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| Ghent 2001 | ||||||||||||||
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Ghent International Junior Championships and Training Camp Seven Henley Boys joined up with boys and girls from Marlow RC, George Watsons School Edinburgh and Harrow School for a training camp in Belgium hosted by Gentse Rowing Club in Ghent. The team of 54 rowers and 7 coaches had an excellent camp and finished by competing in the Belgian International Junior Championships. The Henley boys – Ryan Davies, David Read, Simon Thompson, Ollie Cruickshank, Jonny Smith-Willis, Michael Bennett and Rob Friend managed to achieve two silvers and two bronzes but no golds in this first regatta of the 2001 season. Ryan Davies doubled with the Marlow sculler Dan Tipney in the J16 double sculls and in a hard race in which they were ˝ length down with 500 metres to go were unable to challenge the 1st place crew from a local club but beat 7 other Belgian, 1 Spanish and 5 other British crews in the attempt. These two scullers then raced each other in the J16 singles with Ryan having to settle for 3rd behind Dan Tipney and a Spanish sculler. In the J18 double sculls Simon Thompson and Ollie Cruickshank raced hard to take 11th place out of 18 starters behind national squad crews from Spain, GB, and Cyprus. Two Henley based crews raced in the J18 quad sculls. The first crew of Rob Friend, Dave Read, Ryan Davies and Adam Moffatt took 3rd place behind a Spanish squad crew and a Marlow / Reading / George Watsons / St Edwards School composite crew with the second crew of Ollie Cruickshank, Simon Thompson, Michael Bennett and John Simpson finishing 5th. The final race of the Saturday was in the eights. A crew of 8 scullers which included Ryan Davies, David Read , Rob Friend and Jonny Smith-Willis with Ollie Cruickshank coxing, borrowed a boat from the local club. With no practice as a crew they were up against some of the top British School crews. In their heat they raced level with Eton College for the first 1750 metres before fading to finish 4th in the event and beating Westminster School and Kingston Grammar School in the process. For the second day of the Regatta different combinations were raced. Ryan Davies joined with three other J16 scullers to take 2nd in the J16 quad sculls behind a Spanish crew. Rob Friend joined Jonny Smith-Willis in the J18 double sculls and in a strong tail wind finished 5th from 23 starters. Their time was 3 secs off the bronze medal position and they were the fastest British crew finishing behind two Belgian, one Spanish and one French double. The second Henley J18 quad from Saturday was strengthened with the addition of David Read to again take 5th place. The final race of the Sunday for the Henley squad was the J18 coxless pair combination of Rob Friend and Jonny Smith-Willis racing in a field of Belgian, French, Moldovan, Belgian, German and Spanish crews as well as British. Their final position of 11th doesn’t really do them justice with their finishing time only 5 secs off the bronze medal. This was a highly successful training camp and the generosity and helpfulness of the host club – Gentse Rowing Club – is much appreciated. |
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| Check out these pictures (more to come!) Junior 8+ leading Eton at 1000m Junoir Quad of Ryan, David, Rob and Adam Moffat Junior Quad of Micheal, Ollie, Simon and John Simpson Junior Double (Rob and Johnny) Bananaman in the junior singles Team Photo Rob and Johnny's junior pair The junior eicht after their race Simon and Ollie's junior double (NEW) |
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