t enough for the UTS/MUBC pair to take advantage of in the closing stages.
Race 53: The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup – Marlow R.C. ‘A’ vs Mercantile R.C. AUS
Looking to book their spot as the second Australian school to race in the semifinals at Henley Royal Regatta 2025, the girls from Mercantile lined up against the crew that eliminated them at Henley Women’s Regatta, Marlow Rowing Club in The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup this afternoon. On paper, this looked like a reasonably close matchup, as both crews set very similar times in yesterday’s races. On the water, Mercantile was able to stay in touch through to the Barrier, despite a little steering wobble on the tricky Bucks station in the shadow of the island. Through the middle of the race as headwind conditions worsened, the characteristic body swing of Marlow shone through, and they powered away to record a margin of three and three-quarters lengths.
Race 63: The Queen Mother Challenge Cup – Reading University vs Rowing Australia, AUS
The new-look Australian quad made their first Henley appearance in the glow of the afternoon sun. Facing British sculling powerhouses Reading University, the Aussies took advantage of the slightly calmer evening conditions to take a commanding lead early in the race and record Australia’s first ‘easily’ win of the regatta.
Saturday Previews
Semifinals day is slightly quieter in terms of the number of races for Australian fans, but it certainly won’t be quiet in terms of the intensity of those match-ups.
Headlining the day not only in terms of Aussie hopes, but in terms of general interest of the regatta, are the first races of the two senior eights, The Grand Challenge Cup and Remenham Challenge Cups. In an exciting turn of events at last Saturday’s draw, Australia and Great Britain have drawn each other in both events. In The Grand Challenge Cup, Australia has moved their undefeated-in-2025 coxless four into the eight, and has nothing to lose against the UK’s undefeated-in-2025 crew. In the women’s eight, Australia will battle with the British crew they defeated at Lucerne when GB were separated into fours, but have been imperious in eights rowing at previous meetings. Again, the Aussies have nothing to lose in this matchup.
Sydney will look to book their first finals appearance since 2019 in The Wyfold Challenge Cup, facing off against Thames ‘B’ in what is sure to be a thriller. A win here would likely seal them the opportunity to face Thames ‘A’ in the final. On the school front, Kinross are looking to seal their first finals appearance ever as they face National Champions Shiplake.
