The Boat Club Team
Mark Wilkinson - Director of Rowing
Our Director of Rowing learnt to row at the age of 13 at The Windsor Boys' School where he enjoyed an excellent U19 career including multiple National Titles, 3 international U19 Great Britain Vests and 2 Wins at Henley Royal Regatta.
Mark got into coaching while still at school, and returned to TWBS following achieving at 2:1 Degree in Design & Engineering from Nottingham Trent University.
Mark has been in charge of the rowing programme fully as Director of Rowing since 2013 where he has transformed the club into one of the most feared programmes in the country, with an international reputation for sculling excellence. In 2014 the 1st quad made the final at Henley Royal Regatta, and again in 2016. Sadly on both occasions they lost in the final, however in 2017 and 2018 the 1st quad went one better, winning the most prestigious of titles back to back, and setting all of the course records. Indeed the 2018 crew is regarded as one of the finest examples of quad sculling, and the best U19 club quad that has ever been.
In 2021 with a new generation, TWBS also made the final at Henley Royal Regatta, sadly though losing in the final. This made it 5 finals in 7 years of excitement! Incredibly in 2022, WBS were to WIN the title again, but just as remarkable, completely dominate the event with the WBS 'B' crew becoming the story of the regatta by also making the final.
Responsible for countless TWBS boys gaining a Great Britain vest, Mark has also coached for the Great Britain Team for over a decade. He has been Lead Coach and Team manager for the Great Britain U19 Team Coupe De La Jeunesse Squad, and has also coached at multiple World Rowing U19 Championships including in 2017, 2018, 2023 coaching the quad to SILVER medal in all three years.
Since 2016 Mark has been the Great Britain Lead Coach to the U19 Men's Sculling Squad and is responsible for driving the Men's Sculling towards World Championship successes. In 2022, Marcus Chute, became European Champion in the single, before coming 5th at the World Rowing Championships. Jacob Ioras was also selected to the World Championships coming 6th in the Quad Sculls Event.
Unprecedented commitment to WBSBC, Mark drives every aspect of the club with relentless passion for the sport. From Learn to Row courses, though the development years of year 9/10/ & 11 rowing, to World Championship level he goes after the 3 key objectives of the club, namely Opportunity for all, Opportunity for High Performance, and resources to deliver the first 2 points.
When not at the river or the gym, you are most likely to find Mark on the golf course. Somehow, despite relentless hours, he maintains a playing handicap of +1.
Christopher C Morrell MBE
What can be said about Chris. Legend, Hero to one and all, grandfather of rowing at TWBS.
Joining in the school in 1976, Chris has a long history at the Boat Club. There is no one better at coaching year 9 rowing, and year after year he inspires new generations with his high standards, morals, and love of the sport.
Back in 1976 when Chris joined the then Windsor Grammar School, rowing had really fallen apart with only 4 sixth formers rowing!
It took time but over the next 10 years, Chris developed a training mindset and transformed the Boat Club towards National and international successes.
Known for being a strong advocate of the gym, Chris back in the day had muscles on muscles, and was no doubt a physical specimen himself, competing at the World Masters Rowing Championships in the 1990's winning a SILVER medal. Legendary stories include pulling most of year 9 over on his own in the annual tug of war house competition, and having his biceps split out of his arms when doing curls, due to the shear size of the muscle not being contained in the skin, the year 9 will hang off his every word.
His desire to work hard and implement strong morals of the sport into youngsters saw the club achieve incredible success through the late 1980's and 1990's.
Chris received an MBE in 2008 for his services to school sport and particularly rowing.
Still going strong, his ability to get youngsters learning the sport, the whole sport is undeniable, and unmatched. Listen well!
Ben Liddell
Assistant Director of Rowing & Coach
Ben is on his third year with the coaching team after leaving school in 2019. As a junior Ben had a successful career as a cox from J14 to J16 winning at both National events and local regatta's.
Sadly Ben's year 13 school time was cut short due to Covid but that did not stop him from getting his A levels which he did very well in.
In his coaching career Ben has coached many year groups and crews at different levels from the 2022 winning quad at Henley Royal Regatta to the year 9 quad who made the A final at National school. In the 2021/22 season Ben went out to Paris with the GB rowing team as the single scullers coach in the J16 GB vs France match. He also went to London Docklands as the Junior Men's sculling coach for Team England in the Home Countries regatta.
As well as being Mark's coaching prodigy, he is also being taken under Mark's golfing wings. But is not allowed on the course since he missed the net and hit the clubhouse building.
Bryn Ellery
Assistant Rowing Coach and High Performance athlete
Bryn leant to row in year 9 at The Windsor Boys' School, and during his time at WBSBC had an exceptional U19 career. Winner of National Gold medals at every level including Championship, Bryn was on board the 2016 1st Boat as a J16 (year 11) where the crew made the final at Henley Royal Regatta. Despite losing in the final, Bryn had shown his capacity for high performance. Selected to the U16 Great Britain Team in the single, he won his races take the GOLD medal in France.
In 2017, Bryn won Championship GOLD in the Quads and Doubles at the Nationals, before winning at Henley Royal Regatta in what was an electrifying campaign. The racing was intense and world class, with TWBS taking the title for the first time in 20 years. Repeating the winning performance in 2018, the quad set all of the course records which still stand today.
IN 2017 and 2018 Bryn was selected to the British Rowing Team for the World U19 Championships in the quad, and won SILVER in both years, making him our highest performing U19 to date.
Since leaving TWBS as an athlete, Bryn has remained involved coaching the squads, while also spending time in Sydney as part of the Sydney Rowing Club High Performance Squad. Since returning to the UK Bryn as trained full time at Leander Club, winning again at Henley in 2022, and representing Great Britain at the U23 World Rowing Championships.
Kieran Hennesy-Hunt
Rowing Development Coach
Kieran started rowing in 2014 at The Langley Academy. He then rowed at Eton Excelsior in 2017 before joining the TWBSBC in 2018 for A levels. Kieran's year 13 was cut short from the Covid lockdown in 2020, but was given the opportunity to join the coaching team and help coach the next generation of boys joining the club.
Kieran is in his third year of coaching now and has a large presence with coaching the new year 9's as well as coaching the year 10 squad and helping them progress onto their next level of rowing.
Kieran plans to continue coaching as well as continuing on with his own training, but be warned he will gladly eat any biscuits that are offered or left on a plate.
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DAn Conti
Equipment & Maintenance
Dan is another Windsor Boys alumni, his main sport was rugby and played for school, club and county during his schoolboy years. Chris was looking for an extra man in a quad and asked Dan to come down to the boathouse for a tryout, where he quickly slotted into bow seat and enjoyed representing WBSBC at Nat Schools and Nat Champs.
His love of fixing things started with bicycles and motorbikes as a teenager and after completing a degree in Popular Music, Dan started working for Air Traffic Control at Heathrow, maintaining radar and similar equipment. Always keen for a new challenge, Dan took opportunities to work as a professional musician and building surveyor during his twenties before having kids. The opportunity to work at WBSBC couldn't have come at a better time, 6 months into being a stay-at-home Dad, Dan realised he needed some adult interaction and Mark realised he needed some extra hands.
Dan has been with us part-time since January 2019, servicing boats and other equipment, looking after the Stovell boathouse, helping to build MTTC, as well as driving trailers and boys to events.
When he's not at work, you're most likely to find him at the skatepark with his kids, or out on an off road motorbike adventure.