National Schools’ Regatta 2025 – Open Junior 16 Doubles Preview

For many, the National Schools’ Regatta’ is the moment everything has been building up to. On the regatta’s final day, 40 doubles will enter the time trial, with only 24 making it into the side-by-side racing. Tensions are high and excitement is at breaking point for these doubles, especially due to the venue moving back to the original National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham.

Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club

Hailing from the River Thames in Marlow, Sir William Borlase Grammar School Boat Club are a familiar face to see at the National Schools’ Regatta. They have repeatedly proved themselves throughout the years, building an impressive reputation under the care of Phil Gray. As for their results, there aren’t too many races that host double divisions, so it isn’t easy to deduce the strength of this crew. Nevertheless, this double won the Junior Sculling Regatta by over eight seconds earlier this month, establishing themselves as a favourite in this race.

Windsor Boys’ School

Would it be a race at the National Schools’ Regatta without at least one crew from the Windsor Boys’ School? They have an entry in almost every event above Junior 15, and this one is no exception, hosting two Windsor doubles. Despite coming in first in the time trial at the Junior Sculling Regatta, the top double got overtaken during the A-final and ended up with a silver medal behind Sir William Borlase. This shows their consistent strength in both the time trials and the finals, meaning that a spot in the A-final is all but guaranteed for this crew.

Bewl Bridge Rowing Club

A less familiar face to see at the National Schools’ Regatta, this double from Bewl Bridge Rowing Club is one of four crews representing Bewl Bridge across the whole event, so the pressure is on to do well. However, they have everything they need for an incredible result, considering they were right on Windsor’s tail in the A-final of the Junior Sculling Regatta. They also had a faster first and last 500 than Windsor, proving their strength in the double.

Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club

Although not in the A-final at the Junior Sculling Regatta, the double from Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club set a time in their final that would have placed them among the top five competitors across the entire category, demonstrating their speed as a side-by-side crew. If they perform well in the time trial at the National Schools’ Regatta, they will be able to compete for the top spots in that race, despite not necessarily being seen as one of the favourites.

Prediction

The past results for this race are thin on the ground, meaning relatively little ambiguity in the prediction, and I think the results of this race will be similar to those seen at the Junior Sculling Regatta. That being said, I think Bewl Bridge Rowing Club may be able to compete with the Windsor Boys’ School double for the silver medal, while Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club will most likely retake gold. Although they were a little way off the podium spot at the Junior Sculling Regatta, Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club may be able to swipe a bronze medal on the day, depending on their performance in the time trial.