UPDATE
*This event has now been cancelled, but we thought we would still give you our preview*
The most challenging race of the Northern Sculling Series has been saved til last; as the river Wear plays host for most of these girls’ final race in the sculling series, as juniors. The rising river levels in Durham will provide demanding water for the juniors. As the race travels upstream, the girls will have to alter their usual racing line, slightly, in order to keep out of the testing flow of the river. One of the greatest factors in successful or failure on Saturday will come down to how crews tackle Elvet Bridge. Most crews will at least scrape the archway with their blades, being the most narrow rowable bridge possible. The execution of the corner that Elvet sits on will be hugely important but so will the task that the stroke seat has, in keeping the rate at regatta pace despite the race being titled a ‘head’. This is because the course is a mere 1800m, significantly shorter than any other race in the series, yet incredibly demanding. The nature of it being so short can open the door for crews that have not been winning over the longer distances to execute a better race over the short course.
The high demand in entries for Durham LDS has led to the race being split into two divions. With clubs who’s boat house sits on the Wear, racing in division 0 and those travelling to Durham ARC, waiting until Division 1 to race. This adds an extra element of challenge, with the girls not knowing their positioning as they race and so will be forced to leave everything out on the water, in the hope that is was enough to beat their competiton in the other division.
WJ18 4x-
St Leonard’s School return from victory last week in this event at Wansbeck LDS, where they beat Cambois, Durham ARC and Queen Elizabeth High School, who are also entered to race at Durham. Durham School have tended to enter senior categories this season, with their coach in the boat with them but this week they join the challenge of WJ18. St Leonard’s also beat the Yarm WJ18 crew at Tess LDS although Yarm’s WJ17s did beat St Leonard’s at the same event. With both of these crews entered again it will be geat to see how they compete over the far shorter course. Yarm School should be pushing for the win, with St Leonard’s looking to continue their success, this time on home water.
WJ18 2x
The only crews entered here are Durham ARC and St Leonard’s. The Durham ARC crew only recently returned to racing after having not competed for many months. The St Leonard’s crew raced at Tees in this double, but since then have been swapped into the quad where they were successful. These two boats have not come face to face recently and so it will be interesting to see how they fair.
WJ18 1x
There are a lack of WJ18 singles entered, which is a shame. Although Dowson of Chester-Le-Street should beat Mortimer of Cambois, having just returned from the GB Potential Camp in Nottingham. The Cambois entry is not to be over-looked though and it would be great to see this as a close race. The girls entered as WJ17 are likely to be pushing for fastest women’s single of the day; as Warren from CLs joined Dowson the GB camp just a week ago. Similarly Wilkinson of CLS was in the CLS quad that performed very well in the SBH at Wnsbeck, last week.
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