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As this season comes to a close, we make one final return to Holme Pierrpont to celebrate the summer’s finest finishers in the British Rowing Junior Championships once more. This year’s J16 quads have 17 crews ranging from the South London area to Leeds and Cambois. With some real titans competing again this year, it’s fair to say that there will be no margin for error as crews strike their last blow to boost (or retain) their placing as much as possible. Now over a four day ‘weekend’, there is sure to be plenty of exciting racing to watch, and I hope summer finally unveils itself in style to give the 2023/2024 season the send off it deserves.
Claires Court
Claires Court were missing from last year’s final but having placed fifth at the National School’s Regatta in May, they’re definitely one to watch. They’ve had a tumultuous year, through highs (winning Nottingham City Regatta) and stumbles the crew seems to have settled on fifth place for the past two events at Dorney: the National Schools and Junior Sculling Regatta. Given the end of the regatta season, I’m sure this crew will be determined to reach the podium. Claires Court have shown great potential, its just now time to see if they can regain it when it counts.
Kingston RC
Kingston have already had a stellar year, placing fourth at the National Schools’ Regatta, pipped by less than two seconds. Their crew in this event last year earned the silver medal, and it will be up to this year’s crew to maintain that position, if not advance it. They were just over ten seconds off Windsor’s time in the A final at National Schools’, and with the third place NSR crew of Tiffin deciding not to grace us with their presence on the weekend, if the status quo holds Kingston are currently in for bronze. They’d have to have put in a shift between May and now to get their hands on silver, since at NSR there was barely a second between the top two crews.
Windsor Boys’ School
The boys from down south are back at it again, not content with a trophy and gold medal at the National Schools’ Regatta. It really is no surprise that we’re seeing them at the pinnacle of the sport for yet another year, since their foundation has allowed them to secure victory after victory, even as age groups grow and pass. Saying this, Windsor’s crew in this event last year placed third in their event, a huge surprise given the crew’s proficiency beforehand. Though the conditions at the Scotland edition of British Rowing Junior Championships were far from favourable, it’s still surprising to see such a slip from Mark Wilkinson’s machines. Nonetheless, looking at this year’s team, I would say they’ve got a large enough gap to allow for a few upsets along the way going unnoticed in their path to glory. With wins at the Scullery and Wallingford under their belts too, they’re marked as clear favourites.
Hinksey Sculling School
Coming out of nearly nowhere, Hinksey have without a doubt established a new precedent for small club rowing after their finalist position at last year’s Fawley final. They are also Windsor’s closest competitors, just a second off them at the A final for the National Schools’ Regatta. If this isn’t motivation, then I don’t know what is. They gained five seconds in the time trial too for this event, meaning that they’re even better in the competitive side-by-side racing element that makes regattas so much fun to compete in and watch. Hinksey also came third in the aforementioned Wallingford Regatta, which really hammers home the power of this crew. If anyone could rival Windsor at this point, its Hinksey.
Prediction
So, the final prediction of the year. A dull predictor would be Windsor all the way, but I do honestly hold out hope for one of the ‘underdogs’ to come out at the last minute and pip them to the line, to prove to these athletes that the podiums are truly dynamic, even more so as they’ll see at an older age category. Therefore, I would hope that there could be representation from Kingston and Hinksey on the podium with Windsor, who I feel will inevitably end up claiming a medal. Nonetheless, things all might change on the weekend, with a sudden weather change or crew illness not off the cards. We’ll just have to wait until then to find out!
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