As the 2025 head-racing season gathers momentum, the Women’s Junior 15 coxed quad, even at Hampton Small Boats Head, is shaping up to be a fiercely contested category. The demanding 3000-metre course on the River Thames, with its blend of technical steering challenges and sustained power requirements, will test every crew’s early-season form. With several squads showing impressive developments over the past year, the battle for the top sports looks tighter and almost unpredictable as ever.
Sir Williams Perkins School Rowing Club
Sir William Perkins enter this year’s Hampton Small Boats Head as one of the most in-form crews, having taken the gold medal at both Wallingford Long Distance Sculls and Kingston Small Boats Head. These two victories, which were both raced over longer or similarly challenging head-race formats, demonstrate that Sir William Perkins has made significant strides in endurance efficiency over distance and race execution. Their strong start in 2025 builds on a history of consistency. Last season, they were regularly competitive, often sitting just shy of the very top crews, but these new wins show a step up in both speed and reliability. With growing squad depth and clear momentum, SWP looks like a genuine contender for the top of the podium this year at Hampton.
Putney High School Boat Club
Putney High School Boat Club continues to be one of the most formidable and renowned programs in junior women’s rowing. Their silver medal at the National Schools’ Regatta last year is a testament to their ability to perform on the biggest stage and reflects the strength and depth throughout their squad. Putney’s hallmark remains their blend of technical sharpness and competition-hardened racing. Even though no new 2025 head-race result has been recorded in the given information, their pedigree across both regatta and head-race formats, and their massive internal squad depth, mean they are almost certain to field at least one exceptionally strong crew. Putney should be expected to challenge for a medal and possibly push for the win if they translate their regatta success into longer-distance power.
Lady Eleanor Holles Boat Club
Lady Eleanor Holles return with confidence following a standout recent result: winning at Teddington Head’ in the Women’s Junior 15 eight category last weekend. While this victory comes in sweep rather than sculling, success in an eight reveals strong engine power, cohesion, and technical qualities that often translate well into quad performance, especially in endurance-based head races. LEH’s historical strength in regatta racing remains one of their trademarks, and with solid squad numbers and competitive ambition, they will be aiming to close the gap on the top crews in the sculling disciplines. Their recent win suggests strong winter form; if they can adapt that speed to the quad, LEH may well surprise crews who outperformed them last year.
Henley Rowing Club
Henley RC will be coming into this race with confidence after a strong early-season marker, coming in second place by clocking a 15:24.0 at the recent Henley Long Distance Sculls. This result highlights the technical proficiency, endurance, and individual speed within their squad; qualities that often transfer effectively into their quad performance over head-race distances. Henley’s established reputation as a leading sculling programme continues to serve them well, and with depth in their junior ranks and a history of high standards, they will undoubtedly be targeting the front of the field. Their recent performance signals promising winter form; if they can channel that speed into Hampton, Henley may pose a far more substantial challenge to the top crews than last season’s results might suggest.
Prediction
Concluding who is likely to be in first place is quite laborious, however, it is most likely to be Sir William Perkins School. Their double victory at Wallingford Long Distance Sculls and Kingston Small Boats Head gives them unmistakable evidence of early-season speed in the exact racing format Hampton demands. They enter in a favoured position. However, the race for the final podium spot would be a very close contest between Lady Eleanor Holles, Putney and possibly Henley.
