The first day of Henley is always a chance for lesser known school crews to leave their mark and avoid having to become some of the first Tuesday losers in Henley history. With more crews than ever before in the regatta, there were chances for upsets a plenty and many close races.
Review
Enniskillen Royal Grammer School vs 1863 Club
A dominant force in Northern Irish rowing for the best part of a decade, Eniskillen Royal come to Henley having placed second in the B final of Ch8+ at NSR 2022, beating many traditionally strong schools such as Abingdon and their Irish neighbours St Josephs College. The 1863 club, representing London Oratory School have had decent performances at both Wallingford and Marlow regattas and were looking to put a spanner in the works of Enniskillen’s season. It was Enniskillen however that managed to put 1863 to the sword, having a clear lead from the Island onwards and eventually winning by a verdict of “easily”. A solid performance from the boys of the North, who next face the might of Eton.
Woodrow Wilson High School vs Reading Blue Coat School
Coming into Henley as Stotesbury Cup Champions, Woodrow Wilson High School must have fancied their chances, especially given they finished ahead of good Henley crews of the past, including St Josephs Prep. Reading Bluecoat on the other hand, have been on the up with good performances at last years regattas as well as NSR 2022. Woodrow Wilson maintained a good lead off the start of ¾ of a length, which they extended through the Island and up to the middle of the course. A late push by Reading Bluecoat failed to dislodge their lead however, and Woodrow Wilson ended a superb performance with a length and a half win. What this crew can do in the following week is anyone’s guess, but for now they will bask in the glory of a Henley win.
Westminster School vs Brunswick School, USA
Westminster put paid to Brunswick’s British expedition in spectacular style, clearing the runway for a match-up against Shrewsbury School tomorrow. Brunswick – who came into the Regatta with a strong domestic season behind them – were unable to compete with Westminster’s superior technique and capability to deal with the rough conditions as the boys in pink motored away to secure a convincing win.
Previews
Eton College vs Enniskillen Royal
The perennial winners in this event, Eton College have had another stellar season, with a win at NSR and an easy win on Wednesday against Groton. Enniskillen on the other hand had an easy win against 1863 by a verdict of “Easy” and will look to stretch Eton to the limit. An Eton victory looks to be all but certain, but if Enniskillen can keep with them through the course, there might be a small but significant chance of an upset. The pride of Northern Ireland takes on arguably Britain’s best schoolboy crew in a battle that has the potential to be a cracking race.
St Pauls School vs Shiplake
Two giants of schoolboy rowing, both Shiplake and St Pauls have had season that have fallen slightly below expectations. Following their usual dominance in the Head Racing Season, Shiplake finished just outside the medals at NSR 2022 losing out to KCS by barely a second. Having started strongly with a win over Windsor Boys, Shiplake will fancy their chances against a St Pauls crew that finished sixth in the same final and have fallen well short of producing the form of their famous compatriots of 2018. In terms of a prediction, Shiplake looks well placed to take the win, provided that they keep focus on their race. Although I’m not prepared to bet against any St Pauls crew, given the speed that any crew coached by Bobby Thatcher has managed, they really will have to push Shiplake all the way if they are going to have any chance of bringing home a win on Wednesday.
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