Shiplake College Boat Club once again demonstrated its strength on the biggest stage in rowing worldwide, enjoying another impressive Henley Royal Regatta campaign. With three crews competing in the main draw – two of which had secured pre-qualification – the College recorded a second consecutive Prince Philip Challenge Trophy final for the Girls’ Eight and a quarter-final appearance for the Boys’ Eight in the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup.
The performances across the week reflected the continued growth, depth, and consistency of the Boat Club, with crews racing with courage and determination against some of the finest school and club programmes from the UK and overseas.
Prince Philip Challenge Trophy
Our Girls’ 1st VIII, consisting of Tilly Foreman, Alice Knight, Annunciata Ings, Aaliyah Hall, Ottilie Campbell-Reide, Ava Lowe, Alice Dargue, I Thurnham, and Charlie Watkins (cox), produced another outstanding Henley campaign to reach the final of the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy for the second year running.
Having pre-qualified for the event, the girls began their regatta with a strong victory over St Paul’s Girls’ School, winning by a length. They followed this with another composed performance against St Edward’s School in the quarter-final, crossing the line 1¼ lengths clear.
The semi-final against Chicago Rowing Foundation of the USA saw the crew deliver one of their strongest rows of the week. Racing with confidence and composure, the girls established control of the contest early and continued to press their advantage throughout the course, eventually winning by 1½ lengths to secure their place in Sunday's final.
Awaiting them in the final was Headington School, one of the strongest junior women’s crews in the country. Our Girls’ Eight produced another outstanding performance, racing with courage and composure from start to finish. Although the result ultimately went Headington’s way, reaching a Henley Royal Regatta Sunday final for the second consecutive year represents a remarkable achievement and is a testament to the dedication, resilience and hard work shown by this crew throughout the season.
The entire Shiplake community is immensely proud of what these athletes have accomplished, not only during the regatta itself but across an excellent season of racing.
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Shiplake’s Boys’ 1st VIII headed into Henley as one of the pre-qualified crews for the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, the premier event for schoolboy eights.
The crew of Luke Johnston, Zac Young, Arne Nickel, Bela Rücker, Otto Berg De Kerangal, Barneby Doyle, Rupert Evans, Luca Hunt-Davis, and Mercy Milton (cox) made an excellent start to their campaign with victory over The King’s School, Chester on the opening day, winning by 2¾ lengths.
They returned the following day to face Westminster School and once again produced an assured display, moving through to the quarter-finals with a 1½-length victory.
In the quarter-final they came up against a strong St Edward’s School crew in one of the most closely contested races of the regatta. Despite a determined effort from start to finish, Shiplake narrowly missed out by a canvas. While their campaign came to an end at this stage, the crew can be extremely proud of their achievements in reaching the last eight of one of Henley’s most competitive events.
Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup
Shiplake’s Girls’ Quad of E Butler, L Fiddy, Isabelle Fawcett and Felicity Hudson represented the College in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup. Drawn against a highly competitive Headington School crew in the opening round, the girls faced a difficult challenge on the first day of racing. Although their regatta ended at this stage, qualifying for and competing at Henley Royal Regatta remains a significant achievement and reflects the hard work and commitment they have shown throughout the season.
Reflecting on the week, Director of Rowing Mr Dave Currie praised the efforts of all three crews and highlighted the importance of consistency within the programme:
"Consistency has been key for us. To reach a Henley final for the second consecutive year with the girls and a quarter-final with the boys shows the strength of the programme and the high standards our athletes continue to set for themselves. Every crew represented the College brilliantly throughout the week, racing with commitment, resilience and pride. The Girls Eight should be incredibly proud of reaching another Sunday final against outstanding opposition, while the boys demonstrated great quality and character in one of the toughest schoolboy events in the world. The girls’ quad also deserves enormous credit for earning their place in the regatta and competing on this stage. These performances give us real confidence, not just for future Henley campaigns, but for the continued development of the Boat Club as a whole. The athletes, coaches and support staff have all contributed to another successful year, and we are excited about what the future holds."
As another memorable Henley Royal Regatta comes to a close, the achievements of all three crews reinforce Shiplake College Boat Club’s reputation as one of the leading school rowing programmes in the country and provide an excellent platform for future success.
Please enjoy photo highlights from the event below:
