Wednesday Reviews
Sydney R.C., AUS v K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop, NED
I knew previewing this race yesterday would be worth it. A tale as old as time, this was pure dominance from the Dutchies. Snappy starts caused De Hoop to snatch an early lead by the End of The Island. Not only that, once they had lengthened out to three quarters of a length by the Fawley, they equalled the record time to such marker. A few steering warnings for De Hoop could have given Sydney an opportunity to bounce back, but it was not to be for the boys from down under. While many agreed that this contest should have been saved for the weekend, we were privileged to see such a smooth and steadied performance from De Hoop today.
London R.C. ‘A’ v Münchener R.C., GER
As they did yesterday, London rowed sublimely. Despite an extremely early one-foot lead from Münchener, London closed the gap instantly, claiming a length by the Barrier and even a course record time of 2:55 by the Fawley. Not a lot appears to be standing in their way in their pursuit of the Thames Challenge Cup, which I’m sure bodes well for many a Fantasy Henley. Stu Heap’s boys will enter Friday’s quarter final raring to go again against Tyne.
Leander Club v Marlow R.C. ‘A’
Watching two of the stalwart clubs in our sport battle it out on the Wednesday of Henley Royal is a privilege for us spectators, but I imagine this draw was met with an air of disappointment for the competitors, no doubt expecting to meet each other later in the week. The young Leander crew took an early lead, stretching half a length by the End of the Island, but Marlow retained overlap. Nevertheless, no sooner than the Barrier, Leander broke clear, striding out to over a length’s lead, cementing what would be a convincing victory.
Molesey B.C. ‘A’ v Hereford R.C.
Friday Previews
K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop, NED v London R.C. ‘B’
No doubt hoping to conquer London’s ‘A’ boat over the weekend to claim the win outright, De Hoop will have to pass London’s ‘B’ boat, who will be primed and ready to ensure that the Thames Challenge Cup returns to Putney Embankment. London ‘B’ benefited from a slightly less stressful run down the track today, while De Hoop will be in full recovery and restoration mode from their weekend-worthy clash against Sydney. I can’t see London ‘B’ being able to stand in the way of De Hoop’s power, which earned them a record-setting time to the Fawley today, so I’ll once again back the Dutch.
Thames R.C. ‘A’ v Thames R.C. ‘B’
I can guarantee that Thames will win this. In all seriousness, it’s such an impressive feat when both an ‘A’ and ‘B’ outfit from the same club meet each other on the Friday of Henley. I bet these guys will be keen to test their speed, though I imagine it will feel a lot like a usual Thames training session. Suffice to say, with records equalled by Thames ‘A’ today, and their dominance over Thames ‘B’ throughout the season, it’s the top boat’s race to lose.
Leander Club v Molesey B.C. ‘A’
This will be a Friday treat. I think it’s been a fair while since we’ve seen so much quality in UK club eights, and these two will no doubt give us a battle to the bitter end. With Leander having spent less time together as a unit than Molesey, I wonder whether this will be the deciding factor in the outcome here. I’d abstain from placing any bets, but I’d say that Molesey will probably take it.
