Pretty much all the action was in Henley, of course, this past week, but before we go (back) there, we also saw:

The US Put an 8 or 2 Together in Italy

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The project to bring together the small boats which raced in Poznan produced three Henley big boats: a Men's Quad which made the finals, and Women's and Men's Eights that only lost, in semis, to the GB Squad boat that would go on to win Sunday: the US Women by just 2/3 of a length and the US Men's Eight seen above by just 3/4 of a length--both considerably closer than the crews the GB Eights walloped in the finals.

And Folks Earned Watches

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Hands down (or wrist up?) the best regatta prize going: The IDR Watch.

But who are we kidding: It was Henley, and...

It all Started with Dogs

Sarah Winckless brought her dog to work in the Press Office, to the delight of the photogs.

Less delighted? The Security Inspectors, when their bomb-sniffing dog got distracted by the ball Sarah's pup left behind.

And Playing with Puddles

Yes, puddles are fun, when you're "only small"...

...and they were everywhere--thanks a lot, English "summer."

And the Double Nation Double

At Henley, we saw the combined Ukranian/Polish double of Olena Buriak & Agnieszka Kobus-Zawojska, who raced to promote continued awareness of the war on Ukraine and World Rowing's fundraising campaign to support the Ukranian team.

The other 2-Nations-in-1-boat duo was, of course the pair that dubbed themselves "AUSA"--the US's Megan Musnicki and Oz's Jess Morrison, who won the Hambleden Pairs for California Rowing Club.

Plus a Princess who was really an Apprentice

Flying Boatman with The Apprentice.
"One day all this can be yours" pic.twitter.com/nf35eVhrKW

— TheFlyingBoatman (@flying_boatman) July 3, 2022

Then It All Ended With Shenanigans

There are so many St Paul’s supporters on their pontoon that it has started to sag and officials had to tell them to get off immediately out of concern for the pontoon’s integrity. pic.twitter.com/TYY3OiukYR

— The Rowing Voice (@RowingVoice) July 3, 2022

Despite Strong No-Shenanigans Faces

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Bears Can Swim

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Mullets are Internationally, um, Cool

This Aussie Schoolboy crew went 3 for 4 on the mullet look with they quad:

Gippsland Grammar School, Australia

Trophies Can Be Hats

This is definitely a thing at Henley:

As long as the trophy has a lid, natch.

And Ollie Can Smile

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The 'Recruiters are In'

It sure looked like the US coaches on the recruiting trail in Henley just opened up an office at lunch one day:

All that was missing was a sign--The 'Recruiter Is In' perhaps--and any athlete who stopped by and could easily lift the surprisingly heavy Regatta Cafe chairs? Probably a shoe-in.

It was either that or perhaps a game show was about to breakout, complete with celebrity guests on the panel: US Olympians Matt Smith and Adrienne Martelli. Who would be your pick? Team Orange or Team Blue?

Some Exciting Racing

Time for one of my pointless facts post #HRR22
The finals at this year’s regatta saw 35% of races with the loser leading at the Barrier, that’s the most of any finals day this century.

— Daniel Spring (@fatsculler) July 3, 2022

And Bad Steering

that was some of the worst steering I've seen from a national squad M8 at Henley #HRR22

— Daniel Spring (@fatsculler) July 2, 2022

This coxswain was having trouble all week: even in practice, coaches along the bank were shaking their heads and there was some speculation that perhaps some new-gangled innovation, like perhaps a rudder up in the bow section, was to blame.

But, no: simply some first-time-with booms jitters and, as bad as it was, it was still not the craziest thing a coxswain on the Chinese team did. Nope, that was the women's crews coxie, who started calling her final ten after the finish line beep--and while it was exciting to see the CHN 8 up close at full speed as they buzzed the press box, the crew came just inches away from spearing a pleasure craft. Yikes:

...and you did not need to speak Chinese to understand what the bow seat started yelling at that point, in the universal language all bow seats use to lean out of the boat to yell at a coxswain.

Photobomb of the Week

Had a few contenders in this category this week--almost inevitable when one photog stand is in direct line of sight of other prime photo positions--but this is our winner:

This guy worked the gate all week, was dying to get in a photo (apparently), and we even thought we got this pic without him at the time...but there he was--and here he is--and is now row2k-Recap-famous.

The row2k Top Results of the Week

• Kara Kohler became just the 3rd American woman to win the Princess Royal Cup in the single--joining Cindy Bishop (2004) and Michelle Guerette (2007)--and just the 4th American to make the final. Gevvie Stone raced the final 3 times while she was the US Olympic single sculler, but lost to Emma Twigg (NZL) once and to Miroslava Knapkova (CZE) twice.
• Washington's Men came away with a win and a course record in the Visitors Four, the program's 10th Henley title overall. The new time was one only 2 records set on Sunday--the other came in the Wargrave for Women's Club Eights, in Thames RC's upset of defending champs, Leander.
• Winter Park: as the first scholastic women's team to race at Henley, Park achieved a number of firsts, but they were good ones. They will forever be the first US Junior Women's Eight to set a course record and to make the final. In fact, only one US Junior Women's crew had ever made finals day before--Y Quad Cities won the quad in 2018--but this year Winter Park and Redwood Scullers both went to the Final round.
• And one final first: Megan Musnicki was the first US woman to win the Hambleden Pairs event, and her pair partner, Australian Jess Morrison became the first Aussie even to make the final.
• Meanwhile in Philly: lots of home-cooking at the Independence Day Regatta, as Hawk Rowing Club (aka St. Joes Prep) won the YM8+, Penn AC the WY8+ (in a photo finish over Cambridge BC) and Vesper won the Women's Intermediate 8; TBC Racing, from Washington DC, broke up the sweep streak by winning the Men's Intermediate 8, ahead of Vesper.

Check out these items you may have missed:

• The Most Viewed Photo of the Week
• row2k's Henley Royal Regatta galleries and reports.
• the 6/25 edition of row2k’s Best of Instagram: Title IX, is it Henley yet, Boys in the Boat, and more.
• and the most read news link this past week? Sadly, the news out of FIT: Florida Tech Cuts Men's and Women's Rowing, Three Other Sports