With the Fours Head of the River race nearly upon us, and after two frustrating years of cancellations, the anticipation for the Tideway race is palpable. Historically, this event has seen some explosive performances between crews from the heavy-hitting academic programmes, and the 2025 race promises to be no different. With ten crews entered and eager to test their winter form, there’s no doubt there will be some close finishes in the fight for first place.
University of London Boat Club (UL)
The first crew off the start line is the University of London’s ‘F’ crew. No stranger to the harsh conditions of the Tideway, UL has a history of delivering strong performances at Fours Head, having won the category as defending champions in 2022. This crew boasts a strong lineup of athletes, including Tilly Ollerenshaw, Alex Lahnborg, and Emma Rouse, who pre-qualified for the 2025 Henley Royal Regatta in The Island Challenge Cup. Tilly was also the named member of the winning 2022 Fours Head crew. No doubt hoping to continue their summer success of last season into this winter, I think we can be confident in assuming that UL’s ‘F’ crew will secure one of the top spots in this category. Going off two places behind them and boasting similarly experienced athletes, ULBC’s ‘I’ crew will be looking to push their other coxless four down the course. Having two entries into this category demonstrates the depth and wealth of experience typical of this Tideway-based club, and is definitely a factor in making them the early favourites for this race.
Imperial College Boat Club
Imperial College Boat Club are looking to challenge the University of London for the title. Another club familiar to the Tideway and providing two entries, we can be sure that Imperial will be feeling confident after their successful end to last season. In their ‘B’ crew, Loren Boles and Julia Kapcos will no doubt be riding the high of their quarterfinal finish at Henley Women’s Regatta in the coxless four. In the same boat-type but with two new crew members this season, it’ll be exciting to see if this crew can translate their success in the regatta season to success over the longer distances of the head-race season.
University of Nottingham Boat Club
Another crew to watch is the University of Nottingham‘s crew. Having achieved success across the board last season, securing a ninth-place finish for their academic eight at the Women’s Head of the River Race, and only narrowly missing out on qualifying for The Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, they will surely be fired up and hungry for success in this coming season. Jessica Jamieson, a Texas University alumnus and two-time Big 12 champion, will no doubt be bringing her own experience to the crew in hopes of securing a prominent finishing spot.
Predictions
So early on in the season, it’s hard to be 100% confident in any predictions. However, I think it’s very likely that the University of London ‘F’ will defend their title. I believe that the fight for second place will be between the University of Nottingham and the University of London’s ‘I’ crew, whilst Imperial College Boat Club are definitely not to be forgotten about. I’d be excited to see if the addition of talent from across the pond is the key to pushing the University of Nottingham four up to the standard of the Tideway crews, and I will be waiting to see where they can land themselves in the standings.
