Reading Rowing Club’s Nick Brown, Ryan Seager, Richard Laney, James Shorland and Stephanie Franklin (cox) recorded a superb win in the Junior Men’s 16 Coxed Four event at the School’s Head of the River Race held on the Tideway.
Nearly 300 crews travelled from across the country to compete in this prestigious annual competition which is held over the 6,800 meter Boat Race Course but raced downstream starting at Chiswick Bridge and finishing at Westminster School Boat House, Putney.
The event is held on an outgoing tide where a good knowledge of the River provides a real advantage as coxes aim to keep their crews in the stream and avoid the slack water. A freshening north-easterly wind made for changeable conditions along the course with a headwind from Barnes Railway Bridge to the apex of the Hammersmith bend changing to a tail wind for the final 2,800 meters past the Fulham football stadium and down to the finish on the Putney embankment.
With the racing taking a time trial format Reading attacked the start with Franklin on the stream for the run down to Barnes Bridge. Reading quickly caught and passed Hampton before steadily closing down St Paul’s on the start of the long Hammersmith bend. Franklin steered her crew between St Paul’s and George Watson’s and set about overtaking other crews on the approach to Hammersmith Bridge. Shooting Hammersmith Bridge Reading maintained their technique and rhythm as the wind swung to a tail with Brown setting a punishing rate on the final leg. Building at Barn Elm’s for the finish Reading further increased their strike rate at the notorious Black Buoy to complete the course.
The Reading crew took the title and medals in a time of 20.32 with York based St Peter’s 7 seconds behind and Oxford’s St Edward’s in third place.
