An event with rich history and top-quality talent running through it year in year out. The event once again boasts a strong entry from the river Clyde-based crews from the centre of Glasgow, but this year also features a larger number of crews from further afield entered into this season’s kick-start small boat head. The course consists of a 4km stretch of varied water, featuring tight bends, 500m long straights, and a mix of bridges dotted along the way. Beginning above the Dalmarnock bridge and passing under seven bridges to the finish just upriver from the West Boathouse (home to the hosts of the event, Clydesdale ARC). Lined with orange and yellow leaves, this beautiful river will be host to a picturesque race once again, with autumn colours lining the tree-infested banks.
This year, we see two divisions: the new format, introduced in 2007, includes double sculls as well as singles. In the first division, 68 crews will flow down the river in hopes of claiming top spot in their category, and there are a handful of names that will be sure to blow the competition out of the water. In the second division, a further 33 crews aim to pick up the final medals of the day. Let’s have a look at who to watch.
Senior Crews to Watch – Division One
Ben Parsonage – Clydesdale ARC
Kicking the event off at 11 am, there’s only one name that could be fitting to kick off the racing. Ben Parsonage will start bow 1 this weekend, having previously won this event. Ben is undoubtedly one of the best lightweight scullers in Europe and the world. He is most recently known for his remarkable performances in the Scottish rowing team at the home international regatta, where Parsonage, as a lightweight, still managed to compete in the heavyweight event and dominate competitors who clearly outweighed him in physical size. I would bet on Ben to bring home gold this weekend in the open single scull. If he doesn’t win, who will?
Thomas Lowrie – Clydesdale ARC
Thomas Lowrie, again of the hosts, Clydesdale ARC, will follow Ben down the track in the U23 single scull. Following a promising junior career, Lowrie will look to build on his prior years in the sport and hopefully improve his standing compared to the best in Scotland. Thomas has competed for Scotland before and has often finished in the top three at this event, picking up numerous medals along the way at Clyde-based races. I think it’s likely that he will finish in the top three this weekend in terms of time; however, with no other competitors in the U23 event, he has already secured the top spot in his category.
Andrew Gorrie – Strathclyde University BC
For multiple seasons now, Andrew Gorrie has often competed with the athletes from Glasgow University Boat Club at events like the men’s Head of the River Race in London and at the Scottish Rowing Championships, which proves Gorrie’s talent at the sport, having made the first eight at Glasgow every year he’s rowed with them. Taking things into the single scull again, Andrew will come back to his roots of sculling to challenge Lowrie and Parsonage to a medal.
George Parsonage – Berwick Rowing Club
Father to Ben Parsonage, George is one of the most well-known people around the Lyde. He’s known as the officer at the humane society for over 40 years, protecting and saving the lives of countless members of the public around the water. Not only is George known for this, but he was also an incredible athlete in years gone by, and still holds the course record for the Clydesdale Scullers Head, as well as has over 700 career wins and eight Scottish rowing titles; his competitive record is truly unmatched. At over 80 years old, George competes yet again at the Clydesdale Scullers Head, having raced it every year since its beginning in 1967. It’s an honour to have someone like George compete at a race like this.
Veronika Vohnikova – Clydesdale ARC
Veronika is a well-established Clyde rower, having studied at Strathclyde University. She is well accustomed to the winding river that she calls home. Vohnikova often competes at the Czech championships; this year, she finished in the A-final, giving her a great shot at taking home a gold medal for this year’s Clydesdale Scullers Head. I imagine that Veronika and Caitlin Warnock, mentioned below, will have a fantastic race against each other.
Caitlin Warnock – Glasgow Rowing Club
Caitlin Warnock is also a well-established member of her rowing club, having grown up under the guidance of her parents. Warnock competes in the women’s U23 single and will have a tight race against Veronika for the fastest women’s sculler of the day. Time for Caitlin to show how well being coached by your parents can really work.
Junior Crews to Watch – Division 1
There are more senior athletes than junior athletes in this year’s event; however, some names still stand out as potential champions for Saturday’s race. The Glasgow Academy has two women’s Junior 18 doubles crews entered, who appear to be fairly matched in speed, with one starting after the other. I am interested to see who will come out on top in that race. Similarly, Strathclyde Park RC have also entered two doubles in the same event, who will be chasing the Glasgow Academy doubles down, but will they manage to overturn TGA’s long and vast history in sculling at the Junior 18 level?
Senior Crews to Watch – Division 2
Moving onto the men’s double sculls, the first ones off are Robbie Waddell and Ollie Plank (yours truly), both well-known scullers who grew up together at Stirling Rowing Club many moons ago. Robbie now rows for Glasgow University and is a rival to Ollie, who rows at Edinburgh University. Robbie raced for the Scotland team this year, finishing second twice in the men’s quadruple scull and men’s double scull. He also raced at the Scottish Championships, where Ollie narrowly beat him by under a second. Plank was the bow seat of the Edinburgh University Quad at Henley Royal Regatta this year, where they made the quarterfinal. Therefore, with all this experience, I cannot see many doubles being able to top this combination (even if I am slightly biased).
Ben Huckle and Ethan Maclachlan also race the men’s double scull, starting behind Plank and Waddell, with a rich history of rowing for Strathclyde and Glasgow University rowing teams, respectively. This double is sure to put up a fight against the other doubles in this event, but will they manage to top the tables on Saturday?
Veonika Vohnikova and Elle Sutherland are two athletes who raced together all season last year, and in their quadruple scull, they managed to secure a spot in the final of the aspirational quads race at Henley Women’s Regatta. Unfortunately, no other women are entered in the women’s double event; however, these athletes will likely be looking to race against the men’s boats and try to make their way to the top of the timing sheet for Division Two.
Junior Crews to Watch – Division 2
In the boys’ singles, Andrew Morrison of Glasgow Academy starts first and having raced this event numerous times and trained every week on the river, he will be a firm favourite to take away the gold medal. Following Andrew is Finlay Ward of Clydesdale ARC, who is also a well-seasoned sculler on the Clyde. Having started at quite a young age, Finlay will be looking to chase down Andrew and decrease the gap to claim the gold medal in junior boys singles.
In the girls’ singles, two Glasgow Academy athletes, Sasha Graham and Emily Orr, will battle it out against Olivia Cherry from Clydesdale in a three-boat category. Emily is a Junior Inter-Regional Regatta winner and a Scottish champion, so I would put my money on her to come out on top in this event.
