The Avril Vellacott Cup for championship coxless fours is another stacked event at Henley Women’s Regatta. With 19 entries and only 16 to qualify, it will be tough for some crews to make it through the time-trial. Leander have won this event two years in a row, but the event looks to be growing in competitiveness and a number of clubs will be eyeing top spot.
Leander
Leander have four crews entered into this event. Their second, third and fourth boats are made up of development athletes or athletes returning from the US and HWR will therefore be valuable race experience. Their top crew are certainly one of the favourites for this event. The current line-up of Philippa Emery, Abi Topp, Phoebe Snowden and Ella Bramwell are all race-hardened and experienced athletes. Emery, Topp and Snowden have all raced internationally as U23’s, whilst Bramwell is an Australian development athlete racing at Leander for the summer. All four have raced in various combinations this season, winning Wallingford Regatta, placing fourth at Ghent and winning the Metropolitan Regatta. Many of these events involved doubling up in the eight, so with fresh legs they can only improve this weekend. This four will not want to relinquish the winning streak Leander are on in this event and will aim to put down an impressive performance.
Molesey
Molesey’s crew stands out as one that could cause an upset. Megan Slabbert, Angharad Broughton, Lisa Goossens and Ella Cossill, all former or current international standard athletes in their own right, line up in this crew. Cossill is a surprise name to see on the HWR entries, but no doubt a boost for the event. She was until recently vying for the New Zealand Olympic team, having raced in the four at the world championships last summer. This looks to be her first race in the UK and she joins her former Washington teammate Angharad Broughton at Molesey. Broughton has just returned from her academics in the US and has experience in the four having placed fourth at the U23 world championships last summer. Slabbert and Goosens have raced in various Molesey crew boats this season and were part of the four that raced at Ghent, placing fifth. They will hope the strength of their new additions will propel them to higher placings.
Thames
Whilst their eights continue to win events at HWR year on year, Thames have not had the same success in smaller boats, a trend they will want to change. This season, their four has impressed, placing second at Wallingford and second and first on the Saturday and Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta respectively. Leander have been the only crew to beat them, each time by three seconds. They will hope, over the shorter Henley Women’s course, that they can close this gap.
Upper Thames
Upper Thames are a crew growing in confidence and building as the season progresses. Lucy Ryan, Fiona Gammond, Rachel Borrows and Megan Jackson form this crew, all experienced and successful rowers in their own right. Gammond was part of the British eight that raced the Tokyo Olympics and seeing her back racing and competing at Henley Women’s is another boost for the event. The crew look to be full of enjoyment and excitement, which makes for a dangerous boat. They placed third at Wallingford Regatta and second and third respectively at the Metropolitan Regatta. Challenging the likes of Leander and Thames would certainly be a statement and they will aim to take some scalps this weekend.
Southern Methodist University, USA
The only international crew to enter this event is Southern Methodist University (SMU). SMU finished 21st at the recent NCAA’s and this crew is a mixture of their second varsity eight and varsity four, both of whom placed in the NCAA D-finals. Whilst it is hard to know how the standard compares to the UK domestic scene, they cannot be written off.
Oxford Brookes
With Brookes top athletes racing in their top eight, this crew is nonetheless dangerous, such is the strength in depth of the programme. This line up raced at Holland Bekker, winning the event, and will no doubt be full of confidence. They have not raced domestically this season so will not know how they match up against other British crews. This could however play to their advantage and they certainly have the athletes and motivation to cause an upset.
Prediction
This event looks unpredictable and almost too close to call. Should Leander race to their potential they can surely make it three wins in a row, however the calibre of some athletes in the Molesey crew and the form of Brookes cannot be underestimated. Leander to just take victory over Molesey with Brookes and Upper Thames to make the semis.
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