The summer heat is rising, and the racing is heating up. Marlow Regatta marks the final opportunity for crews to show their speed to the Henley stewards ahead of pre-qualification decisions. For crews in the tier two event, this is doubly important, as many of these institutions may be on the edge of qualifying or not; a strong result on Dorney Lake would go some way to earning their spot.
University of Bristol Boat Club
Last year’s most aggrieved party for their lack of pre-qualification, the University of Bristol appears to be prioritising a Prince Albert Challenge Cup campaign this year, with their top athletes racing this weekend in a coxed four. As such, this crew has been placed in the second-tier category, but they are no slouches. A combination of an A-final championship crew and a B-final intermediate crew, they stand a chance of a decent run at Henley. As such, they will be aiming beyond this category on Saturday, as a position in the top few finals is not beyond them, so picking up medals may be on the agenda for the evening.
University of Exeter Boat Club
The other championship crew from BUCS entered into this event, the University of Exeter, finished as the ninth fastest in the nine-boat field at Nottingham. This weekend, they will race both a first and second eight, as their eyes turn to The Temple Challenge Cup. Based on their results at the Metropolitan Regatta, this crew may be competitive in this field, earning a spot in the D-final at the last big regatta on Dorney Lake. This weekend, they will be very aware of the consequences of a great result and will be fired up to give it their best.
University of Nottingham Boat Club
After prequalifying 12 months ago, the University of Nottingham once again have the depth in their programme to have three eights aiming for The Temple Challenge Cup. This year, the top green and gold eight at BUCS Regatta was in the intermediate category, placing second in the C-final. Seeking to earn pre-qualification once again, they will need to make some improvements. At the Metropolitan Regatta, they raced in the eights only on Sunday. A 23rd-place finish presents some promise that they will be competitive within this field, but still leaves room to progress if they want to avoid a trip to qualifiers.
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
An unusual name to see on a tier two start list, the sixth-ranked Oxford Brookes University crew has been given this designation this weekend. The burgundy giants have had much-discussed disruptions this season, but they retain their unmatched depth in the sport. At the Head of the River, the sixth Brookes finished 22nd, and even restricted to those BUCS-eligible, their sixth boat won the B-final of the intermediate eight at BUCS. While crews will balance between different trophies, this crew will still have a chance of qualifying in the time trials. For now, a win in the category will be their focus.
University of Bath Boat Club
Another crew with a strong result at BUCS is the University of Bath, as the Somerset-based club finished eighth in the intermediate eights. Supported by the Performance Development Academy, working alongside the programme, Bath has become home to a strong development programme. Chief among these is Edward Luppi, a beginner listed in this entry’s stroke seat. If there are no changes, it would be an exciting sign for Head Coach Charlie Newbould to have such faith in a young athlete as they catapult towards the business end of the season.
University of Birmingham Boat Club
The eight has been a more recent project for the University of Birmingham, as they skipped the event at BUCS. Instead, they focused on smaller boats to much success, winning a medal in the championship lightweight double, while finishing fifth in the intermediate coxed four, a strong result for a programme of its size. Since then, they raced at the Metropolitan Regatta, finishing 35th in Saturday’s event. Then, progressing to Reading Amateur Regatta, they lost to Bath in band two eights by three lengths in the final. If they are to do well this weekend, they will need to improve in the fastest boat in the fleet.
Predictions
With just two weeks to Henley, different teams will be at different points in their training cycles. Some will be looking to peak here and prequalify, while others will be looking towards the time trial. Despite this, I will hazard my pick for the win in this category to be Bristol University.
