23/06/06

Henley Royal Regatta preview

Upper Thames Rowing Club’s entry for the 2006 Henley Royal Regatta is smaller than for some years. This reflects the changing nature of the Club since it was founded by Peter and Diane Sutherland 43 years ago as a centre for experienced oarsmen who were seeking a slightly less ‘hothouse’ atmosphere than that at Leander Club.

Note the word oarsmen. As recently as the 1960s there were few female athletes in the Thames Valley rowing clubs. Since that time the profile of Upper Thames Rowing Club has changed dramatically. Today almost half of Upper Thames’ three hundred members are women, as well as a further significant contingent of both juniors and veterans. Few clubs have as many Olympians and World Championship gold medallists - many of them still actively rowing, sculling and coaching for the Club.

This year’s entry in the Thames Cup reflects perfectly the changes at Upper Thames in recent years. Of the eight rowing members in the Thames Cup crew of Ollie Davies (bow) Ray Poulter, Rob Hares, Tom Davies, Jamie Smith, Darren Rhodes, Ian Ringer, Ed House (stroke) and Hannah Read (cox) six have come through the Club’s junior training scheme, some having started rowing at Upper Thames and others coming through Gillotts School and Henley College. This is proving the value of attracting young people to the Club.

Will Hoodless is UTRC’s entry in the Diamond Sculls and he has pre-qualified. He is hoping that the long winter months of daily training followed by national trials and success at the Metropolitan Regatta two weeks ago will see him with a real chance of advancing through the early rounds of the Royal Regatta’s single sculls event.

Two of the most successful women members in the Upper Thames squad, Becks Sadler (formerly Ingledew) and Naomi Ashcroft form the third UTRC entry. Both have won international medals (including a World Championship Gold in 2002 for Naomi) and were victorious at this year’s Henley Women’s Regatta in the lightweight pair. At Henley Royal Regatta they are entered in a Mortlake Anglian & Alpha/Upper Thames composite crew for the Remenham Challenge Cup (formerly known as The Henley Prize) open to top women’s Club and internationals crews.

While Upper Thames can consider itself fortunate to have done so well in the past, the Club is now looking forward and considering how best to continue racing at the highest level. In common with many other sports, modern training facilities form a big part of the Club’s plans.

In terms of space, existing training facilities have barely changed over the past thirty years. A start has been made with the splendid new boathouse formally opened by local M.P. Boris Johnson in October last year. As a result all Club and private boats are now housed under cover and part of the existing Clubhouse and old boat sheds has been converted into a dedicated weight training, ergometer and gymnasium area.

But to compete at the highest level today, far better facilities are needed.

To this end, the Club hopes to build an extension to the clubhouse to free up the existing ground floor. When and if it ever gets built, it will provide a wealth of improved facilities. At last there will be a Club room for after-training social activity so essential to a sporting club. The changing areas will also be expanded and modernised.

The Club’s overall membership is not intended to increase significantly as the aim of the project is to enhance facilities available to current members and enable them to make fuller use of UTRC’s enviable location.

As Henley’s traffic problems continue to escalate, Upper Thames is doing its bit to help out. A new bicycle shed is being considered to help persuade more members to leave their cars at home.

The Club already contributes to the local environment and has recently landscaped its grounds with new shrubs and trees to ensure that its “face” which is seen by the many visitors who walk the towpath retains the attractive image this stretch of the river has always had.