After the recent cancellation of Fours Head, 21 women’s Junior 18 quads turn their heads to the 3000m race of Hampton Head, hoping for a solid run down the track this weekend. With the weather looking up and a competitive field of entries, Hampton will provide some watch-worthy racing. Look ahead at the top contenders:
Sir William Perkins School Boat Club
Consistently producing talented junior rowers, Sir Willam Perkins’ are a name to watch out for, with successful GB trialists and a haul of medals from the National Schools’ Regatta last season to prove it. Placing third in the championship doubles followed by second in the women’s Junior 16 doubles highlights the strength and depth of the squad, and with three out of those four rowers returning this year, I have no doubts Perkins are going to have a fast – if not fastest – junior quad on the circuit this year.
Molesey Boat Club
Producing three quads for this race, Molesey have set out high hopes for the weekend, revealing their strength in numbers and squad strength. Many promising results at the National Schools’ Regatta, including bronze in the championship quads and eighth in the women’s Junior 16 quads, prove the skill in sculling at the club, especially the strength in quads, giving them an advantage this weekend. Advancing to the Friday of Henley Royal Regatta before an unexpected defeat by the Tideway Scullers highlights the club’s competitive nature and ability to challenge the top crews.
Walton Rowing Club
Having recently moved their focus to sweep rowing, Walton are returning to the sculling scene for the weekend, spicing up the same old start orders. Following a seventh place in the women’s Junior 16 quads at the National Schools’ Regatta back in 2023, the quad is making a remarkable comeback to challenge the big clubs of the Tideway on the home waters by Sunbury Lock. A recent victory at Pairs Head highlights the extraordinary progress these rowers have made, serving as a reminder that even the dominant private schools can be overthrown by the skill and determination of talented club athletes.
Pangbourne College Rowing Club
Feilding two coxless fours at the National Schools’ Regatta this year, Pangbourne are another sweep-focused club reverting to sculling for the weekend. Over their Easter holiday training camp, the Pangbourne juniors gained international experience at the Ghent International Spring Regatta, where they claimed gold in the U19 fours and silver in the U19 quads behind fellow Brits from the Tideway Scullers School. Starting first and second will undoubtedly give the two Pangbourne crews a confidence boost, allowing them to focus on racing each other down the course without the pressure of trailing crews and keeping their sights firmly set on securing top positions.
Prediction
As stated earlier, I cannot picture anyone coming close to Sir William Perkins’ top quad, making them favourites this weekend. I believe silver will be a toss-up between Molesey and Walton with the latter just taking it on their home stretch and Pangbourne rounding out the top four.
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