As we come into the final few weeks of the racing season, Henley Women’s is one of the key races of the year where crews compete in knockout rounds, making this a pretty intense event for all girls racing. This event has been fairly competitive this season, with some new faces coming up the rankings, as well as old, and this weekend should provide some exciting racing. Bows will need to be alert on this challenging course, and, perhaps more than in most races, the time trial will be crucial for crews to be seeded to their advantage. HWR also takes place just under 2 weeks before Henley Royal, and we may well see the future Diamond Jubilee winner in this event.
GLOUCESTER HARTPURY (A)
Gloucester Hartpury haven’t had as strong a season as last year, with their top crew winning the Diamond Jubilee at HRR. However, a recent 4th place at NSR this season does keep them up with the best crews in the country, and with top trialist Adamson now joining the boat, this will undoubtedly increase their speed. This crew has a very strong chance of reaching the semi-finals, and if they perform well through the weekend, they could be in with a shot at the final.
ST PAUL’S GIRLS
St Pauls have made great progress in the quad this season, with a strong win at Hammersmith Head earlier in the season, as well as a win at the Junior Sculling Regatta. 6th place at NSR is a strong result in a competitive field, but does put them a little way behind some of the top quads. They are definitely capable of making the top 8.
LATYMER UPPER (A)
Latymer have really established themselves one of the top girls quads this year, performing well throughout the season, including 2nd at SHORR. They continued this progress into the regatta season, with a clear win at Wallingford, bronze at NSR, and repeating this 3rd place finish a week later at the Met. Their consistency puts them in great stead going into this event, and if they attack the time trial well, I think they have a strong shot at making the final.
SIR WILLIAM PERKIN’S SCH
Sir William Perkins have had some decent results this season, asserting themselves as a strong crew. After 4th place in SHORR and 3rd in the Junior Sculling Regatta, 2nd in the B final at NSR would have been a slight disappointment, however these girls were back just a week later with an impressive second place at the Met. If they perform well this weekend, they should be well within the top 8, but they may struggle against this competition to reach to semi-finals.
ISLE OF ELY RC
Although they haven’t raced a lot in the quad, Isle of Ely have frequently established themselves as a top sculling club in various events across the board, including 2nd place in Ch2x at NSR. A dominant, nearly 10 second win at the Met highlights their speed in a quad, and makes them a fairly threatening crew in this field. I think the place in the final could be on the cards for this quad.
HENLEY RC
Henley look like one of the top contenders for the win in this event, from a win at Fours Head, to a strong 2nd place at NSR, 9 seconds clear of Latymer in 3rd. The winners, Headington, are not entered in this event, putting them in a good position ahead of their competition. Although it is a younger crew, 3 of these girls have been ranking highly in the trials process this year, and I have no doubt that their experience and skill could get them to the final in this event.
Other crews worth mentioning are Globe, Thames, Shiplake and Borlase, as well as Vevey and the Australian composite (although I don’t have any results for these crews, international crews are generally expected to perform well, given they have travelled specifically for this event.) All these crews should all be aiming to reach the top 8 crews.
Obviously, the draw is highly dependent on the time trial results, however I think it’ll be an intense fight for the win between Henley and Isle of Ely.
Good Luck to all crews racing!
BowSide
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