BUCS Regatta 2024 – Sunday Review

On day two of BUCS Regatta 2024, 17 events were contested with impressive performances from dawn to dusk on a busy day at the National Watersports Centre. Highlights included some remarkably close repechages, a massive come-from-behind sprint in the intermediate doubles and yet more domination in the eights for Oxford Brookes.

Women’s Intermediate Lightweight Single

JRN Prediction: Surrey, Birmingham A, Nottingham

Actual Result: Birmingham A, Birmingham B, Surrey

It was Erin Meredith of Birmingham who led the charge in the first medal final of the day, comfortably ahead down the course. In the race for silver, Leonie Kennedy looked as if she would claim it for Surrey but was rowed through by Emily O’Connor who made it a one-two finish for Birmingham, with their ‘C’ sculler finishing fifth in a triumph for the midlands program.

Women’s Championship Lightweight Single

JRN Prediction: Loughborough, Queen’s Belfast, Oxford

Actual Result: Oxford, Loughborough, Leeds

In the championship event it was Hazel Wake of Oxford University, rowing in her college colours of St Edmund Hall, who took out a commanding victory. Behind her, it was a tight battle with Lara Brittain of Loughborough who broke away from  Leeds’ Laura Bates and Reading’s Izzy Lancaster to win silver, the two of them needing a photo finish to decide bronze.

Open Beginner Single

JRN Prediction: None

Actual Result: Liverpool, Durham, Queen’s Belfast

In this one, it was a phenomenally mature row from Josh Knight of the University of Liverpool. He dominated the field across all three rounds, announcing himself as one to watch in the years to come as he won by more than 27 seconds without ever needing to break a sweat. Behind him it was a close battle for the silver medal with David Clark of Durham University prevailing ahead of Connor McCann of Queen’s Belfast who snuck past Leeds’ Charlie Drew in the final moments.

Women’s Beginner Coxed Four

JRN Prediction: None

Actual Result: Surrey, Oxford Brookes, Durham

This race was a clash between two dominant forces; Surrey have been the class of beginner rowing for a number of years, but they faced a test from the all-conquering Oxford Brookes. In this round it went to Surrey who won by almost a length over Brookes, who were again a length up over Durham, as these three crews had been the fastest in all three rounds, comfortably ahead of Glasgow who were in turn ahead of a close race between Southampton and Queen’s Belfast on opposite sides of the lake.

Women’s Beginner Quad

JRN Prediction: None

Actual Result: Edinburgh B, Edinburgh A, Queen’s Belfast

To match Surrey’s domination in the sweep events, is Edinburgh University in sculling as their two crews were head and shoulders above the rest. It was the nominal ‘B’ quad who took the win by several lengths ahead of the ‘A’ crew. Both were clear of Queen’s Belfast and Nottingham Trent in a widely spaced field.

Women’s Intermediate Single

JRN Prediction: None

Actual Result: Reading, Hartpury A, Hartpury B

It was a close battle down the course between Zara Povey of Reading and Chloe Sheppard of Hartpury, with the Reading sculler coming out on top through the final 500 metres. Sheppard, however, was rowed through by teammate Ellie Dash for silver, having to settle for bronze in the event ahead of scullers from Bath, Aberdeen and Durham.

Women’s Championship Single

JRN Prediction: Nottingham, Birmingham, Reading

Actual Result: Birmingham, Reading, Bath

Following the withdrawal of Olivia Bates of Nottingham, the field was wide open for Katie Mole to do Katie Mole things. Fastest from this field at the April Trials, the Birmingham sculler has been among the best domestic athletes in the country for a number of years and led the pack all the way down the course. She won the event by a boat length having sat just ahead of Ellie Cooke of Reading University since the start, with Ella Fullman of Bath rounding out the podium ahead of scullers from Cambridge and the University of London.

Open Intermediate Double

JRN Prediction: Reading A, Reading B, Royal Holloway

Actual Result: Queen’s Belfast, Reading A, Reading B

It was the Reading show through much of the event but a phenomenal sprint from Queen’s University Belfast saw them move from third place into an open water victory in this event, leaving the Reading crews to settle for silver and bronze ahead of a charging crew from Hartpury College.

Open Championship Double

JRN Prediction: Reading, Durham, Queen’s Belfast

Actual Result: Reading, Queen’s Belfast, Bath

Reading were not going to be upset in this one as the combination of the gold and silver medallists from the singles yesterday reigned supreme, seeing of any late hope of a Queen’s Belfast sprint which only secured them a comfortable silver. For bronze, Bath had half a length over Durham, with the second crews from Reading and Bath picking up fifth and sixth respectively in this straight final.

