04 Jul, 2023
H enley Royal Regatta 2023 witnessed extraordinary achievements from Edinburgh University Boat Club. With eight strong crews participating, including a Prince Albert Challenge Cup Men's 4+, two men's Temple Challenge Cup 8+'s, two women's Island Challenge Cup 8+'s, a composite Prince Of Wales Challenge Cup men's 4x, a composite Princess Grace Challenge Cup women's 4x, and a Diamond Challenge Sculls men's single scull, EUBC arrived with high expectations and a desire to showcase their talent on the renowned Henley stretch. While Temple A, and both men's and women's composite quads secured pre-qualification, the remaining crews had to go through the qualifying process. Fortunately, four out of the five racing crews successfully qualified. However, Dan Jones in the open single experienced equipment failure, resulting in him missing out on a qualifying spot. The six-day regatta began on Tuesday, with side-by-side racing featuring Temple Challenge Cup crews and the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup crew. Temple A faced a Dutch international crew from Nereus, comprising of multiple under-23 international rowers. In a fiercely contested race, Temple A displayed their strength but narrowly missed out, losing by a length. Nereus then advanced another round, ultimately losing to Syracuse who made the final against Oxford Brookes. Later in the day, Temple B competed against Durham A, a consistent top-three university first 8+ team throughout the season. Despite the crew's great determination and skill, they fell short against the strong Durham crew. The Prince of Wales quad, featuring Josh Matthews from Edinburgh, was paired with Leander A, consisting of multiple international-level rowers. Despite a valiant effort, the men's 4x couldn't overcome the Leander crew, who took a 2 length victory and eventually won the entire event. On Wednesday, the remaining EUBC crews entered side-by-side racing. Island A faced University of London A and emerged victorious with exceptional teamwork and power, leading by one length through the finish line. Island B competed against University of Pennsylvania B, they rowed a great and pushed their opposition down the whole course however were unsuccessful in acquiring the victory and finished 2½ lengths behind. The composite women's 4x, featuring Hannah Supple from Edinburgh, competed against NCRA and emerged triumphant, winning by 2 lengths, showcasing their skill and determination. Meanwhile, the men's 4+ crew confronted Triton, another formidable Dutch crew, they raced extremely well and took the race to the line but couldn't secure a victory and narrowly missed out by just half a length. This year's Henley Royal Regatta witnessed several notable achievements for EUBC. With a record-breaking 43 athletes qualifying for the regatta, the club showcased remarkable depth across multiple events. Notable standout accomplishments were Hannah Supple's composite women's 4x reaching the Friday of the regatta, where they faced the eventual winners of the event, the senior GB quad; as well as Island A who pushed Brookes A, the eventual winners of the Island Challenge cup to hotly contested race In which they finished just 1 length down. Reflecting on the successful year, the boat club expresses immense pride in the accomplishments of the athletes. The depth and talent displayed throughout the regatta further solidified EUBC's position as a force to be reckoned with in the university rowing community. Henley Royal Regatta once again proved to be a magnificent celebration of the sport, athletes, and the collective spirit of the club. With such impressive achievements, EUBC is filled with anticipation for the upcoming seasons and the limitless potential they hold.