By Eleanor Lewis
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July 9, 2026
The Summer Term has been one of the most successful in recent years for Norwich School Boat Club, with pupils competing with distinction at regional, national and international-level events while achieving several historic milestones for the club. The term began with Bedford Regatta, where 55 rowers raced in 17 crews across 14 events. For many of our J14 athletes, this was their first experience of side-by-side regatta racing, and they embraced the challenge superbly. Five crews reached the semi-finals and four progressed to finals, with the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad winning the Open Quad event. The Senior Girls’ 1st Coxed Four, the J14 Girls’ Quad and the Senior Boys’ 2nd crew also produced outstanding performances, while our coxes demonstrated excellent skill navigating Bedford’s demanding course. At the National Schools’ Regatta on the 2012 Olympic course at Dorney Lake, Norwich School enjoyed some of its strongest performances to date. The J14 Girls’ Octo finished 11th overall, while several J14 Boys Octo were 13th and the J15 boys and girls Coxed Fours were 15th and 13threpectively. The Senior Boys’ 2nd Quad finished an impressive 8th nationally, and both the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad and Senior Girls’ 1st Coxed Four reached Championship A Finals, each finishing 8th in the country—the highest Championship placing ever achieved by these crews. Success continued at Star Regatta, where 18 crews reached nine finals and secured four victories. Highlights included wins for the J14 Girls’ Double, the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad, the Senior Boys’ Double and the J17 Double, alongside several closely contested finals demonstrating the strength and depth of the squad. The Senior Girls made club history at Henley Women’s Regatta by becoming the first Norwich School sweep crew ever to qualify for the event. After an impressive victory in their opening race, they pushed the eventual National Schools’ champions, Wallingford Rowing Club, all the way in a thrilling quarter-final. At Peterborough Junior Regatta, our younger athletes also impressed, with Edward H and Tilek MQ winning silver in the J14 Double. Another landmark achievement came at Henley Royal Regatta, where the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad became the first Norwich School quad to compete at this prestigious event. Drawn against Canadian champions Ridley College, they produced one of the closest races of the regatta, losing by just one foot after an outstanding performance that earned widespread praise. Finally, congratulations go to Ellie T, James H and Nicholas C for their outstanding progress through the GB Under-19 trial process. Ellie, the first Norwich School girl to progress through the trials process, has the Race-offs on Wednesday, while James and Nicholas advanced to Final Crew Formation following exceptional performances throughout the season. These achievements reflect the commitment, resilience and teamwork shown by every member of the Boat Club. The progress made this year provides an excellent foundation for the future, and everyone involved should be immensely proud of a truly memorable season.