Shiplake College Champions at Henley Royal Regatta
At Henley Royal Regatta in August, Shiplake College celebrated a historic win for the school in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup, the junior event for women’s quadruple sculls.
This is the first time a full Shiplake crew has won a final at Henley and topped off an already record-breaking year for Shiplake Boat Club as they entered a record six crews, a record four crews qualifying to race, and with not one but two girls' crews competing at Henley for the first time.
The boys’ first and second eights and the girls second quad all won their first heats but lost to strong crews on their second days.
Three Shiplake former pupils racing for Oxford Brookes won Henley silverware – Michael Glover won both the Visitors’ Challenge Cup and Ladies’ Challenge Plate, joined in the boat by Seb Newman for the latter event, and Henry Blois-Brooke helped his university eight win the Grand Challenge Cup.
The Girls’ A Quad consisted of Nicole Dunn, Merry Oakes, Mia Vickerman and Isabelle Blake-Hurworth.
Headmaster Tyrone Howe said: "They are incredibly hard working so it’s really nice to see that paid off.
"Our new Head of Girls’ Rowing coach, Dan Safdari, has made an immense impact and this win has put girls rowing at Shiplake on the map."
This completed an incredible season for the College’s girl rowers, adding to their wins at National Schools’ Regatta for both A and B Quads, Henley Women’s Regatta, Marlow Regatta and also the British Junior Championships in which they won the Sculls, Doubles Sculls and Quad events.
