Following a tumultuous showing at the National Schools’ Regatta, which saw violent waters batter crews, forcing events to be reduced to just time trials and finals, hopefully, the Metropolitan Regatta will be more predictable. In the Open Junior 18 quads, the outcome was determined mainly by who could best handle the rough conditions at Nottingham, as it quickly became evident which crews fought the chop and which could ride it. With podium favourites Leander Rowing Club and Lea Rowing Club resigning themselves to the B-final after unruly time trials, unexpected contingents took the minor medals. All praise goes to Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club, who showed unparalleled dominance, claiming gold by over 15 seconds. How will the pecking order change with somewhat calmer conditions expected at Dorney this coming weekend?
Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club
When will the boys in green and gold finally put a foot wrong? Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club could’ve been mistaken for being in a race of their own at National Schools’ on the harsh Holme Pierrepont waters, breaking free of their competitors entirely within the opening moves of the race and opening a margin of nine seconds by the half-way mark. They were the only crew on the water that held an air of relaxation, and they used it masterfully to power out and collect their silverware. This monumental success marks the fourth consecutive win in this event for the school, cementing the school’s unyielding dominance. Furthermore, their top sculler, Wellington, has now claimed his third title in the event. Much of this can be attributed to Head Coach Mark Wilkinson, who has done a remarkable job of curating one of the most effective rowing talent pipelines ever conceived. Beyond that, there is little more to say; Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club are firm favourites coming into Metropolitan Regatta, and on to Henley Royal Regatta.
Hinksey Sculling School
Hinksey Sculling School had to settle for fourth at National Schools’ Regatta last weekend. Despite striking second in the time trial, only four seconds behind the semi-omnipotent Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club, they were bested by both Tideway Scullers School and Claires Court School Boat Club in the closing stages of the final. This seems to be another ailment of their inconsistency, with the crew seemingly flipping a coin pre-race to determine their showing. By their own admission, their performance left more to be desired, and visually, they looked like a crew fighting the conditions rather than their competitors. However, I think better waters will aid this lineup, although hoping for good conditions is not a real strategy. Last year, they used this event as an opportunity to test their lineups, and with their fourth seat still up for grabs, it wouldn’t surprise me to see that again. This will likely be their final setup change pre-Henley Royal Regatta, so it will be intriguing to see if they can finally find their golden combination. Regardless, Hinksey Sculling School are renowned for peaking for Henley Royal Regatta, so we should only see them getting faster in the coming weeks.
Tideway Scullers School
Seemingly coming out of nowhere to take second at National Schools’ Regatta, have Tideway Scullers School been sandbagging until this point of the season? At the end of the head season at Schools’ Head of the River Race, they finished in a slightly lacklustre eighth. Since then, they haven’t been present at the Wallingford Regatta or the Junior Sculling Regatta. However, in the uninviting conditions of the National Water Sports Centre, they came alive, holding off both Claires Court School Boat Club and Hinksey Sculling School. Perhaps training on the tumultuous Tideway waters gave them an advantage when things turned rough. This could also have been a product of coaching from GB U19 Coach Helen Taylor, who has stepped in to help the quad temporarily. Either way, whatever they’ve been doing seems to be working. The crew is bolstered by the talents of McCarthy, who was selected to represent Great Britain at the Munich International Junior Regatta in early May. Let’s see what more they can accomplish.
Lea Rowing Club
Lea Rowing Club won’t be happy after having a weekend they would likely rather forget at National Schools’ Regatta. With racing in this event being cut down from two days to just one, with one bad race, the boys in bright orange were left stuck in the B-final after falling to tenth in the time trial. This could not have been the plan for a crew previously pegged for the podium. Regardless, they put on a show of strength in their final, finishing six seconds up on that field in a time that would have put them in the bottom end of the A-final. For a boat containing an U19 GB representative in Pakulis, they should be further up the pecking order, particularly as they have shown their speed before, such as at the Junior Sculling Regatta, where they walked away with the win. Let’s hope this showing is simply a result of a bad race, and that we will see them on form again this coming weekend.
Claires Court School Boat Club
Another crew that considerably overperformed at National Schools’ Regatta were Claires Court School Boat Club, who showed flashes of previously unseen speed in both the time trial and final, where they ultimately found bronze. Was this a result of the conditions playing to their favour, or have they tapped into a new well of speed just in time for the sharp end of the season? At Wallingford Regatta, they finished fourth, seven seconds behind the victors, Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club, and also just ahead of Marlow Rowing Club, who they now bested by over 20 seconds. With only one returner from last year, this fresh crew seems to be the most invigorated crew the school has produced in a couple of years. If this pace is here to stay, Claires Court School Boat Club are certainly going to have to be kept a watch on, and I look forward to seeing more.
Notable Mentions
Leander Club are always a crew to watch, though this year it has been impossible to surmise their pace. They took second at the Schools’ Head of the River Race, but since then, have done nothing of note, and ended their National Schools’ Regatta campaign second in the B-final. For a crew with so much talent, including van den Eerenbeemt, who raced at last year’s U19 World Rowing Championships, they should be cementing themselves at the top. I would be interested to see if they can pull anything together in the deciding parts of the season. Molesey Rowing Club have been doing a reasonable job so far this season, though haven’t quite made it to the leading pack. They finished in fifth at National Schools’ Regatta, a respectable result, but 28 seconds off the victors, and 11 seconds off the fight for medal contention. I think their further success this season will be determined by whether they feel driven to achieve more or are content in their current positions.
Prediction
Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club, to nobody’s surprise, seems set to retake the win this coming weekend. Behind them is a little less certain, and I would say the conditions will play a deciding role. If Hinksey Sculling School can get their performance together, silver should be fairly safely theirs; otherwise, Claires Court Boat Club could steal the ‘best of the rest’ title for themselves. Tideway Scullers School should perform well again, and I reckon Lea Rowing Club will be right beside them.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
