With Hampton Head on the horizon, this much-loved three-kilometre race along the winding Thames promises an exciting end to the 2025 season for many young scullers. The course demands real endurance and confident boat handling, with sharp bends, narrow sections, and uneven banks testing every athlete. 15 junior scullers will line up to contest the final wins of the year, and each of them will no doubt be eager to finish the season on a high note.
Claires Court School Boat Club
Claires Court arrives at Hampton with the kind of numbers and technical depth that straight away sets them apart from the rest of the field. With four Junior 16 scullers launching down the course, they don’t just turn up with options; they turn up with a fight for every step on the podium. Even if one boat misjudges a line through the bridges or loses rhythm in the back half, there is almost certainly another CCS sculler ready to post another strong time. More importantly, CCS athletes spend their winters living in small boats, sharpening the exact skills Hampton demands: clean steering, stable pressure, and the confidence to commit around tight bends. This division is always unpredictable, but the security of depth and the programme’s long-standing experience in small boats make CCS the safest and strongest bet.
Barn Elms Rowing Club
Barn Elms enter with just one sculler, but that does not quash their chances in the slightest; in fact, it makes them one of the most interesting clubs in the entire category. Training on a long, open stretch of the Thames gives Barn Elms athletes a distinct advantage in early-season head racing. Where many school programmes are confined to tight river loops or short bursts between traffic, Barn Elms crews can settle into uninterrupted mileage, building the kind of aerobic strength that pays off in long head races. That depth of fitness tends to show at Hampton, particularly through the middle minutes where rhythm is everything. Bae-Davies benefits from that environment and carries the typical Barn Elms steadiness and length in his stroke. Suppose he steers cleanly and holds his composure, which is drilled into their scullers from the challenging lines posed by the Tideways, then Barn Elms have a very real chance of bringing forth the second strongest sculler, and perhaps even unsettling CCS if the favourites have a shaky performance.
Rob Roy Boat Club
Rob Roy’s strength this year lies in balance. Two capable scullers, both technically tidy, both capable of stringing together a strong head race performance. Vilhauer brings a consistency that should translate well to Hampton’s changing river conditions, while Zarakol Jajich offers a more unpredictable approach, but also the potential for a standout result if he hits his stride early. Rob Roy juniors are well-coached by Stefan Graf, a dedicated coach who has been there since 2005, with crisp catches, light hands, and measured application, which will perhaps see them move out with purpose. With two realistic contenders in their ranks, Rob Roy is well positioned to post at least one competitive time, putting them firmly in the fight for the podium.
Predictions
With a well-renowned and exciting head on the approach, there are several ways in which the medals could go, but with the large entry of clearly their top four scullers, I have to predict entry number one from Claires Court, Hickson, to take the win. I expect we will see a strong challenge from the Barn Elms Davies to take second, and perhaps push out the Claire’s Court top four. Third place could be decided swiftly by Claires Court again, snatching up another medal, but I believe the two capable scullers of Rob Roy have an equally positive chance at coming away not empty-handed and with a head of experience to bring into the racing season.
