The Canford School Senior Boys Eight raced at the Reading University HoRR this past Saturday. This race has been run since 1935 and is a downstream row over a 4.6km stretch of the river Thames. In attendance were some of the best school, university and club teams in the country. Also in attendance (spectating, not rowing!) was John kerry, the recent US Secretary of State (2013 - 2017). It is possible he wasn't there just to see Canford row but hey.

An early start for the squad, leaving school at 6am, was rewarded with blue skies, a warm wind, competitive racing and an early finish. The team was made up of Tom Jack, Toby Brooks, Josh Bale, David Bourne, Charlie Bartlett, Simon Jowett, George Hosking, Max Beaney and Fergus Longbottom(c).

It fair to say that the current Senior Boys 8 are in a medium to long term programme; the average age in the boat is still only 16. Improvements are clearly visible each time they go out and race times in comparison to the rest of the fleet are heading in the right direction.

Overall the event was won by the Oxford Brooks University A boat, beating Leander Rowing Club into a rare second place. The schools' event was won by Radley College in a time that would have put them in 5th in the Elite Men's group ahead of Henley Rowing Club.