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Annual Dinner Director of Rowing Speech & Report 2024

The support the Boat Club continues to have is excellent, in fact critical to its ongoing success.  In a challenging world it would be easy to say it is too difficult, too time consuming, too much effort to make it work.  We cannot allow that mind set to creep in otherwise what is the point in anything.  My mission is simple; to give the best experience possible.  We don’t always achieve it but overall, the package is incredible.  In 2024, The Windsor Boys School Boat Club has had a remarkable season full of the normal highs and lows.

We have seen boys of all ages and abilities train and race across the country, and indeed the world.  International experiences include Head of the Charles in Boston USA, Briesach Germany, Head of the Heineken Amsterdam, Lago Azul Portugal, Ghent Regatta Belgium, Munich International Regatta Germany, European Championships Poland, GB France match, France,  Coupe De La Jeunesse Czech Republic and the World Rowing Championships, Canada.

Clearly the winter period was extremely challenging for the whole sport.  The river conditions where awful, and it is deeply concerning that we have lost the river already. The boys coped remarkably well, keeping the bigger picture in mind and consistently turning challenges into positives as much as possible.  On a personal level, it has been a very challenging year, but the biggest concern I had was the impact it might have on the club and the boys themselves.  To say the response was impressive is an understatement, and the support shown to me personally, from the whole club, including the boys and parents, is and continues to be incredible, and for that I am eternally grateful.  The coaches continue to work tirelessly for all levels across the club; Chris, Ben, Kieran on daily basis, but when able, all the alumni coaches who come back when they can.  The parents, who hold up so many areas of the club, at catering events like the National Schools really show what teamwork can achieve. I cannot not thank you all enough.

Despite it all, we were able to take on the rowing world both near and far.  Internationally, we had our first ever wins at the Head for the Charles, wins in Ghent and course record holders in Amsterdam, where we took 5 coxed quads, and it was a fantastic experience for the Boat Club.  From our participation in these events and the developing coxed fours & eights projects, we now have a very definite pathway for coxes to follow past J15.  This is truly brilliant, and tonight, it is especially fitting to discuss, with our greatest coxing talent to date here as our guest speaker, William Denegri, who will talk to you later.  In so many ways, Will was part of the start, as we developed the Henley Eights project from 2016 onwards, and what he has achieved is stunning.  The inspiration he brings, and our improving pathway will only create aspiration for our smaller Boat Club members.  I know in Milan Martinez and Alex Kosydar, we have two very inspired, and high potential coxes, who are excited to push this pathway further, and to follow Will’s lead.  Will has shown it can be done, and future coxes will have their own heroes from history to believe in, just as our oarsmen do.

Our J14 Squad had a very difficult start to their rowing careers – losing the river in mid-October, and not getting them on the water until March was very hard on their development, much to Chris’ frustration.  Despite this, they came together well as a squad, and learnt the sport, and it is testament to them that there is still nearly 40 of them on the register coming into the new season.  They will only get better, and although missing so much as J14s is not ideal, they have barely started and there is plenty of time ahead for them.

Our J15 Squad had an incredible season, showing how much strength in depth they have.  They are the future of the performance end of the club, and they have engaged and learned so much through their J14 and J15 rowing. Highly competent in singles, they are competitive, driven and inspired. Their results included GOLD in the Octuple and SILVER in the coxed quad at the Junior Sculling Head.  They raced in Amsterdam and gained invaluable experience in Lago Azul on their first rowing camp.  The J15 ‘A’ quad, which saw multiple versions throughout the year, had some great racing in the early regatta season, though often coming up short of the gold.  Through fierce determination, listening and ultimately getting fully on board, they went on to take the GOLD at the National Schools Regatta in a mega race with Walbrook.  Meanwhile the B crew claimed SILVER in the J15 2nd boat event, where we also had a C quad race, and it was great to have 2 coxed fours racing thereafter.  The squad went onto claim Silver and Bronze at the British Junior rowing championships to cap off an excellent season putting many of the building blocks in place for their future, and I know how inspired they are to go after their own legacy as they join the seniors.  

