J18 8+
With only 3 crews entered, Hammersmith Head won’t be graced by the finest schoolboy representation this Saturday. From the three – Maidstone, London Oratory and Westminster – I’d suggest that London Oratory will take this. Westminster have all their top guys away at trials, and their 2nd VIII didn’t post as quick a time as the LOS 1st VIII at Hampton Head. The Westminster 2nd VIII will certainly be strong this year, but LOS look to have really improved since last year and will be looking for a strong performance in Child Beale, and should certainly take the win here. I don’t think that Maidstone will quite have the power to feature in this race.
J16 8+
This category is a two horse race, but the two horses in question, the crews from Hampton School and King’s College School, Wimbledon, are of good pedigree and well matched. Assuming that both clubs are fielding their best J16s, this race will be a rematch of Quintin Head, where the crews finished first and second, King’s College School nabbing the pennant on that occasion by 0.5s.
Hammersmith Head is the same distance as Quintin and over the same stretch of river, however, the direction of the course is reversed.
Hampton won the J16 eight pennant on their own water at Hampton Head a fortnight ago and so will be pumped up to prove that they are the strongest eight in their age group, KCS Wimbledon having been absent at Hampton. Looking at Hampton paddling out on the Tideway, they appear very tidy – clearly they’ve got some very useful training under their belts – and I think on Saturday Hampton will have the edge.
Best of luck to all crews!
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