As the shadow of Temple Island stretches across the water, Henley Women’s Regatta returns, welcoming top crews from across the UK and beyond to one of rowing’s most iconic courses. Among the most intriguing events this year is the Chairman’s Trophy for Aspirational Quads, a rare category in which club and university crews compete side-by-side. However, with 30 entries and only 16 places available in the first round, the time trial will be a crucial make-or-break moment. For many of these crews, this is their only chance this season to race the historic course, a fact sure to sharpen their focus and fuel fierce performances.
D.S.R. Proteus-Eretes (NLD)
The sole international crew in this year’s event, D.S.R. Proteus-Eretes, carries the weight of Dutch hopes in the Aspirational Quads. Based in Delft, this student rowing club boasts a deep pool of talent and a strong domestic reputation. Last year’s final saw an all-Dutch showdown, but with neither of those finalists returning, the responsibility falls to Proteus-Eretes to uphold the legacy of their countrymen on the Henley course. All eyes will be on them to see if they can continue the Netherlands’ strong showing in this event.
University of Nottingham Boat Club
Nottingham arrives with solid credentials, having placed fifth in the A-final of the BUCS intermediate quad earlier this year, making them, in theory, the highest-ranked university crew in the field. However, only half of that BUCS lineup will be returning, so it remains to be seen whether the new crew combination will elevate their speed or challenge cohesion. After suffering a first-round exit at Henley Women’s last year, they will be looking to put that result behind them and prove their progress on the water.
University of Bath Rowing Club
Bath will be aiming to build on last year’s second-round performance and push deeper into the draw. Interestingly, their Henley Women’s Regatta crew is not composed of the same athletes who raced in the intermediate category at BUCS, as is the norm with aspirational events. Instead, two members of this lineup competed in the BUCS championship quad that secured third in the A-final. That experience brings confidence and speed, which positions Bath as a serious threat in the intermediate field.
Cardiff University Rowing Club/ Swansea University Rowing Club
A Welsh coalition of strength, this crew features three athletes from Cardiff University and one from Swansea University, a collaboration set to deliver results. Earlier this season, a Cardiff crew with two of the present athletes placed fourth in the championship quad at the Metropolitan Regatta, ahead of the best placing BUCS finishers, Nottingham. The merger of these two university programmes will likely build on that pace rather than dilute it, and their synergy could prove crucial. Expect them to be strong contenders deep into the draw.
Glasgow University Boat Club/ University of Leeds Boat Club/ Nottingham Rowing Club/ Strathclyde Park Rowing Club Composite
While their name may be a bit of a mouthful, this crew is undoubtedly one of the most compelling entries in the event. Made up of four athletes from four different clubs, this composite epitomises the ethos of the Chairman’s Trophy, bringing together club and university rowers in pursuit of top-tier competition. Two of the athletes raced together in a different composite at the Metropolitan Regatta, where they finished third in the A-final, the highest placement of any crew in this field. Their result and the dedication required to make such a partnership work make them early favourites. If anything, I suspect this new combination will bring much more speed rather than take it away.
Prediction
To me, the Glasgow/Leeds/Nottingham/Strathclyde Park composite looks formidable. At Henley, where margins are tight and psychological edges matter, that blend of experience and pedigree could give them the upper hand they need to take it all the way. That said, the Cardiff/Swansea crew also looks primed to progress well through the rounds and may present the most substantial challenge to the favourites. As for D.S.R. Proteus-Eretes, it is hard to judge their form against the British field, but the strength of Dutch student rowing and the legacy of last year’s final suggest they will not be far off the top.
Ultimately, head-to-head racing at Henley is all subject to the luck of the draw, and in this event, everything could hinge on a strong performance in the time trial. Only one thing is sure: the Chairman’s Trophy for Aspirational Quads, as with any Henley event, promises dynamism, intrigue, and hard-fought, attritional racing from the first stroke to the final finish line.
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