The Henley Royal Regatta, one of the most prestigious rowing regattas in the world, takes place on the famous route in Henley. This historic regatta course extends over a length of 2,112 metres on the Thames and was first used in 1839. The route is known for its picturesque surroundings and the challenging straight line that runs from Temple Island to Henley Bridge and presents some pitfalls for the teams. Over the years, she has attracted countless top rowers and teams from all over the world and is considered a milestone in international rowing. The regatta itself is a highlight in the British sports calendar and combines tradition with top-class competitive sports.
The Munich8 starts the competition on the second race day of the regatta. In race 10 of the day, the Munich Rowing Club of 1880 e.V. competed against the men of City of Bristol R.C.. From the beginning, the team from Munich, consisting of Julian Ritter, Lennard Kausemann, Tim Weinem, Michael Schramm, Maximilian Meister, Sebastian Ritter, Amade Wagner, Malte Engelbracht and helmswoman Annabel Pooley, showed a strong performance and was able to gain an early lead. With intervals of 01:56 at the barrier and 03:18 at Fawley, the team kept up the pace and crossed the finish line after 07:03 minutes. The Munich R.C. boat, as it was listed in the regatta program, won with a comfortable lead of three and a half boat lengths. In Henley, the distances to the winning time are always given in boat lengths and not measured in times. There is a certain gentleman's agreement that the leading team usually does not go out more than four or five boat lengths.
The spectators at the track were able to observe a very well-rehearsed and focused crew, as Sarah Winkless aptly observed in the live stream. Winkless, who won a bronze medal in doubles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and became world champion in eighth in 2005, knows what she's talking about. She praised the Munich team as a ‘very well drilled crew’. With this victory in the lead-up to the Thames Challenge Cup class M8+, the Munich rowers have confirmed their direct qualification for this regatta, because some boats had to qualify via a qualifying regatta.
On Thursday it started again, this time against the team of Thames Rowing Club “B”. The race started at 9:40 a.m. with once again perfect conditions on the historic regatta course. The teams fought a tough battle, but our rowers, led by helmswoman Annabel Pooley, lacked a bit of track speed to pass the crew of the Thames Rowing Club, who had placed an airbox in front of them at the height of Temple Island (about 200m after the start).
The Munich crew showed great commitment and came back in a strong final sprint. But in the end, it wasn't enough to beat the men off the Thames. The race ended with a narrow result of ¾ length advantage for Thames Rowing Club “B”. Despite the defeat, the Munich team showed great fighting spirit and left a strong impression on the spectators and competitors.
The Munich Rowing Club of 1880 e.V. is now at the start for the fourth time with the Munich8 in Henley. This impressively shows how rowing in the senior sector in Germany can be designed without having to do top sports. The passion and dedication of the team are a role model for many other clubs.
A view: The men of the Munich Rowing Club will compete at the Bavarian Championship in Oberschleißheim on 20 and 21 July. After the valuable experience and the exciting races at Henley, they are well prepared and highly motivated to show a strong performance there as well.
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