Things are starting to look up in the world of rowing. Following the passing of the January blues and the long awaited promise that spring is just around the corner the rower continues to wake up in the cold and the dark to push towards an elusive victory in the longer, more challenging heads. That cannot be more true as the crews once again embark to the Tideway for Hammersmith Head hosted by Auriol Kensington Rowing Club on Sunday 16th February. The event is only competed by eights, fours and quads of all age categories. The event is takes place every spring and features 271 crews racing across 6 divisions throughout the day. The course features a stretch of water going from Hammersmith Bridge running up to the Kew Railway Bridge. The racing line spans roughly 5k and is very well known to many head racers it being the same stretch of water to be used for pairs head earlier in the racing calendar.
The Open School/ Junior Coxed Fours is a very tight event and will be battled out amongst eight crews and six clubs to decide the winner. The six clubs being represented are King’s College School BC, who are being represented by two crews. Tideway Scullers School, who are fielding two crews. Reading Blue Coat School BC, 1863 Club, Emanuel School BC and Kew House School BC.
King’s College School BC
King’s College School BC are the club to kick off the proceedings in the category by fielding two crews. The club have been very successful over the winter with some big notches already under the belt. In the Pairs Head earlier in the year the club won the Open J18 Intermediate Doubles. Other noticeable results from Pairs Head can be seen with a 5th in the Open Pairs Championships, 4th in the J18 Intermediate Doubles. Later down the line they put in the leg work at Hampton Head with noticeable results in with a 1st, 4th and 11th in the Open School/ Junior pairs as well as winning the Open Schools Eights with a 10 second lead on the competition. Along with a 4th in the J16 eights they put in very strong performance at the Hampton Head. The club have proved from the start of the winter they they are the ones to beat by laying the gauntlet from Pairs Head.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway Scullers make themselves known with a very big presence across the racing calendar. Their earlier results were seen in the Pairs Head. The junior men placed 2nd in the Open J18 Champs category. Later on across the winter season the Sculling School made an appearance in the Fours’ Head of the river. Tideway placed 2nd in the Junior B1 Coxless Quads as well as 3rd in the Coxless 4’s B2. In more recent times the Sculling School made big waves at Hampton Head with the Junior Men placing 2nd and 16th in the Open School/ Junior 2x. 6th in the Open School/ Junior Pairs, 12th and 18th in the Open Junior/ School Coxless Quads. Winning the Open School/ Junior coxed 4’s. Their presence has been very consistent across the winter season with some noticeable results especially earlier in the season.
Reading Blue Coat School BC
Blue Coat have not had many noticeable performances but made a good appearance at the Quintin Head race in January. The crew came 10th out of 17 in the J18 8’s and came 6th out of 10 in the J16 8’s. This was followed by coming 9th out of 13 in the J15 8’s. The crew from Reading show promise from the recent efforts at Quintin and are in good stead to place well.
1864 Club
1863 Club have made some noticeable appearances through the head season in the junior categories. They first made two appearances on the 25th January at Quintin Head race. The club placed 14th out of 17 in the J18 eights. Whilst their younger crew placed 10th out of 11 in the J16 Eights. A week later they were out in force again but in greater numbers competing at Hampton Head; placing 6th out of 9 in the Open School/ Junior 4-. 6th in the J16 4’s, 25th and 30th in the School/ Junior Doubles. 9th in the Open School/ Junior eights. 23rd in the Open School/ Junior coxless quads. Finally 2nd in the J15 Open 4’s. Though their presence was known with a mass amount of entries there weren’t any distinct high performing results.
Emanuel School BC
Emanuel School Boat Club junior men have been very busy competing over the winter season in Pairs Head, 4’s Head of the River, Quintin Head and Hampton Head. In the Pairs Head Emanuel School came 5th in the Open J18 Senior Doubles and 3rd in the J18 intermediate pairs. Further down the line Emanuel placed well in the 4’s Head clocking a 2nd in the Coxless 4’s band 2 and 13th in the Junior Coxed 4’s band 2. Coming into the new year see’s the Quintin Head where Emanuel sent three men’s crews. The J18 eight placed 12th out of 17 with the J16 eight coming 8th out of 10 whilst their J15 eight came 10th out of 13 crews. Bringing highlights to the most recent event being Hampton Head where Emanuel sent one J18 quad crew in a scratched event. The club have been moving very well over the winter season and have accumulated a lot of experience which may prove invaluable further down the line.
Kew House School BC
Kew House School Boat Club make up the final club to compete and for them it’s been a very disappointing winter season for them. The club have sent entries in the 4’s head of the river and send entries for the Quintin Head and have unfortunately been scratched from both of the events. The club did make a featured appearance in the recent Hampton Head event gaining noticeable performances in the Open J16 quads with a 12th and the 5th in the Open J16 4’s. With the club being eld back by scratches and bad weather most of the winter season the potential is there for Hammersmith Head to be a big comeback.
Prediction
My prediction is that based on the results that the Kings College School BC have proved themselves as the ones to beat. Although I think that the Tideway Sculling School have proved themselves as the most consistent throughout the winter. I think the final racing will be between the King’s College and the Tideway Scullers with a possible outsider chance for Emanuel School Boat Club as well.
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