The coxless four represents an interesting challenge. It has all the power that comes with a sweep boat, but with the added pressure of being coxless and this can truly make or break a crew. There are some powerhouses of the British club circuit signed up for this category and with many clubs dismissing the Copas cup for Women’s club eights as a clear path to Thames victory, all sights are set on this category for sweep rowing glory.
Molesey BC
Firstly, Molesey certainly set an early marker in the women’s club coxless four with a win at Wallingford regatta. They then gained a respectable second place in the Sunday B final at the Met regatta. Members of this crew also likely gained valuable racing experience whilst competing in Ghent International Regatta a few months ago. Some of this crew trained and raced together whilst at Newcastle University, their time racing for the blue star including successful results at BUCS Regatta, meaning they are well versed at producing winning times as athletes.
London RC
London has become a force to be reckoned with in women’s club rowing over the years, having steadily grown in both numbers and talent. This crew qualified for the A final at Met regatta on Saturday, only being beaten by the likes of Leander, Thames and Upper Thames, all championship crews. This is the boat to watch in this category.
Upper Thames
On the first day of Reading Amateur Regatta, they showed their dominance by winning three women’s coxless fours categories, with their Lester Trophy A boat making it to the final to face their championship boat. This crew also had a successful Met Saturday with a second place in the B final. Clearly there is not only talent within this crew, but also the wider squad and as we have seen from other clubs over the years it is this kind of programme that can produce results. To prove this point, they have two crews entered and I expect to see good things from both at this regatta.
Thames RC
Of course, you cannot discuss women’s sweep rowing without thinking of the Thames RC machine. With two crews entered into this event, Thames will be aiming for a clean sweep at Henley Women’s. The ‘A’ crew came first in the B final of the coxless fours on the Saturday at Met regatta and eighth in the A final on the Sunday. Thames are set up to have another fantastic regatta and wth their reputation, it is hard to see a scenario in which they aren’t in the final, either one or both crews.
Predictions
Based on previous results it looks to be a win for the ladies from London at Henley Women’s Regatta, although the competition will be tough and a lot of that coming from Thames. Some honourable mentions goes to the crews from Lea RC, Worcester RC (who are the current title holders) and Tideway Scullers who have all had fairly successful seasons.
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