There’s something in the air!

It’s like the slow burn of a pink dawn after a long night. The stirrings and murmurings of something returning. Something good, powerful, exciting – and new.

In the rowing community, we’re not immune to the intangible energy coursing through the country. COVID-19 laid the world low and stole away our liberties in the most brutal fashion. The simple pleasure of taking a single scull out on flat water at sunrise never felt as far away as it did at the turn of the year.

The return of Henley Royal Regatta is perhaps the unspoken, untendered, unregulated vaccine that we all need. That famous old battleground, nestled in the sprawling English countryside and resting on nearly 200 years of tradition, welcomes competitors and spectators back in a few short days’ time, after over two years in the cold.

It’s fairly easy to see why we’re excited. Henley Royal Regatta represents the best of our sport on and off the water – a quasi-world cup in terms of calibre, all fettered and fitted into one-on-one racing on the straights of the Thames. Off the water, it’s a festival of colour and culture – and 2021 promises to double up as a long overdue celebration.

Of course, it’s easy to enjoy the event when you enjoy a special relationship with one of the most successful competitors of recent times. The Windsor Boys School (TWBS), led by Mark Wilkinson, have won two of the past three Fawley Challenge Cup titles and currently hold the course record established in 2018 (6:27).

We’ve enjoyed a phenomenal relationship with Mark and his team since 2013, when The Windsor Boys School were seeking a new supplier of racing boats and equipment. As a leading proponent of the junior rowing community, it was clear why we were a fit for TWBS on paper – but the synergies have only grown as our cooperation has extended across boats, repairs, support and service.

The following successes achieved on the domestic scene by TWBS came as no surprise to us. Mark’s incredible eye for detail and approach to speed reaps results and TWBS crews have gained national titles at the National Schools’ Regatta and the British Rowing Junior Championships (as recently as a few weeks ago in the latter’s case). Mark and his team have a remarkable, largely unsung ability to develop and nurture class after class of young schoolboys from dreamers to winners on the grandest of stages.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this group of young athletes is their resilience and whole-hearted belief in the program. In 2014, TWBS lost in the final of The Fawley Challenge Cup. They learned and returned, stronger. In 2016, again, the bitter taste of a final defeat to Claire’s Court School galvanized the next generation of rowers to step on.

And that’s how we find ourselves, eagerly awaiting the outcome of yet another Henley battle for the Fawley Cup title among the best of schoolboy scullers. Such is the strength of the program that even after a silver medal at the National Schools’ Regatta in May, most of the rowing community knew that TWBS quads only get faster as the season goes on.

A truly exceptional group of young people cannot succeed without the right infrastructure to back them up. That is where we at Oarsport (WinTech Racing’s exclusive UK dealer) come in. Rewind to 2013 where TWBS were in desperate need of replacing an ageing fleet of several different makes and a plan was put in place to streamline these obvious shortcomings to one realistically priced brand. Together, we embarked on a new purchasing approach – without breaking the bank and protecting the future direction of the club. 

WinTech Racing Cobra 4x Testimonial: Mark Wilkinson – Director of Rowing – The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club

As of today, we have supplied over 40 boats for Mark and his squad, ranging from singles for the long-distance winter morning sculls to top-of-the-range Cobra racing boats, designed with a sole purpose – to support their incumbents to victory at the summit of junior rowing.

WinTech Racing’s mission has always been to promote the growth of rowing by making it easier and more affordable to buy quality shells that improve performance at all levels. In TWBS, we believe we’ve found the perfect partner to embody our operating principles.

On the eve of Henley Royal Regatta 2021, TWBS will be under no illusion about the scale of the challenge that lies before them. Stiff competition is expected from current holders Leander Club alongside a very smart outfit from The Tideway Scullers School. Crews from Lea, Henley and Wallingford will also form obstacles that TWBS must overcome if they’re to prevail on those dappled, sacred waters. Uno animo (with one spirit) is the school’s core value, something that emphasizes the importance of teamwork, ambition, determination and leadership – all values that are intrinsic to sporting excellence. 

We cannot wait to see the crews put that into action on the Henley stretch and wish all athletes and coaches the very best of luck!

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