Henley Royal Regatta - Result

Helen, Erica, Lucy & Anna in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta '09

Photograph by Peter Jowitt © Henley Royal Regatta/PJ Pix and © Wokingham Photographic.

Well, the Chinese were a bit quick really. Mixed reports of their competence had been filtering through in the weeks prior to the event but in the end the crew contained one of the Gold Medal winning quad from the Olympics, one from the 4th placed double, a top Under 23 rower and a new talent.

The women put up a fight but never really found their rhythm and the Chinese pulled away to win comfortably.

However, it was great experience for the women who (apart from Anna) have never raced at the Royal Regatta.

Bath Chronicle Newspaper Article - Women's Henley

Please follow the link: here.

Henley Royal Regatta 2009 - Women's Qualifying Video

Courtesy of RowTV: !!!CLICK HERE!!! (Starts at 38 seconds.)

Ironbridge Regatta 2009

Many thanks to all who made last weekends trip to Ironbridge such a success especially all who helped out with loading and unloading boats which was a great help to the weekends proceedings.















3 crews successfully won pots and almost all crews celebrated at least one win. The womens IM 3 Coxed 4 - Elaine, Anne, Vicky, Cassie and Sue, had an excellent win and despatched 4 crews on their way to winning the final of the 1000m race on Saturday.

We had 2 more pot winning crews in the 500m sprint on Sunday. Jenny and Nic put on a very strong performance to win in their Womens Novice Double Scull.















And Andy and Gary, shown here crossing the finishing line, sucessfully beat very strong opposition from Stourport to win the Open Vet D pairs.

As well as the racing success we had a great time; in fact at times some Minerva members became a little confused thinking they were actually at the Glastonbury festival. No girls that's not the sort of 'Pot' you get at Glasto!



















Full marks go to Anne and Andy U for their tribute to the dancing of Michael Jackson!

Personally I thought my rendition of the funky chicken was pretty cool!

Don't forget it's Bewdley next on 25th/26th July so get your dancin shoes ready!

Minerva Girls Qualify For Princess Grace Challenge Cup

PRINCESS GRACE CHALLENGE CUP HISTORY

The Princess Grace Challenge Cup is an event for women's quadruple sculls at Henley Royal Regatta. It is open to female crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry.

The race is named after Grace Patricia Kelly (later Grace, Princess of Monaco; November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) who was an Academy Award winning American film and stage actress. Upon marrying Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956, she became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, but was generally known as Princess Grace of Monaco. Princess Grace maintained dual American and Monegasque citizenship after her marriage. The principality's current Sovereign Prince, Albert II, is the son of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.

A year before the Princesses untimely death in 1982 she was invited to present the prizes at the Royal Regatta. The Princess Grace Challenge Cup was first presented in 2003 by The President of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates. In 2004 Grace's son Prince Albert of Monaco gave out the prizes at the Royal Regatta.


The Princesses father John Kelly, Sr. shown here was the youngest of 10 children born to Irish immigrants from Newport, County Mayo, Ireland. He won Gold in the Single and Double Sculls at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp and a Gold Medal in the Double Sculls at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Both times he won gold in the Double Scull he teamed up with his cousin Paul Costello who is also a 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist. He is the only rower who is a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

The Princesses brother John Kelly, Jr. won the Henley Diamond Sculls in '47 and '49, and a Bronze Medal in the single sculls at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. As a wedding gift, he gave his sister his Bronze Medal from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. In 1985 John Kelly, Jr. was elected President of the United States Olympic Committee, the appointment was short-lived. Kelly died unexpectedly later that year.


Philadelphia erected a prominent statue of John Kelly, Sr near the finish line of the Schuylkill River course that Kelly rowed. It is located just off of the scenic "Kelly Drive," which is named for Kelly's son Jack Jr. Every year, USRowing bestows the Jack Kelly Award on an individual who represents the ideals that Jack Kelly exemplified including superior achievement in rowing, service to amateur athletics and success in their chosen profession.

Previous Winners
Year - Champions
2008 - Wallingford Rowing Club & Reading University, England
2007 - South Australian Institute Of Sport, Australia
2006 - Marlow Rowing Club & University Of London, England
2005 - TSSKA Ukraine, Ukraine
2004 - Leander Club & University Of London, England
2003 - TSSKA Ukraine, Ukraine

WCS outboard engine stolen - £reward for safe return.

