On Saturday, March 8, 2025, coinciding with International Women’s Day, the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race took place on the Thames, showcasing elite rowing talent over the 6.8Km Championship course from Mortlake to Putney.
Leander Club entered four boats in this prestigious event, demonstrating the strength and depth of their women’s squad.
Leander A: Champions Once Again
The Leander A crew, comprising Annie Campbell-Orde, Philippa Emery, Eve Stewart, Lauren Irwin, Hannah Scott, Lauren Carey, Juliette Perry and Eleanor Brinkhoff delivered an outstanding performance. They secured victory with a margin of 7.9 seconds over Thames Rowing Club, despite challenging weather conditions.
Leander B
The Leander B crew, stroked by Abby Top and coxed by Erin Kennedy, showcased commendable skill and determination after a challenging build up to the race. Their efforts culminated in a sixth-place finish; however, this was later reduced to 11th due to an umpire’s decision.
Leander C
A young development eight, including gap-year athlete Emily Downing, represented Leander’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent. This crew’s tenacity was evident as they battled leading university and club crews, securing a seventh-place finish overall. Their performance ranked them as the highest place C crew.
Leander D
Demonstrating versatility and teamwork, the Leander sculling squad took up only one oar each as they jumped into sweep racing for a day. With strong crews around them to push off they battled through the conditions to come away 8th overall and the highest place D crew.
On the day’s racing Harriet Taylor, crew coach for Leander C commented: ‘Yesterday was a wonderful display of the strength and depth of our women’s team. I am hugely proud of each crew’s performance, one of which being the development eight who made the top 10. I would like to especially mention Ollie Wynne-Griffith for is help in the run up to WeHorr. We are now looking forward to the summer events and some side-by-side racing.”
In summary, Leander Club’s performance across all four boats at the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race exemplifies their commitment to excellence in women’s rowing. The club continues to set high standards, fostering both seasoned athletes and emerging talent.
Attention now turns to our men’s team who race the Men’s Eights Head of the River on Saturday 22 March.
Crew lists and photos
Leander A: 8 Annie Campbell-Orde 7 Philippa Emery 6 Eve Stewart 5 Lauren Irwin 4 Hannah Scott 3 Lauren Carey 2 Juliette Perry 1 Eleanour Brinkhoff C Jack Tottem
Leander B: 8 Abi Topp 7 Amy Salesky 6 Imogen Magner 5 Lola Anderson 4 Olivia Costello 3 Sian Hinton 2 Isy Hawes 1 Phoebe Snowden C Erin Kennedy
Leander C: 8 Olivia Caesar 7 Charlotte Fennel 6 Emily Downing 5 Muryn Greene 4 Grace Dening-Smitherman 3 Dariia Myronova 2 Emma Sherwood 1 Sophie Chumas C George Farthing
Leander D: 8 Jemima Furness 7 Sarah McKay 6 Franny Hunt-Davis 5 Cam Nyland 4 Sophie Gray 3 Katie Mole 2 Rosemary Varney 1 Issy Sellers C Peter Litwin