At the other end of the squad, and for many of our seniors too, who just enjoy being part of the Boat Club, it was great to see lots of hard fought, successful racing at regattas such as St Ives, Peterborough and Egham. Levels are so important in sport, and in rowing, racing doesn’t have to be quick, just evenly matched to get a great race experience.  This is why we continue to travel the country to take individuals who might not be at the top end, to regattas that are appropriate to them.  It is critical to their enjoyment, and experience of the sport.

The J16 Squad saw off all challenges, and especially the ‘A’ quad of Isaac Thornton, Bailey Taylor, Dara Thomson and Caspar Litherland had an outstanding season, being undefeated.  The took GOLD at the Junior Sculling Head, the Junior Inter-regional Championships, the National Schools, GB France qualification and a win over France and The British Rowing Championships.  Meanwhile 3 of them made the Henley Eight too.  Not to be outdone though the coxed four of Haris Shawl, Leo Curtis, Ciaran Reilly, Kevin Starcyzk and cox Milan Martinez showed what racers they are, gaining selection to the Thames Up River team, where in an incredible race they won the Inter-regional finals, before racing and winning several regattas in the build up to the Nationals.  While I know they were disappointed in winning BRONZE, it was a fantastic achievement.  They went onto narrowly miss out on a GB vest, but again were in the medals at the British Junior Championship winning the SILVER medal.  The J16 squad were not done there though, and at the National Schools we were able to enter a further crew of Tristan Rees-Jones, Tom Peace, Arran Eden and Pierce Woods, in to the J16 2nd Quads event, and it really was superb to watch this crew take the GOLD medal!  The J16s have shown they were the squad to beat.

The Seniors back in 2023 had a year of major highs, winning Championship Quads at  the Nationals, Jack Cadwallader winning SILVER at the World Rowing Championships in Paris, and a whole host of other successes, but there is no doubt the loss in the semi-final to Leander Club at Henley Royal Regatta was a crushing disappointment at the time – to lose by just 3 feet in what should have been the final was gut wrenching.  For Jack, he is now at Brown University in the USA, but for the other 3 it became a year long journey back to the start line at Henley.  And what a journey it was, as part of the awesome senior squad.  Before I talk about the 1st Boat, outstanding performances across the squad included Marcus Downie and Antonio Todorov Winning SILVER in Championship Doubles, Adam Elliott taking on the single, while Tristan Urquhart-Irvine with Arjun Kharay making the ‘B’ final of the doubles. They would all go onto make the Henley Eight and perform like true Windsor Boys. They are great people and made an outstanding senior squad in 2024.

It took some time to build the 1st quad, but wins in Boston at the Head of the Charles, course record setting performance in Amsterdam, an incredible training camp to Portugal, they went after their training probably better than any other senior squad I have known.  Competition was hot for seats, with at least 6 athletes competing for the 1st boat, which eventually became 4 in Atticus Chute, Joe Wellington, Ruben Taylor and Jimmy Harlow.  I must pay testament to Marcus, our number 5 – what a team player he is. I have no doubt the disappointment was deeply felt, but at no point did he do anything other than support his mates, giving them the freedom to go after the dream, as did the rest of the Boat Club as this crew elevate themselves to the highest standard. This really is saying something given that Windsor Boys’ were finalists at Henley in 2014 & 2016, then Champions in 2017, and of course 2018, holding all the course records at Henley.  Losing finalists in 2021, Champions again in 2022, with that cohort dominating the Fawley Cup with the ‘B’ quad runners up and winning all the Championship J18 sculling events at the Nationals.  What a challenge it was to stand out from this crowd, yet the 2024 crew, incredibly, did just that.  The mindset, the work ethic, the commitment to each other and the programme, they stood out uniquely.  Blisteringly quick times, as they rowed 5:54 at Caversham, and repeated the sub 6-minute time a further 3 times.  No one has come close to this before.  Regatta wins at Poplar, Marlow at Dorney and of course Championship Quads GOLD at the Nationals, all sub 6 pace, and then onto Henley Royal Regatta, which I will talk more on shortly.

