This weekend, the Tideway in London will host hundreds of men’s eights as they battle across the reverse Championship Course, from Chiswick to Putney, in the Head of the River Race. HORR is a massive international event, second only to HOCR in terms of prestigious head races, and is an important race in the calendar of any competitive programme.
This year, I’ll be previewing the Vernon Trophy, which is awarded to the fastest crew from a Tideway-based club (situated between the mouth of the Thames and Teddington Lock). It’s a huge point of pride between Tideway clubs, and competition should be fierce. I’ll go through and preview who I think will make up the top few places.
Thames RC ‘A’
Thames have been the premier Tideway-based club for several years now, with a host of Henley wins to their name, as well as Vernon Trophies from past HORRs. This year, they’ll certainly have the trophy once again in their sights. Early season results have suggested the gulf between Thames and other clubs like London or Vesta might have narrowed, but the influx of the club’s top guys, most of whom have been focusing on sculling and potentially having a crack at the Prince of Wales at Henley, will make for a formidable top end and brilliant depth throughout the squad. Athletes like Joe Wolfin and Jake Brown bring great experience and will lead the squad from the front. I expect Thames ‘A’ to come home with the Vernon.
Such is the depth at Thames, there are actually six eights in the top 60 starting positions, and two in the top ten. I think that this year might well see Thames place at least two eights ahead of any crew from another Tideway club. That will certainly be the goal.
London RC ‘A’
London are a club with a storied past but have been off the boil in recent years, struggling to produce consistent top-end speed to rival Thames. That being said, London look to have really stepped on this year after good progress last year (culminating in making the final of the Britannia at Henley Royal). This season, London placed second at Quintin Head, just behind the winners from Thames. Thames were in matched eights for the race, but the second place finish – ahead of solid crews from Imperial, UL and Molesey – certainly suggests that London are looking much more competitive this year.
I can’t see these guys taking down the top Thames boat, but it will be interesting to see if they can beat Thames ‘B’. Given the number of guys looking at intermediate sculling events for Henley 2023 at Thames, a London win over Thames ‘B’ at HORR would be promising for a potential Thames Cup campaign for the London boys.
Vesta RC ‘A’
Vesta generally produce decent crews, and have a dedicated top squad that are keen to keep moving the club forward. A good result at Quintin, 14th, gives the Vesta boys something to build on but I can’t see them getting close to Thames at HORR. They’ll try to give London a run for their money, but I think it’s unlikely they can overturn the London boys.
Lea RC ‘A’
British Rowing’s Club of the Year 2022, Lea Rowing Club is an exciting club that has had some great success at all levels, and consistently produce quality athletes (two ex-Lea juniors will be in the Cambridge Blue Boats this year). They had a great coxless four last year that was unfortunate to lose out to Thames early in the Wyfolds at Henley 2022, but they’ve struggled in the past finding pace in the eight. They were a little behind their Tideway rivals at Quintin, so they’ll likely be focussed on overturning crews like Vesta and testing the speed of a potential Thames Cup lineup.
Tideway Scullers School ‘A’
Tideway Scullers is a classic club that has produced some exceptional crews over the years, and famously won at HORR in 2009 with an eight made of the world’s best scullers – Mahe Drysdale, Ondrej Synek, Olaf Tufte and Alan Campbell to name a few. In the past few years, they’ve enjoyed influxes of young athletes from American universities taking gap years during the pandemic, but generally year on year they struggle to find consistency, particularly in men’s sweep. At Henley last year, their top club sweep boat – the Britannia coxed four – were dispatched by an impressive junior four from Hinksey Sculling School. Tideway has a proud tradition and history and will certainly be keen to end the winter season with a strong showing, but I can’t see them touching the top end here.
Prediction
It should come as little surprise, but I’m going with Thames ‘A’ for the win, followed by Thames ‘B‘, with London ‘A’ in third.
Good luck to all crews.
Five Man
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