Stratford Gets to Semi Final at Henley!

With no mixed events on the race card, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club was represented at this year’s Henley Masters Regatta event on 9/10th July by Tim Lunel in the Master E single sculls. The quarter final on the Friday under a glorious Henley blue sky day saw Tim race against a Grosvenor sculler and with new found pace off the start this year Tim took a length lead in the first 100m. That allowed an almost comfortable row through to the finish to win by a length and a half of clear water.

So, Stratford through to the semi finals at Henley! With the form at the earlier British Masters at Nottingham showing that there were three scullers from Commercial (Ireland), Holloway Scullers and Exeter dominating this class at the moment, it was always going to be a tough ask to progress further.

Tim went for the ‘blast off the start’ approach to give the best chance of a surprise upset. At 200m the boats were level: then a couple of rollers coming in between the open area between the booms meant that Tim had a couple of untidy finishes. The crews were level no more! David Burns from Exeter then went on to win by four lengths at the finish. The final winner, as at Nottingham, was Denis Crowley from Ireland. Said Tim, “It was good to be competing in a category won by an international athlete in a year of more limited international entries. My final reflection was that this was a very enjoyable couple of days of racing and meeting up with fellow rowers at Henley!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page sixty one and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/…/lunel-enthused-by… and also back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/…

For more pictures of Tim Lunel at Henley, see Ben Rodford Photography’s Open E x1 great selection https://benrodford.photoshelter.com/…/C0000UTr6r8nzl2M