Wednesday Reviews
Thames R.C. ‘B’ v Commercial R.C., IRL
Well, I’m eating my words from yesterday. Commercial looked a little nervous lining up for the start, and I’m afraid the luck of the Irish was not on their side by the End of the Island, as Thames ‘B’ had established an early two-third-length lead. This extended out to a length, demonstrating that a ‘B’ crew from Thames belongs right up there with the best of them. What’s more, the joyous bucket paid off for the Thames middle pair who, led by their strokeman George Hawkswell and backed up by bowman Cameron Murphy, laid down a solid marker for the week ahead.
Crabtree B.C. v Tyne A.R.C.
Here come the Geordies. Known for their punchy starts and early accelerations, Tyne decided their own victorious fate by the Barrier, claiming clear water over the Cambridge University alumnus of Crabtree. By Fawley, this stretched out to two lengths, as Tyne fell well into their stride. Built on a foundation of volunteer coaches, the trajectory Tyne has been on these past few seasons is nothing short of impressive, and makes me proud to be a northerner. They face Sydney tomorrow.
Sydney R.C., AUS v Vesta R.C.
Well, there we have it: our first clash with booms of the Regatta. Vesta had a shocker off the start, veering straight for the buoys, out to the middle of the course, then right into the booms, causing a complete boat stopper. Sydney, leading comfortably from here on out, certainly redeemed the loss of their Thames Challenge Cup eight this morning by cruising to victory. While Vesta will no doubt be gutted with today’s outcome, they should hold their heads high for recovering and bringing the margin from ‘easily’ down to three lengths by the end.
Thursday Previews
Thames R.C. ‘B’ v Molesey B.C.
After emphatically seeing off their respective opponents in Commercial and Northwich today, I sense a closer call for this race tomorrow. This could really go either way, given the calibre and Henley representations sitting with each crew. Based on experience and the strength of their performance today, I’ll back Molesey for the win.
C.A. Vichy, FRA v Thames R.C. ‘A’
Could this Anglo-French showdown be the race of the day? Of all the crews to get close to many people’s favourites, Thames, Vichy are probably the best bet. Two crews at the very top of their game in these combinations, both will inevitably leave it all on the water. A Waterloo-esque triumph for Thames, considering their combined experience of 14 Henley appearances, is the way I expect it to go, but Vichy have looked tidy so far – definitely one to watch.
St. Andrew B.C. v London R.C. ‘A’
Having seen off London ‘B’ today, the Scots of St Andrew will once again be facing the navy blues of Putney. However, they will need to find something special to overturn the ‘A’ crew, who were even more clinical today. Even though we know London have prioritised their Thames eight this year’s campaigns, the four’s calibre echoes that of their 2023 Wyfold winning outfit, and I imagine the guys in contention this year will succeed in inching one step closer to carrying that legacy into 2025.
