Maidenhead Rowing Club’s Womens Squad is currently gearing up to enter Women’s Henley in two weeks time and with a 46-strong squad, competition for seats in the top boats has been fierce and there has been no let-up in the tough training regime under Coaching Director Eric Sims since early September.

The Metropolitan Regatta, held over the 2000m Dorney Lake course, was the inaugural race for the selected Henley crews and results in this tough Henley warm-up race would be key in gauging their success.

Crews

Saturday: S3 Eight, S3 4+ , S2 Double Scull, S3 Single Scull
Sunday: S2 Eight, S2 4+, S1 Double Scull, Lwt Elite Single Scull.

Saturday’s races

The S3 eight had some tough competition against some top university crews but they went off the line well and maintained a strong lead up to 500 metres, the university crews pulled ahead in the middle of the race but Maidenhead managed to pull back in last 250 metres to finish 4th in their round and earn a place in the repechage  where they went on to finish 4th just 1 second behind their closest rivals Vesta and 0.5 second behind York rowing club. Crew: Alison Evans (str), Claire Wallace (7), Katherine Chapman (6), Jo Macbeth (5), Louise Perry (4), Anne Rees (3), Debbie Thomas (2), Jo Wright (Bow) Cox: Jill Danby

The S3 coxed four again had a strong start and led for the first 250m. They were in 3rd place for three quarters of the race holding off Trafford and beating Thames and Imperial College but they all moved up in the last 250m and Maidenhead came in 4th position narrowly missing out on a place in the repechage. Crew: Christele Blin, Caroline Dakers, Keri Johnson, Anne van Diem. Cox: Emma Sanerkin

The Senior 2 Double scull of Natalie Trinder and Vicky Sims finished 1st in their 1st round race with a winning time of 7.44 beating top clubs Molesey, Tideway scullers and Bristol University. They finished 4th in the final with a time of 7.36.

Vicky Sims also entered a S3 single scull finishing 2nd in her heat with a time 8.39. Although going through to the final Vicky did not race in the final.

Sunday's races

The eight entered Senior 3, again a powerful start leading for the first 50m and the crew came third in their heat behind strong university crews Glasgow and Loughborough with a time of 7.27. They went through to the repechage and came a close 4th beating all their times with a 7.24. Crew: Owen Davies (cox), Katherine Chapman (str), Claire Wallace (7), Helen Stewart (6), Jo Macbeth (5), Louise Perry (4), Anne Rees (3), Debbie Thomas (2), Jo Wright (Bow)

The Coxed 4 of Christele Blin, Anne van Diem, Keri Johnson, Alison Evand and cox: Jill Danby, entered S2 on the Sunday. Leading the first 250-500m, they were in 4th place by 1500m when Upper Thames moved through to win by half a length. Final result 5th position with a time of 7.47s.

The double scull of Natalie and Vicky raced on Sunday at Senior 1 level finishing 2nd in their heat with an excellent time 7.34. They went through to the final and finished 6th with a time 7.43.

Vicky Sims entered Women’s Lwt Elite Single Sculls on the Sunday - one of the hardest categories to compete in and finished a credible 3rd in her heat with a time of 8.27 just 1 second behind the 2nd placed sculler from Loughborough. Vicky went on to race in the final and finished 6th beating her time to finish in 8.21.