Among the record number of entrants for the 2016 regatta are Jack Beaumont and Nick Middleton, who will be racing in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup under the Leander Club banner.

They will be looking to continue the impressive form they have shown on the international stage this season, where they reached the final at the World Cups in Varese and Lucerne.

Beaumont, from Maidenhead, also won silver as a last-minute sub with the men’s quadruple scull in Lucerne and was victorious in the men’s single scull B final at the Poznan World Cup. He is bidding for a fifth successive Henley title this year.

“Being a local lad I have grown up around Henley Royal Regatta – I used to go and watch every year with my family,” he said.

“I love the traditions and the head-to-head racing. It’s also the only race where all of my friends and family can come and watch which makes it extra special.

“To win at Henley for a fifth successive year would be fantastic.”

Contesting the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup are Ollie Cook and Callum McBrierty, fresh from their World Cup victory in the men’s coxed pair with Henry Fieldman in Poznan. McBrierty also helped the GB men’s four claim a dramatic gold at the Lucerne World Cup after subbing in for the ill Constantine Louloudis.

The Queen Mother Challenge Cup for the men’s quadruple sculls features the Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University composite of Jamie Kirkwood, Jamie Copus, Charlie Waite-Roberts and Zak Lee-Green.

All four are experienced lightweight internationals, as are Imogen Walsh, Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig and Ellie Piggott who will race as Wallingford RC and London RC in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup. Each crew member won a silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Aiguebelette – Walsh in the lightweight single and the others with Ruth Walczak in the lightweight quad.

Also contesting the Princess Grace are the open-weight GB quartet of Jess Leyden, Melissa Wilson, Holly Nixon and Mathilda Hodgkins-Bryne.

“Henley time is so exciting, there’s a real buzz around the town and I love it,” said Leyden, who was part of the winning Princess Grace crew in 2015.

“I can’t wait to race there in front of the crowds. The women’s quad event looks really strong this year and I’ll do all I can to try and defend the title.”

Tina Stiller – who rowed alongside Leyden and Nixon in the GB women’s quad that narrowly missed out on Olympic qualification this summer – will race in the women’s single scull event, the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.

Beth Bryan, Becca Chin, Caragh McMurtry, Donna Etiebet, Jo Wratton, Holly Norton, Fiona Gammond and Katherine Douglas make up the Leander and Tees RC composite women’s eight that will contest the Remenham Challenge Cup. All have GB experience, either at senior or U23 level, and will be coxed by Erin Wysocki-Jones.

Henley will also offer potential World U23 and World Junior rowers another chance to impress the GB selectors ahead of this year’s Championships in Amsterdam.

And there will be more GB Rowing Team interest in the historic regatta on Thursday when the ParalympicsGB rowing squad for Rio 2016 is announced at Henley.

The post “Real buzz” as GB rowers head to Henley appeared first on British Rowing.

Four of the six A Finals were won by U23 rowers – Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Tom Barras in the open-weight single sculls, and Mary Wilson and Jonathan Jackson in the equivalent lightweight races.

Fiona Gammond and Katherine Douglas won the women’s pair, while fellow Leander Club rowers Cameron Buchan and Matt Rossiter led the way in the men’s pair.

There were a host of encouraging performances from Junior rowers too, much to the delight of GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner.

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne

Tom Barras

“We’ve had a first-rate set of trials – great conditions and a really good competitive atmosphere from our rowers,” he said.

“I am sure in the ones we have seen today that there is some good blood for the World U23s and Senior Championships this year, and also some athletes who have shown they can compete in the Tokyo cycle.”

Peter Sheppard, Chief Coach for U23s and Juniors, added: “There was very good racing and it was good to see people stepping up over the course of the two days.

Mary Wilson (top)

Jonathan Jackson out in front

“There were some good U23 performances and also from the rowers who have come from last year’s Junior team, they stepped up and made their mark.”

Selectors will now start putting together the crews for the World Senior and U23 Championships, which are taking place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in August. The FISU World Universities Championships are being staged in Poznan, Poland the following month.

Click the expander boxes below for full race reports and reaction, plus all of Tuesday’s results.

Fiona Gammond and Katherine Douglas

Cameron Buchan and Matt Rossiter (foreground)

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