Shrugging off the memories of Christmas and New Year for most mean the January blues yet for the rowing community its the inherent call to come back to winter training, long ergs and cold early mornings. The other call of winter is heads, tougher racing over a longer course. This weekend will prove to be no different as many of the crews embark to the Thames upriver of the tide as crews embark to the 3000 meter course racing downstream of Sunbury Lock for Hampton Head race.
This winter for racing has been disappointing following the cancellation of many of the winter heads due to extreme flooding and the Thames being yellow and red boarded. The flooding has seen the cancellation of many heads such as Walton and Weybridge, Hampton Small Boats Head and the Kingston Small Boats head as well.
There are so many competitive crews taking part in the event hosted by Hampton School Boat Club however there are only 6 competitive first 8’s racing under J16. although the field is small there are some big names taking part.
The 6 entrance are; Norwich School BC, playing at home is the Hampton School Boat Club, King’s College School BC, Shiplake College BC, Dulwich College BC and Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School BC.
Shiplake College
Having raced the week before on the 4800 meter Quintin Head race course Shiplake are ready to make some waves at Hampton. The week before at Quintin Shiplake J16 8+ the Shiplake crew made very big waves by coming 2nd in class out of ten and missing out on the top spot by 4 seconds to a surprising Kings College crew. Shiplake also made an appearance at the Pairs Head with multiple J18 wins and a 3rd place in the J16 seniors.
Norwich School
Norwich School boat club are travelling the 120 mile trek to compete in the head. But not the first time in the winter season that they have travelled to the Thames having also made an appearance in the Barnes Bridge Pairs Head event with a 4th place in the Open J16 Senior category one place behind the Shiplake crew.
Hampton School
Racing in familiar waters is the crew from Hampton School Boat Club. The crew has not had such a presence through the national racing calendar winter season. The age of the crew racing puts the racers in the mid ground between their junior crews and leads to their progression to be able to focus on the eights at the National Schools’ Regatta. The National Schools’ Regatta of last year shows that the Hampton crew finished the time trial and made the B final in the first J16 8+. In a more recent appearance the crew from Hampton has has representation in Quintin head in the J18 head but not the J16 category.
King’s College School
Kings College are the next crew racing having joined Norwich and Shiplake at the Pairs Head competing in several open categories and the J18 class but no representation in the J16 categories. Last week however the King’s College crew made a big impression by winning the J16 8+ at Quintin Head Race beating the Shiplake crew to take the top spot. King’s will be looking to keep their winter season going strong with another big win at Hampton.
Dulwich College
Dulwich College are the 5th racing crew who are yet to reveal their colours having not made any discernible discernible performances over the winter in the J16 category.
Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School
The final boat to take to the fleet is Sir William Borlases’s Grammar School Boat Club. The club made several appearances at the Wallingford Long distance sculls in the tail end of September. The cub featured in the open J16 coxless quads, though they placed 6th and 9th out of 10 racing crews. Having finished at wallingford they are yet to make other key appearances in the J16 across the winter season.
Prediction
My prediction is that the J16 8+ category will be torn between the two main crews that I think have a shot at 1st place. I think the two crews in contention will be between Shiplake Boat Club and Kings College and School Boat Club. Kings are coming off the back of a big win at Quintin and will be looking to keep their winter season going strong. Whilst the crew from Shiplake were not far off the Kings crew making me think that their small extra push can give them the edge on the flatter water of the Hampton course.
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