NORTHWICH Rowing Club members at Henley Royal Regatta this week won’t have one of their own crews to cheer on.

However there are familiar faces in action who have competed previously in green and gold.

A junior men’s quad made up of Patrick Brogan, Gwilym Harris, Harrison Kendall-Smith and Jack Wilne missed out on a place in the Fawley Challenge Cup.

They raced against the clock in a time trial along the famous course last Friday as part of a field of 50 boats seeking to claim one of only seven spots up for grabs in the main draw.

A total of nine former junior members at Northwich did make it into the main draw.

Rhys Coffey and Kevin Dudley were part of a Royal Chester men’s eight that lost to Green Lake Crew, from Seattle in the Thames Challenge Cup first round yesterday, Wednesday.

Meanwhile Felix Hamsted made his debut in the same competition with Curlew in a head-to-head with Tyne B, who reached the finish two boat-lengths clear.

However Josh Burke, who along with Brogan, Harris and Tom Swithenbank were eliminated at the qualifying stage in 2018, did get a taste of success.

He was in Molesey colours for the final race of the opening day, also in the Thames Challenge Cup, and celebrated a comfortable victory against opponents representing Cardiff University Alumni.

Thames A, a selected crew, will be a formidable obstacle in the last 16.

Two former Northwich members race against each other in the Remenham Challenge Cup.

Beth Willford-Dutton, a victor with Oxford Brookes University at Henley Women’s Regatta last month, will see Imogen Wolstencroft (Edinburgh University) in a boat next to hers on the start-line on Thursday afternoon.

George Crouchley contests the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup with Nottingham University.

Meanwhile George Lawton, selected to represent Great Britain at the World Junior Championships in 2016 while still at Northwich, is part of a Reading University crew in the same competition.

Both men returned from the European Universities Games last summer with a medal.

Ed Grisedale, who stepped on to the global stage as a junior five years before Lawton, knows what it takes to win at Henley after claiming titles twice previously with Oxford Brookes University.

Now at Leander, he may have to beat his former club to keep alive hopes of holding aloft the Ladies’ Challenge Plate again.

His campaign starts on Friday.

Every race is broadcast live, with commentary, on YouTube here

Schedule

Henley Royal Regatta

Thursday, July 4

Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (M4x)

1115 Ruder-Club Potsdam & Ruderverein Munster (GER) v Nottingham University (George Crouchley)

Remenham Challenge Cup (W8+)

1530 Oxford Brookes University (Beth Willford-Dutton) v Edinburgh University (Imogen Wolstencroft)

Thames Challenge Cup (M8+)

1800 Molesey BC (Josh Burke) v Thames RC A