The coxeless quad leaves no room for error, especially on the 5km course along the River Dee where 5 crews will be battling out for their first-place medal.
After a winter season cut short by Covid-19, this may well be their first Head race, giving them the chance to make a name for themselves in the junior rowing circuit and beyond. A limited regatta season has also led to limited information about these crews being avaliable, meaning no crew can be counted out from the winning position until the race is over.
Trentham Boat Club
Trentham BC produced a bronze-medal winning WJ15 coxed quad over the 2km course at Brit Champs earlier this year, so all eyes are on them to keep to sustain their nationally acclaimed status. Yet, there are two notable differences between BRJC and Chester LDS: the boat class and the race length. So, Chester gives the Trentham crew a chance to prove themselves in a race 2.5x longer than BRJC, without the help of their cox to steer them through the waters of the River Dee, and only time will tell how they rise to the challenge. And while we cannot be sure if the quad has retained the same composition, any changes would only have been made for the better, making Trentham the favourite for this race.
Nottingham and Union Rowing Club
Another crew made of Brit Champs medalists and participants, the Notts and Union quad boasts Katie Stevens as their stroke, who also won a bronze medal but as bow in the WJ15 8x+. Staying in time with 7 other rowers and 14 blades is no easy feat but Stevens managed it well, enabling her to now sit at stroke, where timing is of the essence. With another WJ15 4x+ coming 11th at BRJC, Notts and Union has more than enough WJ16s to chose from, allowing to them to create what I’m sure will be a highly-skilled and well-trained quad.
Other Crews
King’s School Chester has also entered two, albiet less decorated, quads into this race, but, being provided the home ground advantage in a coxless boat might give them enough speed to be able to push the Notts and Union crew for a close second. Queen’s Park High School have also entered a mixed age-group quad comprising Grace Nugent, Freya Cossons, Ruby Wilson and Maisy Maddison (J15), who have all been training together since year 7, looking to gain valuable racing experience.
Predictions
While I think the Trentham crew will take the win due to the calliber and experience they have in their quad, it looks like there will be some competitive racing for the 2nd and 3rd place spots between the Notts and Union boat and one of the King’s crews.
BritneySteers
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