Chronicle Summer 2024

58 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Rowing By Adam Moffatt, Head of Rowing

improvement, managing to outperform their competitors in several pieces. Meanwhile, the girls’ crews also showed commendable progress during their 3x1900m practice pieces. The Seville Rowing Camp in December was a highlight of the year, providing an excellent foundation for the J16 and senior rowers as they prepared for the Spring Term. The camp concluded with a regatta featuring a variety of boat classes, allowing our squads to further hone their skills. The Quintin Head was the first event of 2024 and saw the senior girls’ 1st VIII finishing 4th out of 24, the second-fastest school crew of the day. The boys performed admirably in the matched VIIIs races finishing 4th and 5th, indicating a promising season ahead. With the Shells unable to get out on the water due to flooding we had an indoor rowing competition against Reading Blue Coat School. This event provided a moment of redemption for Teddies after last year’s loss. The boys dominated the individual 1000m challenge, with Seb Watters taking gold. This was followed by a convincing victory in the 2000m relay. At Wycliffe Head, Teddies’ crews delivered stellar performances. The boys’ 1st VIII was the fastest boat of the day, and the girls’ 1st VIII secured a commendable 3rd place despite some members being absent due to illness. The boys’ 2nd VIII also emerged as the fastest 2nd VIII, demonstrating the depth of talent within the team. To bring an end to winter racing, the boys’ 1st Vlll achieved 4th place in the Schools’ Head Junior Men’s, narrowly missing the second place by three seconds. The girls’ 1st VIII showed significant improvement, finishing 8th in the Junior Women’s competition.

Chapman, Elam Hughes, and Jasper Fritze for their victories in respective bands. October was a difficult month for the School and especially the Boat Club. The death of Fred Tao was a devasting loss and there have been more times than I can count when we have commented on something he would have loved, or made one of his funny comments about. There was a fixture scheduled a few days after his death and we were sure he would have wanted the pupils to take part. The event included a minute’s applause in memory of Fred Tao, a testament to the close-knit community within rowing. The senior boys and girls continued their rigorous training through December. The boys faced Eton and Radley at Dorney Lake, with Teddies’ crews demonstrating significant

The rowing season has been marked by impressive performances, unwavering dedication, and a spirit of sportsmanship that has earned commendations from race organisers and spectators alike. The journey from the autumn months through to the spring regattas showcases the depth of talent and resilience within our rowing squads. The season commenced with a strong showing at the Chester Long Distance Sculls, where senior boys and girls competed in singles and quads over two 4km races. Notably, the Junior Women’s 4X crew, composed of Kayleigh Batchelor, Izzy Johnson, Anna-Theresa Hoensbroech and Louisa Molloy, emerged as the fastest women’s crew of the day. Individual accolades in the Junior Men’s categories went to Nic Bechtler, Xeni

Above: Elam Hughes. Top: Emily Orpen, Emma Sullivan, Poppy Luttrell-Hunt and Charlotte Baker