The Stewards are pleased to announce an entry of 470 crews (494 in 2003) at this year’s Regatta. There are 100 overseas crews from 19 different nations. The British Olympic Team is present in force and will find some excellent competition against crews from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and South Africa.
The Grand Challenge Cup has five entries. The British Olympic eight, competing as Leander and Molesey, will have strong competition from the Netherlands, racing as Hollandia Roeiclub, who have also qualified for Athens. The National crew from the Czech Republic, together with the crews from Harvard University and Cambridge University, will be determined to upset the two Olympic crews and some fascinating racing is in prospect.
In The Stewards’ Challenge Cup, the new British coxless four, racing as Leander and Imperial College, will be up against the Australian crew, Melbourne and Queensland Universities, who are in Europe to compete at the World Championships in Spain. This crew have dropped their cox in order to have the chance to take on the British Four on their home ground. The third entry in this event is from Cambridge University.
The Queen Mother Challenge Cup will see a confrontation between the young British Olympic Quad, entered as Leander and Molesey, and the crew from the Ukraine who were last year’s losing finalists at Henley. The third crew in this event is the British Under 23 quad from Reading and University of London.
In The Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup the new British pair of Tony Garbett and Richard Dunn will face very strong opposition from the South African pair of Di Clementé and Cech, last year’s World Bronze Medallists.
In The Ladies’ Challenge Plate there are six entries. The strong overseas contingent includes crews from America, Harvard University and Boston University; from Switzerland, Grasshopper Club, and from Norway, Christiania. British hopes lie with the entry from Leander Club
The Remenham Challenge Cup, for open women’s eights, has received 15 entries and includes three crews from the United States and one each from Canada, Germany and Ireland. The strongest of the British entries is likely to be the composite, development crew, racing as Thames and University of London.
This year the Women’s Quadruple Sculls, The Princess Grace Challenge Cup, will see the British Olympic Quad, competing as Leander and University of London, competing against the powerful combination from the Ukraine who were fifth at last year’s World Championships.
In The Diamond Challenge Sculls Ian Lawson from Leander, recently qualified for the Olympics, will face very stiff opposition from Marcel Hacker, a previous winner of this event and the 2003 World Silver Medallist from Germany.
In The Princess Royal Challenge Cup the favourite must be the reigning World Champion, Rumyana Neykova, from Bulgaria. British hopes will lie with Alex Beever from Leander Club.
The entry in The Visitors’ Challenge Cup will provide some top class racing with a number of crews from last year’s Regatta returning to renew their intense rivalry on the water.
The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup has an entry of 40 boats, including six crews from the United States, the South African Champions, St Andrews, and Schiller-Schule from Frankfurt.
The division of the old Britannia Challenge Cup into two events has attracted exactly the same number of entries into both new events – 26 in The Britannia Challenge Cup for clubs and 26 in The Men’s Student Coxed Fours.
The Chairman of the Committee of Management, Mr. Mike Sweeney, said “I am very pleased that we have been able to attract a number of Olympic crews to this year’s Regatta and, in particular, that the British Olympic Team is so well represented. This is a wonderful opportunity for the British Rowing Public to see their Olympic competitors in action for the last time before they set off for Athens.”
Comments | Log in to comment |
There are no Comments yet
|