This event also often marks the first experience of 1 v 1 racing on the Henley stretch for many of these women. As an aspirational event at Henley Women’s Regatta, there are criteria outlining what these athletes cannot have participated in or won in order to compete for the Bernard and Pauline Churcher Cup. However, I believe this element of unknown often creates the best racing. With just over thirty crews entered this year, roughly 50% will qualify, so let’s have a look at our biggest contenders.
City of Oxford Rowing Club
Caitlin Armstrong, the ‘A’ single entered by City of Oxford Rowing Club, joins this year’s event as both the club captain and a single sculler with significant experience. Caitlin qualified last year, placing eighth in the time trial, and recently came third in the A-Final of the women’s singles on Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta. The strength of this recent performance suggests she will safely qualify again, perhaps this time aiming for a top five finish in the time trial to give her some confidence going into the side-by-side racing. City of Oxford’s ‘B’ single (H. Haysom) also returns to this event. She is likely to approach this year with an even fiercer determination, having qualified last year in the time trial but losing in the first round to the eventual winner, Imperial College Boat Club. With past experiences fuelling their drive, both women will be aiming for better outcomes this time around.
Martlet Boat Club
The active Martlet Boat Club currently consists of a small group of recent graduates from University College Oxford and consequently brings back Pippa Biggs to race at this event once more. Despite qualifying last year, she did not advance past the first round and is similarly expected to fight hard to improve her standing. This desired improvement does in fact look achievable, since Pippa recently reached the A-Final of women’s singles at Metropolitan Regatta alongside Caitlin Armstrong.
Mortlake Anglian & Alpha Boat Club (MAA)
MAA have entered two singles this year. Jade Gowan in the ‘A’ single is returning to this event after narrowly missing out on qualifying last year and will be eager to make the cut. Jen Bailey, in the ‘B’ single, recently won gold in the women’s singles at Poplar Regatta and placed second in the B-Final of the women’s championship singles at Metropolitan Regatta. Her combination of recent triumphs and experience in her single therefore suggest a very strong performance coming into Henley Women’s Regatta. It is also important to consider that if these women are truly ranked ‘A’ and ‘B’, based off Jen’s results, we can expect to see Jade produce some serious speed down the Henley course.
Upper Thames RC
Naomi Holland brings a wealth of experience in sculling, having won pairs head as a lightweight in 2022 and representing Upper Thames in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in the same year. Despite not qualifying in that event in 2022, Naomi recently demonstrated showed prowess at Metropolitan Regatta, placing fifth in the C-Final of women’s championship singles, then third in the B-Final of women’s singles on the Sunday. These statistics demonstrate her readiness for this year’s side-by-side Henley racing.
Molesey Boat Club
Molesey also provides two entries this year, Gisele Coulter in the ‘A’ single and Imogen Parker-Elms in the ‘B’. Gisele has rowed for Ireland on the international circuit and was offered a scholarship to row at UCLA, so it will be interesting to see if she demonstrates what she has learnt from these valuable experiences and translates this into Henley Women’s Regatta success. Imogen previously rowed in her single for Radnor House School at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2021 and narrowly missed out on the semi-finals, so will be aiming to capitalise on these past experiences to bolster her position this year.
Bewl Bridge Rowing Club
As an athlete who has returned from rowing after taking an extended break, Mika Rosenfeld did not qualify last year but boasts an impressive resume regardless. Alongside her teammate, she won the British Rowing Club Crew of the Year Award in 2022, with multiple gold medals at the British National Masters Championships, World Rowing Masters Regatta, and Henley Masters Regatta. Having reached the quarter finals at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2022, she will be aiming to go even further this year, and with the likely development of speed from 2022, I have no doubt that this is possible.
Walbrook Rowing Club
Walbrook’s entry (R. Myburgh) is another woman likely to make an impact, after qualifying last year and placing 12th in the time trial, but not advancing past the first round. After recently coming sixth in the D-Final of the women’s championship singles and winning the C-Final of women’s singles at Metropolitan Regatta, she looks to be prepping for a competitive week at Henley Women’s Regatta. However, will she have done enough to match up to the other competitors who she raced at Metropolitan Regatta only a few weeks previously?
Predictions
Looking at recent results, I believe Caitlin Armstrong from Oxford City Boat Club poses the biggest threat, and I believe she will make the final this year. I think it is also likely that Pippa Biggs from Martlet will challenge Caitlin again after being in the same A-Final at Metropolitan Regatta, and the girls may face each other again in the Henley Women’s Regatta semi-finals. However, I am also keeping an eye on Jen Bailey from Mortlake and Naomi Holland from Upper Thames who look like they could significantly impact the competition, perhaps also making their way to the semi-finals. Nonetheless, the volume of entries and range of experience in this event makes the racing hugely unpredictable. It will also be exciting to see which women this year would be fast enough to enter the Princess Royal Challenge Cup for open women’s single sculls at Henley Royal Regatta.
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