After a two-year hiatus due to inclement weather, coupled with the recent cancellations of Scullers Head and Wallingford Long Distance Sculls, Henley Long Distance Sculls will provide a well-overdue opportunity for single scullers to compete. The three-kilometre course will be the first time many of these scullers race down the iconic Henley stretch, ending at the legendary Henley Royal Regatta finish. With some 56 scullers entered, some heading to the Great Britain Junior Trials in a fortnight, all competitors will be eager to establish dominance and set the tone for a season of success.
Leander Club
Four scullers from Leander are set to race this weekend, with the pack being led by the experienced William Eaton, who, entering his third season at Leander, will have victory at the top of his agenda. Highlights from last season for Eaton included triumph at the Junior Sculling Regatta and making the quarterfinals of Henley Royal Regatta in The Fawley Challenge Cup. He capped the season off with a last-minute call-up to the Great Britain quad for the U19 European Rowing Championships, finishing tenth overall.
Max Mustoo is another sculler returning to Leander this season. Racing most of last season in the ‘B’ quad, Mustoo joined the ‘A’ boat for the Junior Sculling Regatta, helping them to victory before celebrating a silver medal at the National Schools’ Regatta in the Second Quad event a few weeks later. Looking to solidify his place in the top boat this season, Mustoo will be looking to measure up well against his teammates.
Ziggy Vizgirda has joined Leander this season from Tideway Scullers School, already celebrating his first success with the club at Pairs Head, where he teamed up with fellow newcomer Willem van dem Eerenbeemt to win the Junior 18 Double, outperforming the more experienced Leander duo of Eaton and Mustoo by some 15 seconds. It will be exciting to see whether these two can convert their speed from the double into singles or whether Eaton and Mustoo’s experience of the Henley stretch will prevail.
Tideway Scullers School
Despite being a year younger than most of his competition, Joe McCarthy from Tideway Scullers School will be setting off second in the pack, suggesting two things: experience and speed. Having graduated from the Junior 16 category, where he won bronze in the single at the Junior Sculling Regatta and made the A-final in the quad at the National Schools’ Regatta, McCarthy will be hoping to be competitive in the Junior 18 division too.
Bewl Bridge Rowing Club
It’s fair to say that Jack Ribbens from Bewl has established himself a reputation of dominance in the single scull over his short career so far. Having already achieved an incredible hat trick of first-place finishes in the Junior 15, 16 and 17 singles at Junior Sculling Regatta year after year, Ribbens’ quest for a fourth JSR gold begins now.
Prediction
With limited opportunity for single scullers to race, alongside recurrent cancellations of key events in the racing calendar, it isn’t easy to use previous racing data to pick an obvious favourite. The combination of William Eaton of Leander’s international experience together with a home water advantage positions him as one of the top contenders. I think his most significant competition comes from his fellow teammates, particularly Ziggy Vizgirda, but I have no qualms that Jack Ribbens of Bewl will be looking to knock the home team from the top spot. With well-regarded programmes such as Claires Court and Westminster fielding 12 and eight crews, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some other names at the top of the ranks.
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