Women’s Head of the River Race

Sudbury Rowing Club had two ladies eights competing at the Women’s Head of the River Race on the Thames.

The course is four and a quarter miles long, starting at Mortlake and finishing at Putney, the same stretch of the Thames as the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race. The Thames was unusually calm on the day of the race and both crews enjoyed the balmy Spring sunshine. In total, 320 crews competed from all over the country and also travelling from Europe.

The Sudbury B crew of Maria Vigneau, Nicola Porter-Vaughan, Mary-Jane Budd, Daisy Anderson, Angela Colclough, Rebecca Houghton, Tricia McGrillen, Asha Thobhani and Keith Paxman (Cox), rowed well in the perfect conditions, their cox encouraging them all the way and steering a very good course. They looked very neat, balancing the boat well and they finished in a time of 24 minutes and six seconds, 294th place overall.

The Sudbury A crew of Sophie Lovegrove, Catherine Smith, Katie Newbigging, Jen Titterington, Hannah Lodge, Susie Moule, Amelia Moule, Amy Bowles and SJ Gibbons (Cox) also made the most of the good conditions. They had a fast start, quickly gaining on the crew in front of them. Both crews wanted the best course and the fastest stream and some interesting steering made it very exciting for the spectators on Barnes bridge, but the Sudbury crew went for a push and overtook the London crew. After overtaking a second crew, the A crew went on to finish in 122nd place overall, in a time of 21 minutes and 1 second.

The Schools Head of the River Race will be held next week, followed by the Men’s Head of the River Race and the Masters Head of the River Race the following weekend.