As rampant cancellations once again make a mockery of the UK racing calendar, crews up and down the country are clinging on to what small wins they can get. The successful staging of the Henley Long Distance Sculls – an event that often falls foul of poor weather – would certainly qualify. As I write this – on the Wednesday afternoon before Thursday publication – the event is still slated to go ahead. Here’s hoping it stays that way.
Leander Club
On home turf, you have to make the Pink Palace favourites. In their only outing of note this season, Leander placed first and third in Open Junior 18 Doubles at the Pairs Head of the River, sandwiching a boat from Wycliffe. If the same four athletes make up this quad on Saturday, they will take some stopping. After a slightly underwhelming 23/24 campaign – by Leander’s own illustrious standards – this squad will be determined to make amends in 2025. They won The Fawley Challenge Cup in 2023 and will surely want to make it two in three; a victory on the same stretch of water this weekend would be a great place to start.
Lea Rowing Club
B-finalists at the National Schools’ Regatta in Open Championship Quads last summer, Lea Rowing Club have developed remarkable consistency in producing competitive junior crews. The same outfit got through a round at Henley Royal Regatta before losing out to Hinksey on the Thursday and it’s unclear how many of that boat will return this season. They have two crews entered and if a strong core remains, then expect this quad to push Leander hard and make a play for the pennant.
Tideway Scullers School
No junior roster is complete without the mercurial talents of the Tideway Scullers School, whose two junior Henley Royal Regatta Trophies in the past four years speak volumes about the system’s quality down in Chiswick. Although they weren’t quite firing on all cylinders in 2024 – losing out in one of the races of the Regatta on the Thursday of The Fawley Challenge Cup – they have a real knack of turning it on when it really matters. If they can find their way into the top three here – and stay within range of Leander – I fancy them to be competitive in the summer, particularly given the depth they have this season in registering two boats.
Westminster School
Under relatively new stewardship after Josh Butler’s flight to Hampton School, Westminster will be keen to lay down a marker in a category that we do not often see them appear in. They have a talented J16 squad, as evidenced by a first and third-placed finish at the Pairs Head of the River in Open Junior 16 Doubles. Their fastest pair were fourth on the day too, so that indicates Westminster could well be competitive this season.
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
Another boat club that generally punches above their weight, they were fifth in the B-final of Open Championship Quads at the National Schools’ Regatta in May and will hope to have retained some of that burgeoning talent. If they can beat any of the names on this docket, it could be a very good year for this group.
Prediction
Hard to look past the might of Leander Club, especially on home water and in front of what was presumably be a partisan crowd on the banks. Expect Lea and Tideway Scullers School to push them hard.
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