Meanwhile, individual dominance at the GB trials in February and April, 3 athletes in the ‘A’ final of the British Trial’s Regatta in Nottingham, before all 3 of them gaining selection to the World Championships in Canada.  Jimmy ranked number 1 in the UK, Joe number 2, and Ruben also going off to the Coupe De La Jeunesse in Czech Republic and breaking 7 minutes in the single, supported by Ben, for his first Coupe experience as a coach.  Along the way Jimmy and Joe both racing for Great Britain in Munich, and Joe at the European Championships in Poland – they have done some serious travelling this year!

But it was Henley—that is where the dream truly lay.  All the success – that just adds pressure.  Being favourites, being ranked number 1,  having to cope with that, and all it brings.  Not easy.  But training allows you to cope, on and off the water, and a sense of humour, a bigger picture mind set, and definitely friends that bring you back down to earth with the quickest of wit and humour.  Don’t for a moment think you are good or superior.  Just earn the start line to find out how good you are.  

This was true too for the Eight racing in the Princess Elizabeth.  This project continues to be superb for building the Henley experience.  Winners of the Fawley Cup who started in the eight now include Tom Shewell, Isaac Workman, Sam Bodkin, Atticus Chute, Ruben Taylor. The eight can also at times take on the quad which creates an fantastic training environment.

Ultimately the 1st quad won at Henley Royal Regatta, in the worst conditions I have ever known. They have created their own legacy, not by talking about it, just doing it.  They were four boys in a boat, just trying their hardest across all factors that mattered, to do their thing, supported by the whole Boat Club, cheering on every single stroke.  The win was theirs, but it is also everyone’s, as it should be.  This is what makes this Boat Club.  Congratulations to them and congratulations to you all, for creating the environment to ensure those who have the potential and the deep desire to go after their dreams can do so without limitations.  We shall see them in action in just a moment, but as we go forward again, my challenge to all the boys and to all their supporters, is to look to the future and to go after your own legacies. It is not easy; in fact, it continues to be a bigger and bigger challenge. With the river conditions, money, pressure at school, and modern life – it all has the potential to get in the way.  If you are clever, you will use it all positively though.

But the simple matter is, you must get out there and take the process  on.  If you have the potential and the desire, I back you to go after it – it can be done, and once again you all have history to show it can be.  Hang on to that through the depths of winter.  Rowing continues to open doors, with Atti Chute being accepted to Princeton, joining several other boys at Ivy league Universities in recent years and the next generation are already being head hunted by USA recruiters.  Rowing opens doors, and combined with your academics, which of course must be outstanding too, it can take you in some seriously cool directions.  It is very exciting, but you must earn it, every bit of it. Last year's cohort most definitely did that.

I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you again to you all, and massively well done!

The challenges will, of course, continue—and to keep things moving forward, we must keep raising funds through other channels, not just via parents.  The school cannot afford rowing, so it is down to us to figure it out!

To the future, which is all a head of us!

Come on WINDSOR!#

Mark WIlkinson, Director of Rowing 

October 2024

The Windsor Boys' School 1st Quad WINS The Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta 2024!

After and incredible season, the 1st Boat were victorious at the World Famous, highly prestigious Henley Royal Regatta. Despite being the wettest regatta in recent memory, the determination of the crew to race with real power and authority, in keeping with how they had raced all year. This crew have won all the major events, including the Naationals 6 weeks prior, and  iconitnued to be exceptional throughout the week long Henley. Inspriing the next generation, and with a whole boat club near and far supporting them, their celebrations on crossing the finish line reall yshowed what it meant to the crew, and the school as a whole. The crew of Jimmy Harlow, Ruben Taylor, Joe Wellington, and Atticus Chute will long live in the momort as perhas the quickest of all the exceptional quads TWBS has produced.

Watch the final below

The Annual Dinner of The Windsor Boys' School Boat Club & Windsorian Rowing Club