Like in many lightweight events at BUCS Regatta this year, the field has shrunk in the open championship lightweight coxless fours; this year will see four entries lining up at Holme Pierrepont on Saturday. Representing top programs from across the country, they will be looking to put on a good show as they compete for BUCS glory.
University of Nottingham
One of just two programs returning from their last year, the University of Nottingham will have home water advantage. Fourth place in 2023, only Frederick Jimack returns to the crew according to the provisional start list and so Ade Roberts will line up three newcomers to the category. This boat looks far more similar to that of BUCS Head, where they were more than a minute and a half off the pace. One can hope that this was due to a technical issue, but it still does not inspire confidence going into the regatta. They will be hoping to give a better showing in front of a home crowd.
Newcastle University
A crew that fared far better at BUCS Head was Newcastle University as this was one of five Blue Star crews to win gold on the Tyne. The crew is slated to return in its entirety as Elliot Duffin, James Martin, Maximilian Maddox and Club President Rory Mainland remain on the provisional entries. Newcastle have not raced this event since 2022, where it was their only gold medal on an otherwise difficult weekend. They will be hoping to match that crew from two years ago and look like they are in a position to do so.
University of Surrey
Silver medallists on the Tyne in February, the University of Surrey will be excited to have another shot at the top university lightweight crews in the country. In a coxless boat, the steering is key and having lost to Newcastle on their home water, the boys from the south will back themselves in a straight shot. Henry Clowes will be racing in their top heavyweight four, so Oscar Borley steps in to replace him, having been in the 23rd-placed four at the Head. Despite this change, they will be looking to win it all, flying the flag from their rapidly-ascending club.
University of Oxford
The only crew here that didn’t race at BUCS Head, the University of Oxford are represented by their lightweights in this event. Three of the four members of this crew sat in the Blue Boat that raced against Cambridge in the Lightweight Boat Race with the other racing in the spare pair. Both crews were defeated by their Light Blue counterparts on the championship course, but they will be hoping that racing and training together as lightweights for much of the season grants them an advantage against the other programs that likely only split off for this regatta. James Mason raced in this event last year in the Oxford ‘B’ boat that placed fifth but will be hoping to rocket up the order to earn a coveted BUCS medal.
Prediction
After their victory at the Head, I find it hard to bet against Newcastle as the likely winners in this one. I think Surrey will close the gap as well as getting ahead of Oxford in third, who have had a difficult year across their men’s squad.
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