Vesta's Honours
Vesta has a proud history, and as you would expect from a Club founded in 1870, a large number of Honours it is proud to present to Members and Visitors alike.
These Honours come in many forms, some of which you would expect from a historic rowing Club:
Pictures of previous winning crews
Boards highlight previous Captains, Chairmen and Presidents
Plaques marking historic wins and races
Numerous trophies throughout the Clubhouse
Boards commemorating those Members that made the ultimate sacrifice in the two World Wars
Historic sets of oars from major rowing wins
And even a single scull, originally built in the boatsheds (when the Aylings Family built boats from here, many years ago.
Some Honours are rather different; specific and unique to the Club, most of these are represented by various coloured caps, all can be split into two categories; recognising either excellence in Rowing, or in Volunteering.
Vesta Red Cap - Excellence in Rowing
The Vesta Red Cap is awarded to those Members that achieve the highest of rowing accolades - winning an event at Henley Royal or Henley Women's Regattas. Other domestic and international events, deemed suitable by the Committee, may also be recognised in the same manner.
These caps are rightfully treasured, and can often be seen gracing the banks at Henley Royal and the bar at the Remenham Club.
Previous winners include:
-
Dan Baillache
Oli Quitmann
Adrian Turner
Tom Smith
James Colley
Lydia Cronin
Rebecca Kelly
Helen Gun
Fran Lidlow
Felicity Carroll
Celine Vine
Alice Sephton
Hetty Palmer
Charlotte Orrell
Hannah Turner
Joey Innes-Hopkins
Sarah Campbell
Caitlin Kickham -
Robyn McGregor-Richie
Ruth McKellar
Loise Emkes
Jamie-Rose Larkin
Harry Bond
Simon Woodfine
Richard Lear
Mark Roberts
Adele Hing -
Harry Bond
Simon Woodfine -
Harry Bond
The Vesta First Eight Blazer
These Blazers are owned by the Club and awarded to the First Eights that represent the Club at the Head of the River and Women's Head. These 18 people act as stewards of the Blazers until the next year.
Marked out as different to the usual Club Blazer by a red crest and Roman Numeral (to mark the seat number) over the breast pocket. These Blazers represent the Club's pride in those Members that represent us at the biggest Head Races of the season.
In many ways they can be considered the Vesta 'Blue' - and are received with pride. Each person awarded a Blazer is charged to improve the standing of the Blazer - ensuring a continual drive for excellence permeates everything the Club does.
Some Blazers have had the initials and the associated year the specific steward was awarded it - marks that highlight in a very visceral way, the history, success and honour associated with being awarded one of these rare garments.
-
+: Branwen Phillips
VIII: Tristan Taylor
VII: Christopher Hall
VI: Greg Forrest
V: Alex Nash
IV: Dominic Skeat
III: Tom Thorpe
II: Alexander Waring
I: Francis Teherne Pollock -
+: Tally Jones
VIII: James King
VII: Tom Smith
VI: Jack Cox
V: Alex Duncomb
IV: Chris Hall
III: Callum Fletcher
II: Alex Nash
I: Fergus Mitchell-Dwelly -
+: Dan Baillache
VIII: James King
VII: Tom Smith
VI: Oli Quitmann
V: Alex Duncomb
IV: Tom Thorpe
III: Fergus Mitchell-Dwelly
II: Alex Nash
I: Callum Fletcher -
+ Emily Jardine
VIII: James King
VII: Tom Smith
VI: Oli Quitmann
V: Adam Tucker
IV: Alex Nash
III: James Colley
II: Adrian Turner
I: Callum Fletcher -
+
VIII:
VII:
VI:
V:
IV:
III:
II:
I: -
+
VIII:
VII:
VI:
V:
IV:
III:
II:
I: -
+ Rob Hamilton
VIII: Matt Webb
VII: Jason Bowyer
VI: Adrian Turner
V: Harris Asher
IV: Ross Langtree
III: Paul Corby
II: James King
I: Graham Hunter -
+ Julia Frankh
VIII: Matt Webb
VII: James Yates
VI: James King
V: Chris Clements
IV: Adrian Turner
III: Rob Donald
II: Oliver Lumley
I: Ed Roe -
+ Nicoli Saini
VIII: Will Pearson
VII: Chris Clements
VI: Gianni Galavotti
V: Rob Donald
IV: Alan Hunton
III: Luca Turner
II: Oliver Chapman
I: Sven Radke
Senior Men’s First Eight
Senior Women’s First Eight
