With head races finally up and running after Covid 19, Fours Head is back to business and no doubt will be a very exciting event to watch and participate in. With head season well underway, all junior and club athlete’s training over the past couple months will be put to the test in this endurance based race, as well as many cox’s steering abilities along the winded Tideway. Due to the majority of races being cancelled last year and a few in the past couple weeks, guesswork on the speed and combinations of crews may have to be applied.
Thames RC
Thames RC will be looking to uphold and maintain a very successful history in Fours Head with their crews usually doing very well. They will no doubt be one of the main crews to beat this year as the club have a reputation of winning from back in 2019 and their training up until now will have remained at a high standard. Having done a few sessions in eights recently, this will aid these athletes for the long race to come. L Colhurst’s crew came 2nd in the Metropolitan Regatta in 2019 showing that the standard of sweeping is at a very high and powerful level which will hopefully produce a fast time.
Cantabrigian RC
With the Cantabs having a successful reputation at heads and regattas, such as becoming the first town club to win a pennant for 21 years back in 2018 and upholding this impressive title through to Henley last summer where their eight became a selected crew to make it to Friday, these athletes will be determined to show what they are capable of this season. With the usual high standard of athletes this club produces and a recent impressive win at Reading Small Boats Head in the Women’s Intermediate Coxed Fours category, a quick time will be expected. Having had more time to train in the respective four I expect a big shift will have been made to further improve the crew and I believe they will have a high chance at placing.
Putney Town RC
With the two fours entered in this event and the athlete’s being very familiar with the course which they have most probably trained on over the past few weeks, an engaging race will be expected from these crews. Putney Town recently participated in Upper Thames Autumn Head where their coxed four placed 6th which will have provided them with the experience for Fours Head. Hopefully this crew and their cox can use the familiarity with home water which will ensure an advantage and a good racing line, inevitably making them speedier.
Other crews involve City of Cambridge RC, Cambridge ’99 RC, Lea RC, Marlow RC and London RC, all of which have a high chance of placing closely together as well, due to their strong sweeping abilities and good reputations. I predict that it will be a close race between all coxed fours with Cantabrigian RC and Thames RC competing for top spot, however with the unpredictable tideway, clubs such as Putney Town and London RC may use their knowledge and experience of the tideway to gain time on other unfamiliar crews.
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