After an uneventful 2024, the Thames has decided that this year it will hopefully be accommodating enough to allow Hampton Small Boats Head to take place. The 3000-metre course is tucked right into the middle of head season racing, meaning it will serve as a benchmark for how successful crews’ development over the previous few months has been. The women’s Junior 17 singles category is split into two groups: 11 girls compete in division one, and ten girls compete in division two. Eyeing up the draw, it is clear that there is an interesting mix of sweepers and scullers, each one determined to show their ability to move a single.
Claires Court School Boat Club
Claires Court has decided to put the majority of its J17 eggs into one basket. Three of their girls will be racing in division one, eagerly pushing each other on to see if one of them may come out on top. Stebbings, Johnston and Lamb have all raced together last season, though primarily in sweep boats. All three were members of the Claires Court Junior 16 coxed four last season, which came third in their heat at the British Rowing Club Championships in the summer. All three also doubled up to race the Junior 16 coxless quad, placing fifth in the C-final. From previous years, we can clearly see that the top end of Claires Court rowing can be coached to a high level of technical standard. These girls will give us an idea of what we have ahead of us for women’s sculling in 2026.
City of Bristol Rowing Club
Leading the pack of the first division is Shufflebotham from City of Bristol. She has had a reasonably successful junior career so far, spending her Junior 15 season stroking a coxed quad, which placed sixth at the 2024 Junior Sculling Regatta. Going off first will be sure to give her a boost of confidence that is often the only thing needed to make a small boat fly. This advantage allows her to keep a cautious eye on the impending competition and adjust her pacing and rate accordingly. Shufflebotham can’t forget that the rest of the pack is hunting her down and has their eyes set on her position, so she will need to stay composed if she wants to maintain her ranking and take a shot at the win.
Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association
Russo from Nottinghamshire County is shooting off second in this category, hot on the heels of City of Bristol Rowing Club. She raced the women’s Junior 16 single at the British Rowing Junior Championships last summer and scored a 37th-place finish. Although she will undoubtedly hope to improve on this position, her previous racing experience in a single will be very valuable for tackling this course. The leap from Holme Pierrepont to the Thames is undoubtedly a large one, but unfavourable conditions at the regatta lake have been compared to coastal rowing in the past, so the difference may not be as dramatic as it initially appears. Russo will have Shufflebotham ahead of her to chase down, so I’m sure she will be keen to catch her up.
Prediction
I believe that the girls from Claires Court will have a dominating performance and most likely take at least the first and second spots if they can climb the ladder and make ground on the leading scullers of Shufflebotham from City of Bristol, and Russo from Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association may have a shot at sliding in to stop a Claires Court podium.
