Today marks exactly 4 weeks until the start date of the unfortunately cancelled Henley Royal Regatta 2020. To mark the regatta and the period leading up to it, which so many of us will dearly miss this year, we will be reflecting on some of our most memorable and successful crews.
We start with the first ever Bath University crew to compete at HRR, which was in the Britannia Challenge Cup in 1991.
"Following a silver medal at the UAU Rowing Championships (now BUCS) and a 3rd place in S1 coxed fours the at Marlow Regatta, the men's 1st four pre-qualified for Henley Regatta and the stewards had to get a new name board painted up!
Whilst we had managed to acquire some all-in-one lycra in the University sports colours of black and gold, we were rowing in a stern-loaded coxed four, "The Jolly Roger", which was 50% owned by Minerva and using carbon reinforced wooden oars!
In the penultimate race of the day on Wednesday 3rd July we took an early lead by the end of the island and led Cambridge '99 RC down the rapidly emptying Stewards' Enclosure to win by 1 1/2 lengths. On the Thursday morning we came against some GB U23s in the ULBC selected crew, and the race went the way the stewards had predicted!
The crew was:
Bow: Robert van Agtmaal
2: Al Ryder
3: Dave Simmonds
Stroke: Charlie Blackham
Cox: Adrian Cudmore"
- Charlie Blackham, Class of 1992
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