Chiswick School Returns to Chiswick Regatta After 60 Year Gap |
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Success for girls' crew participating for first time
May 9, 2024 It has been sixty years since a crew from Chiswick School has participated in the Chiswick Regatta but this May Bank Holiday weekend it made a successful return. The Chiswick School J15 girls’ squad was racing in the Janousek four purchased for it jointly by Chiswick Rowing Trust and the Quintin Hogg Trust. In the heat for the 1000 metre event, it was up against Tiffin School who made a strong start, but the Chiswick crew pulled ahead to win convincingly by three lengths. The reward was a place in the final against Emanuel School and victory looked possible as the crew was leading at the halfway point. However, Emanuel put in a strong push in the second half of the race to just overhaul Chiswick School on the finish line and win by a third of a length. The crew were hugely encouraged by their competitive performance at their first ever regatta and will be racing again at Barnes and Mortlake Regatta on 15 June. The President of Quintin Boat Club, John Peters, who rowed in a Chiswick Grammar School boys eight at the Regatta in 1964 commented, “It was wonderful to see Chiswick School competing again at Chiswick Regatta after a gap of 60 years.” The Chiswick Regatta originated as Chiswick Clinker Eights on Saturday 17 May 1924 making this year its centenary. The event was established by a committee drawn from the four clubs on this stretch of the river – Anglian, Ibis, Mortlake and Quintin. Chiswick Regatta continued to race through Chiswick Bridge after its construction in the 1930s and in 1983 women’s events were introduced. In 1990 it moved to its present date on the Saturday of the May Day Bank Holiday.
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