-
+: Jayna Patel
VIII: Eliza Argyropoulos
VII: Bridget Hall
VI: Elizabeth Barnett
V: Mikaela Blowing
IV: Tamara Grossmann
III: Allie Ryle
II: Jennifer Goff
I: Victoria Lacey -
+: Jayna Patel
VIII: Fenella Boulter
VII: Victoria Lacey
VI: Elizabeth Barnett
V: Mikaela Blowing
IV: Jennifer Goff
III: Natasha Johnson
II: Eliza Argyropoulos
I: Laura Haden-Smith -
+: Felicity Carroll
VIII: Rebecca Kelly
VII: Alice Sephton
VI: Lydia Cronin
V: Charlotte Orrell
IV: Hetty Palmer
III: Caitlin Kickham
II: Celine Vine
I: Francesca Lidlow -
+: Felicity Carroll
VIII: Rebecca Kelly
VII: Caitlin Kickham
VI: Lydia Cronin
V: Helen Gunn
IV: Hetty Palmer
III: Francesca Lidlow
II: Sarah Campbell
I: Charlotte Orrell -
+
VIII:
VII:
VI:
V:
IV:
III:
II:
I: -
+ Cathrine Wilson
VIII: Amber Mayall
VII: Charlotte Orrell
VI: Helen Gunn
V: Rebecca Kelly
IV: Sarah Campbell
III: Sarah Thompson
II: Clare Wood
I: Francesca Lidlow -
+ Rob Fellows
VIII: Robyn McGregor-Richie
VII: Charlotte Orrell
VI: Amber Mayall
V: Francesca Lidlow
IV: Louisa Emkes
III: Rebecca Kelly
II: Ruth McKellar
I: Kirsty McGregor-Richie -
+ Lauren Owens
VIII: Robyn McGregor-Richie
VII: Chloe Symmonds
VI: Louisa Emkes
V: Jamie-Rose Larkin
IV: Catherine Long
III: Sarah Thompson
II: Ruth McKellar
I: Kirsty McGregor-Richie -
+ Lauren Hardcastle
VIII: Robyn McGregor-Richie
VII: Jamie-Rose Larkin
VI: Ruth McKellar
V: Victoria Carroll
IV: Louisa Emkes
III: Cherry Femor
II: Catherine Long
I: Kirsty McGregor-Richie
White Caps
Awarded as a sign of respect to the very best of those the Club relies on to selflessly give up their time to ensure that others within the Club can learn, grow and succeed.
These Caps are to volunteering what our Red Caps are to rowing. Each cap, infrequently awarded, is a badge of Honour that the Club bestows to those heroes whose efforts would otherwise go unnoticed - efforts that can too easily be taken for granted.
Previous winners have ranged from Coaches to the volunteers behind our Bar. Whether years have been spent braving the elements through the winter months, or in preparing bacon butties for others, Vesta Rowing Club is justifiably proud to of its many volunteers, no more so than those few that go on to be awarded a White Cap.
-
Clare Wood
Ed Roe
-
Eliza Argyropoulos
Matt Holyoak
-
Jack Elkington
Mikaela Blowing -
James King
-
Adam Laird
-
-
Rob Fellowes
-
Joseph Casey
Isabelle Laliberte -
Leigh Curtis-Green
Kirsten Adams
Oliver Chapman
Andrew Carson
Lauren Hardcastle
Charlotte Lennox -
Helen Grey
Judith Howell
Paul Lorenzato
Previous winners include:
Derek Dunkley Award
For those people awarded a White Cap, one will often rise above the rest. This person will have been one of the bedrocks of the Club, someone without whom the Club would not have achieved the success it has. Previous winners have often been involved in numerous areas simultaneously. From volunteering time behind our Bar, to Coaching, organising events to pushing the Club to expand its horizons, their workload has often shocked with both its scope and depth. The award recognises and celebrates their efforts in the Club and the debt that the Members owe these.
-
Saravanan Ramachandran
-
Eliza Argyropoulos
-
Mikaela Blowing
-
Rob Fellows
-
Sarah Campbell
-
Christopher Ruddick
-
Vincent McGovern
-
Wendy Armstrong
The Captain’s Cap
Passed on from Captain to Captain, in a similar manner to the Vesta First Eight Blazers, this Cap is awarded to each new Captain from the preceding one. Each Captain acts as a steward of the Cap until their time on the Committee is done.
Each Captain also initials their name and the years they acted as Captain on the Cap. This again acts as a visceral reminder of the History of the Club and the sense of Legacy that the role requires.
-
2026 Robert Alexander
2025 Graham Hunter
2024 Dan Baillache
2023 Niale Cleobury
2020 - 2022 Chris Clements
2017 - 2020 Harry Bond
2015 - 2016 James Hawkins
2014 Aga Siemiginowska
2012 - 2013 Alex Brown
2010 - 2011 Andrew McMillan