Between 1430 on Saturday 27th June and 0745 on Sunday 28th June the WCS launch was stolen, taken upstream from it's mooring and had the outboard engine removed. In the process the bungling thieves managed to leave behind a pair of pliers and a couple of partial finger prints. If you saw anything please contact Paul, the club or the Bath Police quoting reference 82312-09. A cash reward awaits the person who provides information that results in the return of the engine and the prosecution of the thieves.

Minerva Bath / Rob Roy Women's Quad qualifies for Henley Royal Regatta 2009

The women's quad of Helen, Lucy, Anna and Erica (from the WCS centre in Cambridge) had to attend the qualifiers at Henley on Friday to earn a place in the competition proper. Only 3 crews could qualify via this route as 5 international crews have been pre-qualified including 2 GB, 2 New Zealand and 1 Chinese crews. Facing some tough domestic competition mainly consisting of crews who raced at Women's Henley, the women secured a place and will race the Chinese National Squad on Friday.

Crews and supporters wait for news of Qualification outside the Crew's Enquiry Office

Women's Henley 2009 - Pictures

Anna Davidson and Lucy Ryvar - Winners of Women's Senior Double Sculls

Helen Glover - Winner of Women's Senior Single Sculls

Gemma Akers (left) - Winner of Women's Elite Coxed Fours

The Amateur Rowing Association's World Class Start Scheme sponsored by Siemens is a unique talent identification and development scheme. The programme is funded by UK Sport with Lottery money and since 2006 is sponsored by Siemens. The programme at Bath has identified four athletes for Great Britain teams in the past five years including one U23 World Champion. The athletes in Bath train at the University of Bath and at Minerva Bath Rowing Club. For more information on this article or the World Class Start Programme please contact Paul Stannard, Performance Development Coach, GB Rowing: paul.stannard@gbrowing.org.uk

Minerva Vets Excel at Nat Vet Champs

Crews from Minerva recently took part in the National Veteran Rowing Championships held at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham on June 14th and did rather well!

Arnold Cooke led the medal tally with 3 golds in his composite Vet G eight, Vet G coxless four and his Vet G single scull.

Tim Birstwistle excelled by winning a silver medal in his MBRC/NRC composite Vet D coxed four and finishing a credible 4th in his Vet C eight.

Finally Minerva's crew of the year 2009, Andy and Gary gave a stirling performance and finished 5th in their Vet D coxless pair.

A very big well done to all.

Women's Henley 2009 - Results

A weekend of excellent racing conditions drew to a close at Women's Henley Regatta 2009 yesterday. Minerva Bath did rather well!

With 5 women in 5 events the chances of some good results were high. To cut a very long story short, basically, Vicky was knocked out in the semi's of Elite Singles, Gemma made the final of Elite Eights but was beaten by Yale and every other boat won. An impressive set of results all round.

First win of the day was Gemma's Elite Coxed Four.
Second win was Lucy and Anna's Senior Double.
Third win was Helen in the Senior Singles.

All rather impressive really.

Gemma and Vicky now go into the mix with some 'seat racing' at the end of the week at Caversham with the other Under-23's. Helen, Lucy and Anna have started some frantic, last-minute training in a quad for Henley Royal Regatta where they are entered into the Princess Grace Challenge Cup for Women's Quads. They will have to go through the Qualifiers on Friday where 3 crews will go through from the 10 required to qualify. Their time trial will start at 1830hrs this Friday if anyone wants to come and give them a shout!

The Amateur Rowing Association's World Class Start Scheme sponsored by Siemens is a unique talent identification and development scheme. The programme is funded by UK Sport with Lottery money and since 2006 is sponsored by Siemens. The programme at Bath has identified four athletes for Great Britain teams in the past five years including one U23 World Champion. The athletes in Bath train at the University of Bath and at Minerva Bath Rowing Club. For more information on this article or the World Class Start Programme please contact Paul Stannard, Performance Development Coach, GB Rowing: paul.stannard@gbrowing.org.uk