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Monday, 19 January 2009 22:54 |
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Rafters Dragon Boat Club completing the final turn on the approach to the finish line.
Photo courtesy of Graeme Lowe.
A huge thank you to all the crews who participated in the second Henley Winter Series race of 2008/9 yesterday. Only 24 hours prior to the race we were disappointed to see the river go onto yellow boards and following the strong winds and rain of Saturday evening, we really feared the worst. The thought of having to postpone the race for a third time was unbearable.
Conditions on Sunday morning were better than expected after the blustery night before, with some blue skies and sunshine visible, but it wasn't until the eleventh hour (well, the tenth actually) before we received the latest river navigation report and the go ahead for the race to take place.
After the final go-ahead was given for the race to proceed, 229 paddlers representing 11 crews from across the UK loaded their boats and headed to the start line - quickly !
Crews start the race in 30 second intervals, aiming to complete a 7.5km circuit of the River Thames between Marsh and Hambleden Locks in the quickest time possible. The starting sequence is based on a handicap system ensuring that the slower crews start the race first, with the faster crews starting last.
A welcome addition to this particular event were Amathus who made the journey down from Liverpool with not one, but two crews ! As winners of the 2008 BDA League, they were sure to be strong contenders at this event. Having not paddled at a Henley Winter Series event before, no one knew whether their powerful and slick racing style could be replicated over the longer distance.
As in previous events, the later half of the race (between Temple Island and Marsh Lock) is where the real excitement begins, as each crew aims to overtake the crew in front of them, without being overtaken by the crew behind. Between Temple Island and Upper Thames Rowing Club (UTRC), Amamthus powered up the Thames (in the strongest flow!) overtaking a number of crews, proving they certainly can replicate their slick and powerful racing style over longer distances. Good performances were also seen on this stretch from Kingston, BA and Rafters to name just a few.
A member of the BA crew proudly displaying The Handicap Trophy.
Photo courtesy of Graeme Lowe.
Congratulations to BA who were awarded the Handicap Trophy for this second event. The Handicap Trophy is awarded to the crew which makes the biggest improvement on time their from the previous event. Well done BA, well deserved !
Race II winners, Rafters Dragon Boat Club with their medal.
Photo courtesy of Graeme Lowe.
Congratulations are also extended to Rafters Dragon Boat Club who are the winners of this second event for completing the 7.5km circuit in the fastest time.
The final finishing times for each crew were as follows:
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Position
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Crew
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Time
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1
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Rafters Dragon Boat Club |
30:45 |
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2
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Amathus |
30:57 |
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3
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Kingston Royals |
31:47 |
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4
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BA Hurricanes |
31:54 |
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5
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Bristol Empire Dragons |
32:21 |
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6
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Batchworth/Typhoon |
32:26 |
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7
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Henley Dragons |
33:17 |
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8
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Secklow 100 |
34:15 |
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9
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Wraysbury Dragons |
34:41 |
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10
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Amathus Bees |
36:33 |
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11
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Raging Taniwhas |
38:05 |
Thank you once again to all the crews who supported this event and who continue to support the Henley Winter Series. We hoped you enjoyed the second race of the winter season and we look forward to welcoming you back on Sunday 22nd February for the next event.
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