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July 10, 2006
ANDOVER, Mass.—The Phillips Academy boys’ rowing team performed superbly at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta, reaching the semifinals in the schoolboy eights division of competition, The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. The regatta, held annually at Henley-on-the-Thames, near London, is the world’s premier rowing event, with entrants of many levels.
Despite some logistical problems—delivery of their boat from the United States was delayed by days—the Andover crew of eight was able to make a strong showing in only the fourth Henley appearance by the Academy in the past quarter-century. The crew outperformed Kingston Grammar School of England easily in the first round of races, posting one of the top times of the day. In later rounds, Andover beat another two British teams—St. Edward’s School (by 2 ¾ lengths) and Abingdon School (by 1/3 length)—to ensure a spot in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup final four. In the semifinals, Phillips Academy battled an impressive crew from The King’s School of Chester, England, which handed Andover its first loss of the trip.
This year’s crew was composed of Chip Schroeder ’08, Parker Washburn ’09, Rush Martin ’07, Scott Morgan ’06, Karl Hirt ’06, Andrew Faulkner ’07, Geoff Martin ’07, Justin Yi ’06, and coxswain Michelle Darby ’07.
Earlier during their two-week stay in England, the Phillips Academy crew competed and won its event in the Reading Town Regatta. The rowers outraced schools from the United States and England in rounds one and two, and topped fellow Massachusetts school Tabor Academy in the final.
While the trip had its share of successes for the Phillips Academy boys’ rowing team, coach Peter Washburn also had reason to celebrate a personal achievement: He was accepted as a member of the Leander Club, the world's oldest and most renowned rowing club. Hart Perry, a longtime crew coach at Kent School in Connecticut, nominated Washburn for membership. The two have a history on the water: When a high school student, Washburn competed against crews coached by Perry.
Washburn said he was honored and humbled by his membership in the storied organization. |
