As the weather-induced hiatus of rowing seems to come to a close, the 2024 racing season is well and truly starting up. Hampton Head is one of the next races on the horizon, where crews will navigate approximately 3000 meters downstream, vigorously racing toward the finish line at Hurst Park, each striving for a first-place finish. Among the most thrilling competitions to watch are the women’s J18 coxless fours, where technical proficiency pairs with strength to propel these boats down the course, with the added complication of foot steering. Ones to watch include Henley Rowing Club, Lady Eleanor Holles School, and Surbiton High School—each of whom could be considered dominant forces in junior women’s sweep.
Henley Rowing Club
A prestigious contender, Henley tends to rank among the top of results tables. This year, they are submitting two fours, both of which appear strong. Their first four sets off first for good reason—Abi Smith in stroke represented GB in the women’s 8 at Coupe last year, and is accompanied by Gwennie Hunter, Emma Eltze, and Liliya Wild, all three of whom achieved top-ranking finishes at the National Schools’ Regatta. Not to be overlooked, their second four are chasing closely behind—featuring winners of the J16 quad at Henley Women’s’ Regatta and NSR. It will be interesting to see if these impressive J16 rowers can make two significant step-ups: firstly, a transition from sculling to sweeping, and secondly, the jump up to J18 after racing in J16. Year after year, Henley proves themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, and it will be intriguing to see if they can lead themselves into summer with confidence after these early-season regattas.
Lady Eleanor Holles
A giant in the junior women’s sweep scene, LEH will always be an intimidating name to see on a race draw. With a wealth of rowers to choose from, the depth of talent in the club continues to strengthen, with the list of winners and trialists growing longer each year. They entered three eights into HWR last year, and a quarter-final knockout of their top eight may have come as a bit of a shock. With the resurgence of rowing, LEH will be an interesting club to watch for women’s sweep this year and will be contenders for major titles. At this Hampton Head, if they focus on rowing their best, they could produce a robust result.
Surbiton
The women in green are notorious for stirring up results. The club’s top eight made a strong name for themselves last year, picking up medal after medal. Many trialists featured in that eight and served as role models for many of the younger rowers. Another crew experiencing the transition from J16 to J18, their four will be interesting to watch. While I don’t think they’ll be as strong as the Henley four, I can always be proved wrong—Surbiton rowers achieved GB and home wins last year, so perhaps Hampton will add another medal to their collection.
Predictions
I believe a Henley crew will walk away with the win, but there is serious competition coming from LEH and Surbiton, as well as clubs not mentioned above such as Putney and Tideway. February is still early in the season—many clubs have not solidified any sort of top crew, and so early-season racing is always thrilling. A mix and match of crews will inevitably bring suspense-filled racing to any river or regatta.
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