The scene is set for the biggest event of the calendar for these young rowers, and the winds of Nottingham are just waiting to lead them astray. With some strong competition throughout the field, I think that we will see close racing and perhaps some unexpected results because of the rather unexpected conditions that always seem to be present at Nottingham.
Rob Roy Boat Club
Rob Roy Boat Club, in line with last year, have had a great season so far – with a bronze medal at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta and a gold at the Junior Sculling Regatta, albeit by a very narrow margin of one second. From the 1500m mark at their race, where they were 0.7 seconds behind Marlow Rowing Club (who ended up in second place), Rob Roy took the advantage back, ending up with a 1.4 second lead. This racing tactic shows that Rob Roy are developing the maturity that older rowers often struggle to find: waiting for their moment to push on. We can expect a big move from Rob Roy Boat Club in the last 500 of their National Schools’ Regatta final, and even if they are behind then, the result could quickly be overturned.
Marlow Rowing Club
This year’s women’s Junior 15s from Marlow Rowing Club have come storming through the rankings since last year, when they were often seen in B-finals. Having been consistent in their results this season, claiming a solid second place at both the Junior Sculling Regatta and the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head, we can expect at least the same at the National Schools’ Regatta. Unlike other crews, the one from Marlow Rowing Club didn’t row together last year, so they might have picked up more boat speed than the others in the weeks since the Junior Sculling Regatta.
This crew have a speedy middle-kilometre, having rowed through Rob Roy Boat Club, only to be rowed through themselves in the final 500 metres. Have these girls learnt the power of a last-minute sprint since the Junior Sculling Regatta?
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
We do not often see winning crews from Headington School Oxford Boat Club below Junior 16 level, but this crew is an exception. They showed their impressive endurance at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head with their 11-second win, and bested this fourth-place position to claim a bronze medal at the Junior Sculling Regatta. At Bedford Regatta, they won by a convincing four-length margin, and this may have given them the regatta experience they need to perform and match the standard they set out in the head season. We could see a great result from them at the National Schools’ Regatta on Friday: almost certainly making the medals, the colour yet to be decided.
Maidenhead Rowing Club
Maidenhead Rowing Club are another contender for an A-final place and maybe even a medal if they have stepped on. This crew were only 0.5 of a second behind Henley Rowing Club, who were in fourth place at the Junior Sculling Regatta, having sprinted in the last 500 to regain three seconds to narrow the margin. They started the head season in sixth at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head and have been moving up the rankings since then. I think that Maidenhead Rowing Club, who won the National Schools’ Regatta over 1km last year, have the potential to pick up a medal this weekend. But are they up to the challenges of the full 2km course?
Henley Rowing Club
Henley Rowing Club have dabbled in both the eight and the coxed quad this season, seeming to settle on the latter. They started the head season with a first place in the octuple at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head by six seconds, suggesting they had lots of squad depth. This was followed by an 11th place finish in a field of 12 at the Schools’ Head of the River Race in an eight, then with a non-qualifying time in their heat at Wallingford Regatta. Swapping quickly to quads, they claimed a fourth-place finish at the Junior Sculling Regatta, showing they have the potential to medal. We could see this Henley Rowing Club crew making the podium, but have they had enough time in their racing crew?
Notable Mentions
Nottingham and Union Rowing Club have not have not competed in the quad much this season, with only a sixth-place finish at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta to go on. But they did give a show in the octuple at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head, coming second. Going off their result from last season – where they came second at the National Schools’ Regatta, I think they could be a strong contender.
Prediction
In my opinion, I think it will be a fight between Marlow Rowing Club and Rob Roy Boat Club for a gold medal, with Rob Roy Boat Club pushing it to the line with their sprint to claim first. Headington School Oxford Boat Club are top challengers for the bronze, but could be challenged by Henley Rowing Club, or Maidenhead Rowing Club: who seem to peak at this time in the season.
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