9 November: Four crew pennants, including another win for Olympian Debbie Flood, was the overall tally for Leander at the Fours Head, where the club placed four crews among the top 10 finishers and won the new lightweight quads event just six seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

For Debbie Flood and her European silver medal crewmates their 33 second win in the women's elite fours brought the double Olympian, who made the switch from sculling to sweep just for the race, her first-ever win racing in a four!

There was another dominant performance for the Leander men's four, with Under-23 bronze medalist Charlie Burkitt on board, who took an eight second winning margin ahead of the second -placed London crew.

But there was disappointment for the Leander men's quad, stroked by Olympic bronze medalist Steve Rowbotham, who failed to wrest the Head pennant from Tideway Scullers. The Chiswick-based club had once again boated a cosmopolitan crew including triple world sculling champion Mahe Drysdale and former Olympic gold medalist Iztok Cop, and it proved to be a winning combination. The Leander quad finished in third place as Reading University squeezed into second.

Leander's fourth win on Saturday came with the Senior 1 quad, which had already overhauled several other crews by the time the flotilla reached Hammersmith and finished a clear 42 seconds ahead of the Star composite, the second-placed crew in their event.

In Senior 2 quads it looked as though Leander might have picked up a fifth pennant after the provisonal results placed them in the lead, but in the final analysis it was University of London who took the prize, just over two seconds ahead of Nottingham with Leander third.

CREW PHOTOS

Click on each thumbnail for full-size view

Leander I Elite M4x	Leander II Elite LM4x	Leander III S1 M4x	Leander IV Elite M4-	Leander V Elite M4-
Leander VI Elite M4+	Leander VII S2 M4x	Leander VIII S2 M4x	Leander XI Elite W4-	Leander XII S2 M4+

LEANDER CREWS and RESULTS

4 November: Four Leander Olympians are scheduled to return to competition this Saturday during the Fours Head, the major event of the autumn schedule held over the Championship Course in London.

Steve Rowbotham, bronze medallist in men's double sculls three months ago in Beijing, will stroke the leading Leander men's quad, in which the 3 seat will be occupied by club vice-captain Ian Lawson, winner of the Diamond Sculls at this year's Henley Royal Regatta.

In the Leander women's quad Katie Greves and Louise Reeve, Olympic finalists in the eight and the pair, will compete alongside Tina Stiller, the GB single sculler in Beijing, and Jane Hall, world silver medallist in lightweight quads.

Debbie Flood makes an unusual switch from sculling to sweep by taking part in the women's fours with Jo Cook, Louisa Rowbotham and Vicky Myers, the European silver medallists in the GB women's eight.

Eleven Leander crews will take part in Saturday's mammoth event, in which 550 crews will race over the 4 1/4 mile reverse Boat Race course from Mortlake to Putney. As well as giving many international athletes the chance to compete for their clubs it also gives development crews the opportunity to test their mettle as the winter training season unfolds.

Steve Rowbotham is relishing the chance to get back into competition.

"It's a nice race to get back into training and mark the start of the next four-year cycle. It's really good to be in a non-pressure situation, to represent the club, and to have a good crack at it" he said.

The Leander quad starts in the No. 2 slot behind Tideway Scullers, the crew which beat them to the line last year and which includes, once again, the three-times world sculling champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.

Leander crews will boat from the ARA boathouse from about 9.30am, and the race itself, which gets under way at 10.30am can be viewed from all the usual vantage points along the route, including Hammersmith Bridge, where the largest crowds can usually be found.

ENDS