Heralding the start of river regatta season, Bedford is always a marvelous day out. I’m a little biased, given I grew up in the town and rowed on the river for my entire junior career, but the regatta is always fun, racing is sharp and the weather typically excels. With a three-boat entry into the women’s junior 16 eights, one crew will get an automatic bye to the final.
Latymer Upper School
The clear favourites here, given they were the only crew from this crop to make the final of Wallingford Regatta last weekend. Latymer are a program who have really perfected the art of gender homogeneity in junior rowing. Both their open and women’s programs consistently churn out strong crews and this women’s junior 16 cohort were third at Wallingford and actually won the pennant at the Schools’ Head of the River in March. Depending on whether this is their ‘A’ boat, they may be using Saturday as good practice in honing their racing skills ahead of a showdown at Dorney Lake in two weeks time.
South African Schools Rowing Union
Visitors from another continent, SASRU often crop up to race the early regatta season events but rarely stay on to contest the meatier matches. This boat were unable to reach the final at Wallingford Regatta last weekend, finishing fourth and a little way off the pace of heat winners Surbiton. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to cause Latymer too many issues, particularly considering the latter were 36 seconds quicker in their heat. They will at least get a race in before potentially facing Latymer.
Bedford Girls’ School
That contest will come against locals from Bedford Girls’ School. A crew of this age group were seventh in women’s junior 16 first eights at the Schools’ Head of the River so their match-up against SASRU in round one might actually be quite compelling. With home support likely to be vociferous from the banks, the race between these two fledgling outfits will be in pursuit of a final’s slot against Latymer.
Prediction
Pretty much impossible to look past Latymer for the win here. The only way I can see either one of SASRU or Bedford triumphing is if Latymer boat a second crew, which is eminently possible given the fact that this represents the last true block of training time ahead of the National Schools’ Regatta. Otherwise, the trophy is Latymer’s to lose.
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