As the last trailers trickled back to their clubs, the sun beginning to set on Boston, Lincolnshire, it was clear the hierarchy of Junior Rowing had been upended for good in one of the most controversial Early ID trials in recent years. An unprecedented 252 rowers faced the daunting prospect of five kilometres in a single, with a stiff headwind that built as the course went along wreaking absolute havoc.
Men’s Sculling
The result that seems to epitomise these trials is the overall victory on the men’s side of the relatively unknown Herbie Austin-Baker (first overall) from Hinksey. Seeded 104th with little pedigree until Saturday besides a win in the J16 Pair at Brit Champs 2022, a fine result but not one that’d connote beating international rowers with two kilometre ergo scores over a half-minute faster. Similarly, of the sculling old guard, nobody would have expected Marlow to outplace Leander and Windsor boys, Jerry Anderson (second), another lightweight with an unassuming appearance, finishing second ahead of stalwarts of the circuit like Byron Richards (fourth) and Jack Cadwallader (seventh).
A trend I noticed was the tendency of top-class scullers to succumb to the might of the headwind, posting some filthy positive splits or even having an entanglement with the tendrils of the Lincolnshire foliage. The question remains whether Austin-Baker can carry his Hinksey boat to contention, whether Marlow can hold off the raw strength of Leander, and whether Windsor’s latest generation can bear the mantle of their forefathers. All that’s certain is that the autumn complacency that may have haunted many has been shredded, and the next time the scullers return to Boston, vengeance will be at the forefront of their minds.
Men’s Sweep
British Rowing taking the rate cap seriously for once (and many disobeying it) robbed neutral fans of a fair contest between the big four scullers of the fall season: Middleton, Wolfensberger, Peel, and Scowen, the former two plucked from the results sheet on the orders of the selectors after disobeying the generally unobserved rate cap.
In the end, the win went to Max Peel (third overall), overturning the form book against Sam Scowen (sixth) from Scullers Head and further exorcising his post-Henley demons (though the results might have been flipped without the raging headwind that undoubtedly hit lightweights harder), and with a surprise performance from Harrison Harper (fifth) who’s established himself as a force to be reckoned with after racing in the Shiplake third eight last year, though his sweep ability remains unknown.
While the names at the top of men’s sweep remain predictable – Peel the one returner from the world’s eight and Scowen, Middleton, Peck (eighth) and Wild (tenth) all at the upper end of last year’s coupe squad – what’s more surprising is the dominance of sweep rowers in a sculling race – I’m not sure if the top scullers would fare nearly as well in a pairs matrix. In terms of the PE landscape, Early IDs gave little away, with weak performances from Eton, Shrewsbury and Radley, stronger ones from KCS, Teddies and Westminster, Paul’s a complete unknown, unable yet to back the chat, and Shiplake’s impeccable showing tempered by their strong sculling focus and reliance on imported scullers.
Women’s Sweep and Scull
Just as dominant and surprising as Austin-Baker’s win on the men’s side was the rise of Ailish Harkin (first overall) on the women’s, beating Ella Fullman (second) and Mathilda Drewett (third) by almost 20 seconds.
With the absence of Madeline Greenstock opening up the field, Harkin came from last year’s middling performance to a resounding triumph, and after a stellar end to last season, winning National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Women’s Regatta before gold in the coupe pair, places herself at the top of the sweep pecking order.
Running through the landscape for the Diamond Jubilee, in singles Wycliffe appears the clear favourite, Fullman’s result backed up by Howe (sixth) and Burton (eighth), though their heavily individual styles have created quads that don’t perfectly mesh in recent years, with Marlow the other threat, Kerry-Roger (fourth) and Rayner (tenth) returning from last season’s National Schools’ Regatta winning boat that was ignominiously knocked out by a Tideway crew that’s been under-the-radar this season, their elite athletes, besides Comerford (26th), one-year juniors.
On the sweep side, it’s difficult to see anyone besides Henley putting a fight up against the big American crews at the end of the season down the Henley Royal Track. If the American B finalists Winter Park could reach the final last year, who knows what’d happen if a Greenwich or Marin came over. Henley show their depth is evident with five scullers in the top 40, not to mention a total of 13 GB France returners making them likely challengers of these loaded US crews.
Overall, Early IDs threw up more questions than answers, questions that admittedly will soon be forgotten in the tumult of Fours Head and Wallingford, but ones that begin to carve out a set of narratives for the season ahead. From the dispersion of talent in Men’s Sweep and lack of a single dominant force to the upheaval of the Men’s Sculling scene from the Windsor-Leander duopoly the last few years have seen, to the strength of Wycliffe, Henley, and Marlow on the Women’s side, it’s clear the upcoming season will be like none before.
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