Image Credit: Cas Haasdijk
On Saturday the 21st of September, the Amstel Cup will take place at the Amstelwater for the 14th edition. Winners of the two separate fields (student and general associations) will compete against each other in the final for the Fortuna Cup. In this final, a starting difference is used based on the fastest time of day of both finalists. The race is 750m between Berlagebrug and De Hoop. Similar to the Henley Royal Regatta, the top teams of each club compete against each other in a series of one-on-one knockout matches for the prestigious and glorious Amstelbekker title.
Returning Champions – Nereus
Nereus won the time trial (02:13,2), the quarterfinal (02:19,0), the semifinal (02:23,2), and the A-final (02:17,8) in 2023. They consistently had the fastest times across different race stages and performed well in the Fortuna Cup (02:20,9) with a start difference of +12.2 seconds, highlighting their strength to compete over multiple races in the day. Nereus won against William III with a finish of 02:20,9. In 2022, Nereus also won against Beatrix by 10.2 seconds with a time of 02:24,6.
Nereus’ stroke is Fien van Westreenen, who ranked second in the 2023 World Rowing U23 Championships and came first in the U23 women’s eight. In bow is Femke Paulis, who has been Dutch champion four times: in the single, double, quad and eight. Nereus has been the most popular student rowing club in the Netherlands for several years, with 43 Olympic rowers and 372 records. Over the past eight years, the varsity gold has gone to the Amsteldijk seven times and in 2015, Nereus’ Old Eight brought The Temple Challenge Cup back to Amsterdam at the Henley Royal Regatta.
Nereus will need to maintain their winning streak as other teams have had a chance to perfect their skills and analyse Nereus’ performance to challenge them. Nereus’s time increased slightly in the semi-final (02:23,2) compared to the quarter-final (02:19,0), highlighting that they need to sustain their performance throughout all races to stay victorious.
Closing the Gap – Laga
Laga was the second fastest in the time trial (02:14,4), quarterfinal (02:20,6), and A-final (02:20,0). Although Laga consistently came in second to Nereus, their times were close, especially in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages, so they are close competitors. In the semifinal, even though Laga and Nereus were in separate races, Laga outpaced Nereus with a faster time of 02:21,9, and Nereus had a time of 02:23,2. However, Laga was only 2.2 seconds behind Nereus in the A-final.
Their stroke is Willemijn Mulder, who finished fourth in the women’s pair at the third 2024 World Rowing Cup. Laga has a long history with many successes. For example, in 1900 in Paris, the first Olympic Gold Medal for Dutch sports was won by a Laga team.
Laga’s performance dipped slightly in the A-final (02:20,0) compared to their time in the semi-final (02:21,9). To win in 2024 they need to maintain their pace and enhance their speed to close the gap on Nereus.
On The Rise – Skøll and Triton
Skøll won the quarterfinal (02:21,5) and B-final (02:24,6). This indicates that they are very strong competitors who have the capability to reach the final of the Fortuna Cup but may not be fast enough to edge out Nereus. Skøll’s times show a decline in the later stages, so they must work on endurance, especially in the later pressured stages.
Triton also showed a strong performance, winning the quarterfinal (02:21,5) but finishing second in the B-final, losing out by only 1.7 seconds. Suppose Triton focuses on key strategies to improve, such as strength and endurance training, to consistently perform throughout the day while identifying which segments they lose the most time. In that case, they may be able to close the gap between themselves and Nereus.
General Rowing Associations
Team Willem III consistently performed well, securing the fastest time in both the A-final (2:28.6) and semifinal (2:27,7), depicting strong performance and endurance. Willem II also won the Fortuna Cup in 2021 by 18.8 seconds against Nereus with a time of 02:29.8. They are coached by Willem Jan de Widt, who used to coach the Dutch Olympic rowing team. Team Amstel performed well in the B-final with the best time of 2:32.9, but their time was slower than both of William III’s times in the A-final and semifinal. Team Beatrix and Team RIC finished second in their finals, with RIC having a higher time difference of +5.8 seconds from the winner compared to Beatrix’s +0.8 seconds. However, Beatrix did make it to the Fortuna Cup Final in 2022, missing out to Nereus. Will they make a comeback this year?
What to Expect on Race Day
Nereus are the most likely winner for the 2024 race. They were consistent performers across all events last year, showing their strength, resilience, and stamina. They had the fastest times in the day and, as a result, won key races and the Fortuna Cup in 2023. Team Willem III is still my favourite of the General Associations; however, due to Nereus’ +12.2 second win over William III in 2023, I believe Nereus will remain victorious in 2024. However, Laga and Beatrix could be a close contender.
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