Nottingham City Regatta 2025 – Open Junior 18 Eights Preview

Seeing as National Schools’ Regatta returns to Holme Pierrepoint for 2025 after ten years at Dorney Lake, it’s only natural for clubs to want a run down the track in advance of the big weekend – and what better opportunity than two weeks before said fabled event, at Nottingham City Regatta?

As we reach the culmination of the season’s training and competition in the coming weeks, the open junior eights event remains among the most eniticing at every regatta, with each race an opportunity for those crews vying for the national title to fight over every inch of the 2000 metre course to get into clear water, and secure a medal.

Shiplake College

Shiplake’s programme has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Under the watchful eye of David Currie for more than a decade now, the club in black, maroon and gold is no stranger to success in the eight: they currently hold the course record in the championship event at Schools’ Head of the River, reached the final of The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last year for the first time since 1989, took golds in the U23 events over 2500m and 250m at the Heineken Cup, came third at Hammersmith Head in February and took the bronze at National Schools’ Regatta last year, to name but a few. Shiplake also made the trip up to Nottingham City last year, taking gold and bronze in the open eights event and silver in the junior 18 eights. As an impressively technical crew – with vast amounts of power in the boat (particularly if Isaac Dean is in the lineup, who came out on top at February Trials for men’s sweep) – it would come as no surprise to anybody if Shiplake College left the National Water Sports Centre adorned with silverware at the weekend.

The King’s School Chester

Another boat with potential to do great things this weekend is that from The King’s School Chester. So far this season, KSC has seen success in the eight, finishing third in the first eights category at Schools’ Head of the River, and winning in the junior event at Head of the Trent. Last season, they took gold in this event, finished a respectable seventh in the B-final at National Schools’ Regatta and made it to day two at Henley Royal Regatta in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. King’s might take to the water with a bit of a grudge to settle, having come second to Shrewsbury School at North of England Head of the River in March. I think we can expect some intense racing at Nottingham again this year.

Royal Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury’s sweep programme is very strong, across small and big boats. Last season, they took gold in the championship coxed four at National Schools’ Regatta, and this season have sent four athletes to February trials. Shrewsbury finished a respectable 11th in the championship eights at the Schools’ Head of the River, before their two entries at Wycliffe Big Head finished fifth and sixth, with Shrewsbury B just eight seconds behind Shiplake (and Shrewsbury A some 25 seconds behind the Bs). Two Shrewsbury pairs also performed well at February trials, indicating a robust line-up in the eight.

Prediction

I think the winds (possibly quite literally at the NWSC!) of fate will blow in Shiplake’s favour this weekend. The strength of their programme is undeniable, and if the eight still contains some athletes from their record-breaking 2023-24 season, it’ll be a powerful crew that rows up to the stakeboat at Nottingham. Shrewsbury and King’s Chester both have the potential to perform impressively, although I think Shrewsbury might just have the edge. With Nottingham’s infamous wind, though, nothing is impossible.