Chronicle 687

61 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

The Boys' 1st VIII

J14 double. The Shell girls raced well in both heats and semis, narrowly missing out on their finals. The Shell boys octo delivered an impressive final win, showing real composure and maturity throughout the day. The J15 boys’ crews also showed their strength in a fixture against Shiplake, with the VIII leading in three out of four battle-paddle pieces, and the coxless IV holding their own impressively. As the season moves toward its grand finale, the club now turns its focus to Henley Women’s Regatta, Marlow Regatta, and Henley Royal Regatta. The momentum is strong, the training has been relentless, and our crews are primed to take on the best both domestically and internationally. This year has not only delivered historic results but also built a foundation of depth, determination, and team spirit. The entire Boat Club community should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved. We look forward to closing the season with strength, unity and the continued pursuit of excellence on the water.

and brought home bronze in very tough conditions. The Boys’ 1st VIII made the A final with a fifth-place finish in the time trial and executed a strong race to place fourth overall, narrowly missing out on a medal. The Boys’ 3rd VIII delivered a standout performance, winning the West Cup – a trophy presented in 1949 by a teacher from St Edward’s – our first win in this event since 1996. The J15 and Shell crews also gained valuable experience. The J15 Girls’ 4+ placed 3rd in their B final, having moved up from 10th in the time trial. The Boys’ J15 VIII finished 14th overall in a tightly contested category. Both Shell boys and girls showed great resilience and improvement in their octos and quads, racing for the first time at national level. At Bedford Star Regatta, the Girls’ J15 quad reformed and won their event convincingly, while Sylvia Jeffries took gold in the Band 1 single. Daisy Fox and Ren Thomas doubled up again and won their heat in the

Fox and Ren Thomas put in an excellent performance in the J14 double before a rather enthusiastic umpire disqualified the girls for temporarily crossing into their opponent’s lane, despite being several lengths ahead. Our senior squads used fixtures against Leander and Marlow RC for crucial race preparation. The Girls’ 1st VIII held their own against top Leander athletes, while the Boys’ 1st and 2nd VIIIs overcame tough water conditions to beat Marlow convincingly. Over the Easter break, both senior squads travelled to Varese, Italy, for training camp. The girls spent their time perfecting their line ups and race execution, even lining up against a Swiss crew and pulling away confidently. The boys enjoyed strong performances across all three eights and showed fantastic professionalism in changeable conditions. These preparations set the stage for our strongest performance yet at the National Schools’ Regatta. The Girls’ 1st VIII adapted calmly to a last-minute schedule change

The Girls' 1st VIII