ROSS Rowing Club's Fliss Cox stormed to Henley Royal Regatta glory in Sunday's finals, to become the first winner of the new women's student quadruple sculls event with her Reading University crew.

In the 187-year-old regatta's inaugural staging of The Queen Victoria Challenge Cup, it was no-one’s surprise that her crew booked themselves a final spot after a season of success that included Henley Women's Regatta triumph last month.

Fliss Cox, left, races to victory in her Reading University boat
Fliss Cox, left, races to victory in her Reading University boat. Photo: Oarstruck (Oarstruck)

Victories over Dutch outfit Proteus-Eretes by over 2L and the University of Birmingham by 5L secured a medal race against another Netherlands outfit in the form of AASR Skoll, who had defeated Oxford Brookes and Reading’s own B crew.

And empowered by a remarkable programme headed by Olympic medallist Chris Bartley, her crew took the fight to the Dutch, leading by 3/4L of a length at the 1/4-Mile and 1 3/4L at the 1/2-Mile.

Rating at 33, Fliss, Zara Povey, Franny Hunt-Davis and Shannon Whelehan were undeterred throughout, demonstrating why they are the country’s premier sculling institution, to lead by clear water heading into the enclosures, setting new records to every marker crossing the line in 7 minutes 17 seconds 2 1/4L up.

Lovely bubbly - Fliss with her bottle of fizz after winning at Henley
Lovely bubbly - Fliss with her bottle of fizz after winning at Henley (Torsten Pope)

It capped off a superb regatta season for Fliss and crew following victory two weeks before at Henley Women's Regatta in the student quads, where they beat Nottingham University, Birmingham, Edinburgh and London by 2L in the final.

But there was Henley heartache for former Ross junior Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank, a winner of the Diamond Jubilee girls' quadruple sculls with Wycliffe in 2024, as her Washington University 8 had Island Cup women's college 8s victory clutched from their grasp in the final 300 yards by fellow Americans Brown.

Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank, fourth from right, racing in her Washington University crew. Photo: Ben Rodford
Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank, fourth from right, racing in her Washington University crew. Photo: Ben Rodford (Photo: Ben Rodford Photography)

Her crew dispatched Newcastle by 1 1/2L, Cambridge's Boat Race women by 2/3L and Durham in the semi by the same margin to make the final.

And the Seattle outfit took an early lead against Rhode Island's Brown to go through the Barrier and Fawley markers 3/4L up.

But approaching the enclosures, their rivals rating higher started to close, and agonisingly they surged past with just 30 strokes to go to win in 6.57.

Ross student Faith Thorpe-Williams also made it to the regatta with Hartpury in the Diamond Jubilee girls’ quad sculls, rowing down Oundle in the second half of their first round race before bowing out to Maidenhead by 2L.

But there was more Wye glory with Violet's fellow Monmouth Comprehensive alumni Tom Powell, whose Imperial College crew came back from 3/4L down to take the Prince Albert Cup college fours title by 1L from Newcastle University, following wins over Birmingham University, Cambridge's Light Blues and Dutch raiders Triton.

Old Monmothian cox Jack Tottem also steered his GB boat to Remenham Cup glory against the Italian national boat in the women's international 8s by 2 1/4L.

You can watch all the races from the six-day Henley Royal Regatta on their dedicated YouTube channel.