6 July 09: The reappearance of the GB national squad at Henley in the post-Olympic year meant that Leander athletes competed in five winning crews at this year’s regatta. But there was disappointment for some of the established favourites, as well as the three crews of club athletes, for whom the high-class competition proved unstoppable.

4 July: Leander athletes qualified for nine Henley finals, but in two major upsets the Ladies Plate eight went out at the hands of Brown University, while Pete Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge once again met their nemesis - the same New Zealand pair who beat them to the gold two weeks ago in Munich.

Luke Moon and his Hollingworth Lake crew mates won the third race of the day in the Fawley, only to go down to the big Australians from Melbourne Grammar School in the final race of the day.

Marcus Bateman became the first Leander finalist when the GB men's quad squeezed home just half a length ahead of California RC, and then the GB under-23 eight, with three Leander men on board, beat Brown Alumni to claim their final place in the Ladies. Brown took their revenge against Leander in mid-afternoon when their 'A' crew beat the Leander club eight in the other Ladies' semifinal.

Dave Jones and Jono Clegg beat Tideway Scullers as part of the Durham University/Brookes composite in the semi of the Prince of Wales, and then Leander's Katie Greves stroked the GB women's quad to victory over the Wairiki 'B' crew in the Princess Grace.

Then came disaster for Pete Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge in the Goblets, where once again Eric Murray and Hamish Bond proved too fast. Ramon di  Clemente and Shaun Keeling, the current trophy holders from South Africa, won the other semi, which means that only three trophies will definitely go overseas in tomorrow's finals.

In the Remenham the GB senior women's eight beat their under-23 counterparts despite boating a substitute in the shape of Walbrook's Sarah Winckless in the 7 seat, and the GB men's four promptly rowed over to claim a place in the Stewards' final.

Matt Wells and Steve Rowbotham beat the last Chinese hope at the regatta, Yuan and Zhang, to put them in with a chance of regaining the Double Sculls trophy they last won three years ago.

3 July: When the GB women's eight, rowing as Leander & Wallingford, met Upper Thames & Star and Arrow the result was never in doubt, as they powered off the start at 44 to achieve control by the top of the Island. The Star & Arrow athletes included a number of winners from last year's event but the GB composite had a commanding lead at the Barrier and went on to win by two lengths.

Next it was the turn of Leander's Dave Jones and Jono Clegg, sculling in the Durham University/Brookes composite against Exeter/Dart Totnes in the Prince of Wales. The south-west crew suffered from poor steering off the start and were down two lengths at the Barrier, with Durham/Brookes able to cruise home.

The GB lightweight women's quad, sculling as London and Leander, included three of last year's Princess Grace winners, and led the New Zealanders from Waiariki by a canvas at the Barrier. But the Kiwis applied the presure at Remenham, led by three feet at the Mile, and went on to win by 3/4 length.

Pete Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge were never troubled by London's Ian Cowell and Ian Edmondson. For a brief moment it seemed as though they might go for the Barrier record, but the cross headwind would not permit it and they cruised home to a predictable easy verdict.

With regatta chairman Mike Sweeney in charge of the race the Leander Ladies Plate eight established early superiority over London/Henley, leading by two lengths at the Barrier and moving out to a 3 1/2 length verdict.

In the final race of the morning session the GB under-23 women's eight, competing as a Leander/Molesey composite, powered away from Brookes/Tethys to an easy verdict.

In the Ladies Plate race between Brown university and another Leander/Molesey composite the Brown 7 man came off his seat at the second stroke and the crew appealed. After the Henley rules had been explained they carried on rowing, some six lengths down, and it proved an impossible task.

The Leander Prince of Wales quad moved strongly away from the opposition in the final race before tea, ensuring yet another Leander crew through to Saturday's semifinals.

Steve Rowbotham and Matt Wells simply had to scull over to progress in the Doubles after their opposition withdrew, and the final Leander race of the day was Katie Greves' participation in the GB women's quad scull which took a 2 1/2 length verdict over the UL/West End composite.

2 July: Leander opened their account at HRR with a straighforward win in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup for club quadruple sculls.

Drawn on the Bucks station against the Hammersmith-based club, Auriol Kensington, they set off confidently at 44 strokes a minute and already led by a length at the quarter mile. Despite rating a pip lower than the opposition they maintained that lead at Fawley and moved away in the closing stages to take an easy verdict.

It was a different story for Ian Lawson, who was attempting to defend his Diamonds title against much stronger opposition than the 2008 regatta. Duncan Grant, the New Zealand lightweight with two world titles to his credit, was fast off the start and despite a slight headwind, maintained the advantage all the way to the line.

Pete Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge disposed of their American opposition in the Goblets with a stunning display of power that gave them an easy verdict by the quarter mile, but Leander suffered their first loss of the regatta when the Visitors four went out at the hands of Molesey. Bot hcrews rated 44 off the start but Molesey moved into a one length lead at the Barrier, and extended it to 3 1/4 lengths at the line.

Next it was the turn of the Leander/Molesey composite crew which will form this year's GB under-23 eight. In predictable fashion they rowed right away from the Downing/City of Cambridge composite in their heat of the Ladies Plate, to take a four length verdict.

The final appearance of the day for Leander athletes was when Dave Jones and Jono Clegg appeared in the Durham University/Oxford Brookes composite quad in the Prince of Wales. The Blue Coat/Kingston opposition featured former Leander athlete Andy Dax, but proved no match for Durham/Brookes who broke the barrier record as they cruised to an easy verdict.