Henry Bailhache-Webb, Oxford Brookes University
Is Henry now the most revered coach in the country? It’s hard to make a case against him. His transformation of Oxford Brookes from welterweight contenders to the undisputed heavyweight champions of the world – barring perhaps a few of the fastest American collegiate boats – has been nothing short of astonishing. His finest achievement to date probably arrived at Henley Royal Regatta this year, when Brookes crews secured seven trophies from seven finals, including a clean sweep of all the student events and both intermediate sweep categories. The question that everyone else seems unable to find an answer to is how to overthrow Henry’s kingdom.
Jonny Singfield, St Edward’s School
This was a sweet result for a club and a coach who have long strived to re-write their names into the history books. After the heartbreak of two consecutive Princess Elizabeth Sunday losses, Jonny Singfield and Teddies finally flipped the script to emerge victorious on the grandest stage of all. Perhaps most impressive was their sustained pace from winning by clear water at the National Schools’ Regatta to triumphing on the straights of Henley. After Shiplake demolished the field at the Schools’ Head of the River, it looked no-one would be able to find the will to turn them over. Jonny deserves immense credit for the way he engineered their season-ending double.
Greg Flower, Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club
Hard to look past a coach who has accelerated Wycliffe’s ascension to the top of the junior rowing pile at a rate basically unseen in domestic racing. Up until Henley Women’s Regatta, Wycliffe’s top junior girls quad looked unbeatable. They had titles from the Schools’ Head of the River (in the eight) and the National Schools’ Regatta already in their pockets and arrived into the Henley series with the bit between their teeth. They had finalists in every single junior sculling category at Henley Women’s Regatta and managed to get two quads through to the quarter-finals of racing in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup. Add this to the fact that Wycliffe had seven girls competing at international level this summer and you begin to see why Greg is an obvious nomination.
Katie Greves, Wallingford Rowing Club
Katie Greves needs no introduction as an athlete in her own right. She is an Olympic silver medalist and former European Champion. As a coach though, she’s started making waves at Wallingford Rowing Club, the club she’s been a long-standing member of. Her junior 16 cohort had a fantastic season; they were silver medalists in the eight at the Schools’ Head of the River before emerging as victors at the National Schools’ Regatta in the eight. Fast forward three weeks and they’d jumped into the coxed four to win the West End ARA Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta. They also collected a gold in the same category at the British Rowing Junior Championships.
Helen Taylor, Molesey Boat Club
Helen’s exploits at Molesey are the stuff of legend. She was the architect of the crew that reached the final of the Britannia Challenge Cup in 2018 with majority juniors on-board. After a trickier spell at the helm of Hampton, she re-joined Molesey this season and has catapulted their juniors straight back to the summit. She left the National Schools’ Regatta with two gold medals – Championship Girls Doubles and Championship Boys Coxless Fours – and a bronze in Junior 16 Girls Quads. Having only restarted at Molesey in September, she’s had a profound impact on her charges.
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