Women’s Championship Lightweight Coxless Four

JRN Prediction: Surrey, Queen’s Belfast, Cambridge

Actual Result: Cambridge, Surrey, Nottingham

In this four-boat event, it was the lightweight Boat Race winners from Cambridge who won gold here, comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, posting a near eight-second margin back to silver medallists Surrey. Home favourites Nottingham would win bronze ahead of Queen’s Belfast who rounded out the field

Open Championship Lightweight Double

JRN Prediction: Queen’s Belfast, Nottingham, Strathclyde

Actual Result: Nottingham, Reading, Queen’s

It was the first event win of the weekend for the University of Nottingham as they took gold in this one, leading from post to post and celebrating with great fervour. For silver, Reading and Queen’s Belfast marked each other down the course but it was Reading who made their sprint first, claiming the silver medals ahead of the men from the emerald isle, who in turn were ahead of De Montfort, Birmingham and the University of the West of England.

Open Beginner Eight

JRN Prediction: Exeter

Actual Result: Exeter, Surrey, Queen’s Belfast

The eternal rivalry in beginner rowing has this year decisively gone to Exeter. Their eight has done the double between the Head and the Regatta, overturning a considerable early lead by Surrey to an open water victory. Surrey died off at the end but managed to hold off a charging Queen’s Belfast crew to secure silver, with Queen’s in third over Warwick, Oxford Brookes and Nottingham.

Open Championship Coxless Four

JRN Prediction: Oxford Brookes A, Oxford Brookes B, Cambridge

Actual Result: Cambridge, Oxford Brookes A, Oxford Brookes C

Following on from their success in the Boat Race, the Cambridge crew – made up of members from that victorious unit – rowed to victory. It was a furious sprint against the first Oxford Brookes crew with the Light Blues winning by around a canvas in the end. Further down the order, it was Brookes C and D in third and fourth, as their B crew was restricted to the minor final. The University of London were 12 seconds back ahead of Newcastle in sixth who were well off the pace.

Open Intermediate Coxed Four

JRN Prediction: Oxford Brookes A, London, Oxford Brookes B

Actual Result: Oxford Brookes A, Oxford Brookes C, Bristol

This was a final of burgundy and black with three Oxford Brookes crews and two from Bristol, with only Cambridge in lane six breaking the colour coordination. In first and second it was Oxford Brookes, but half of Bristol’s championship eight stopped them from gaining a clean sweep of the podium. Cambridge initially seemed as if they could compete for the medals but faded to finish sixth.

Open Championship Coxed Four

JRN Prediction: Oxford Brookes, Cambridge, Durham

Actual Result: Oxford Brookes A, Oxford Brookes B, Cambridge

It was more Oxford Brookes domination here, as their A and B crews who both avoided the repechage would finish first and second. They were pushed to the end by a Cambridge crew, resplendent in Goldie yellow as those three crews pulled away from the pack, leaving Edinburgh, Durham and Newcastle in their dust to finish in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Women’s Intermediate Eight

JRN Prediction: Oxford Brookes A

Actual Result: Oxford Brookes A, Oxford Brookes B, Edinburgh

In what is beginning to feel like a broken record, this was another victory for Oxford Brookes, their second-ranked women’s eight picking up the victory in this one by a fairly comfortable margin. Brookes B and Edinburgh were engaged in a tight battle all the way down the course, but the Brookes crew came out with the silver medal. Further back it was the Cambridge crew closely resembling Blondie who picked up fourth in a narrow battle over Durham with an Oxford crew containing much of their Osiris crew from March had to settle for sixth. The top first crew in this event came in the B Final where Exeter beat Bristol by two seconds to that honour.

Women’s Championship Eight

JRN Prediction: Oxford Brookes, Cambridge, London

Actual Result: Oxford Brookes, Durham, London

As was expected, Oxford Brookes took this one, slowly expanding their lead down the course to eventually win it by more than a length ahead of Durham University, who were followed by the University of London. Behind the racing was closer as the Cambridge Blue Boat were half a length down on UL and defeated Newcastle by a similar margin with Edinburgh down a length on the rest of the field in sixth place.

Provisional Victor Ludorem Standings (after Sunday’s Racing)

***Provisional and based off JRN data***

Women’s Events

1. Durham, 290
2. Cambridge, 232
3. Reading, 166

Open Events

1. Oxford Brookes, 336
2. Durham, 224
3. Queen’s Belfast, 214

Overall

1. Durham, 514
2. Oxford Brookes, 495
3. Cambridge, 397

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