Czechoslovakia July 23rd-26th: IC’s Henry Fieldman has won a bronze medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships coxing the GB 8+ in Czecholslovakia. Fieldman is a Natural Sciences undergraduate at Imperial and has been an integral part of the GB U23 team his year. He has coxed on the GB squad at GB Rowing HQ in Caversham, at international regattas and at Henley Royal Regatta, while still fulfilling domestic duties by coxing for Imperial at BUCS, the Eight’s Head and Henley Royal. Fieldman was firmly placed as favourite to cox the 8+ at the U23 World Championships.

Home Countries International Regatta 2009: Welsh icon Rachael ‘Chewy’ Davies has won gold in the W2x, and silver in the W4x representing Team Wales at Home Countries in Nottingham. Davies teamed up with doubles partner Lizzie Hodges, and the crew were determined to medal after a fourth place finishing at Nat Champs. Davies then jumped into the Welsh W4x and secured a silver medal for her efforts.

National Championships - Nottingham 2009: Coach Stu Whitelaw and Captain Erica Thompson made their way to the registration window to enter the women’s 8+, women’s 1x and men’s 4- before scratching the women’s 2x, men’s 2x, men’s 2- and men’s 1x as rowers succumbed to injury and illness after the long season. The men’s coxless four of Simon Hislop (stroking!), Henry Goodier, Claudio Petrillo and steersman Josh Butler came third while the women’s IC/TSS composite 8+ also won bronze completing a sucessful weekend for IC.

Henley Royal Regatta 2009: The Henry Fieldman Express was sold a return ticket to the Henley Final of the Ladies’ Challenge Plate when Brown University ‘A’, USA defeated the GB U23 crew (racing as Leander Club & Molesey) by ½ length. Revenge was sweet for the Americans as the GB crew, coxed by IC’s Fieldman, had already defeated Brown Univ. ‘B’ and a Brown Alumni composite crew in earlier rounds.

Parliamentary Boat Races: The Parliamentary boat races take place every year on the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament. Races include Lords vs. Commons, crews from London Youth Rowing and a men and women’s senior race. As IC is quite a big deal, a men’s crew was invited to take part by the event organisers to race against London Rowing Club. The IC crew was a mismatch of rowers ranging from superstar Will Todd who is ranked in the top ten pairs in the world, to Rory Fallon; a complete beginner at the start of the year.

Marlow Regatta 2009: On the 20th and 21st of June 2009 ICBC’s men’s squadron competed at Marlow Regatta with guns blazing. Officer Bellion was at the scene…

Marlow Regatta is the last chance for crews to race before Henley Royal Regatta in two weeks time and takes place at Dorney lake; the very same venue where IC 1st 8 claimed a magnificent victory just three weeks earlier. Since then coach Steve Trapmore has decided that boys should become men and the 8+ was entered in a higher status category placing IC in direct competition with the best club and university crews in the country.

Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) 2009: Duffy Wins Henley. The pinnacle of a season’s training was over in less than 5 strokes for the women’s student academic four (Christina Duffy/Selina Graham/Chloe Symmonds/Julia Hong cox: Kate Wylie) when the crew steered directly into Salford University Rowing Club in the opening round and were disqualified. The stunned crew made their way down the course in shock as dreams of becoming as mighty as 2007 Henley Winner Will Todd were smashed before their very eyes. It was a weekend to forget with all crews unable to get past the opening round (or Temple Island for the 4+), although the elite 4x did IC proud with very little between all crews in their category.

Photo by Nick Ablitt

Metropolitan Regatta, Dorney Lake 2009: The sun shone down on Eton’s prestige rowing facility at Dorney Lake for the MET regatta "last weekend". The regatta runs as two separate days of racing allowing crews to combine in different categories. For IC this was a chance to speed test the women’s Henley crews and for the men to test some Henley Royal Regatta combinations. Overall squad performances fell below expectation with just one win: The men’s Intermediate 1 8+ on Sunday. There was also a notable gutsy performance from the WE4x who put in a strong performance finishing second in the final behind a tough UL crew.