The close-season is here. The period of the year that all rowers in the UK look forward to is finally upon us – the Henley series. Starting with Henley Women’s Regatta, we’re treated to several weeks of action on that iconic course, culminating in (depending on your view) either a tremendous Sunday of Royal Regatta finals or the Masters Regatta the following weekend.
The women’s junior eights category is delicately poised. In the two major races so far in 2024, we have had two different winners; Headington, who won the Schools’ Head of the River alongside the junior headship at the Women’s Head of the River and Hinksey, who won the girls’ championship eights title at the National Schools’ Regatta a few weeks ago. Although the latter is certainly the more prestigious of the two titles, it’s hard to write off any crew who did not manage gold at Dorney – the fire in their belly will be burning hot with the energy stoked by revenge. Let’s dive in…
Hinksey Sculling School
Take a swing at the champ and you better not miss. Watching Hinksey ascend the ranks to become the undisputed national champion in the schoolgirl eight was a privilege, not least given their status as a community boat club with backs to the wall financially. Bodo Schulenburg has worked minor miracles, carrying on the great work that Axel Dickinson started, and now this crew are in pole position to take the first of two Henley titles on offer. In 2023, the clear domestic favourite was Headington and it took quite the effort for anyone from the UK to get within a length of them. 2024 promises to be a whole lot closer, both domestically and as we cast our eyes further afield…
Headington School
A bronze medal at the National Schools’ Regatta will not have thrilled this richly-talented crew or their taskmaster, Ryan Demaine. Headington are so used to adorning the summit of podiums up and down the country that a third-placed finish will do one of two things; shock them into submission or spool up the turbines of change. From a neutral standpoint, one hopes it is the latter. If not to provide us with a fantastic contest at the Henley Women’s Regatta in the Peabody Cup, then we want a fast Headington crew to be front and centre when the legions of very fast international boats land on UK shores in the coming weeks. Headington actually defeated Hinksey at the Metropolitan Regatta, a week after losing to them at the National Schools’ Regatta, so maintaining that momentum will be key.
St Edward’s School
Naming an unchanged crew from the boat that secured a silver medal at the National Schools’ Regatta, Teddies have been the surprise package of the 2024 summer season. After a relatively innocuous eighth-placed finish at the Schools’ Head of the River in March, they re-announced themselves in stunning style by winning the eights time-trial at Dorney before going on to unseat Headington for silver. Although they were not able to catch Hinksey, the fact that they got so close will have galvanised the program and given them real hope of becoming the first school ever to win successive titles at Henley Royal Regatta in school-age events of differing genders. Before that though, there is the small matter of Henley Women’s Regatta. If they can reach the final, anything is possible on this weird and wonderful course.
Henley Rowing Club
This crew had a storming start at the National Schools’ Regatta from an unfavoured lane and were right in the conversation for medals until the very last. Henley never shy away from a challenge and they’ll be desperate to clinch some silverware on the grandest of all stages after a season that has broadly not scaled their usual lofty heights. That is not to say it’s been a poor campaign – most boat-clubs would swap their fleet for the type of year Henley have undergone – but the program has set such illustrious standards in the past decade that simply matching them year-on-year deserves credit. They won Wallingford Regatta in a weakened field but two fourth-placed finishes at the two leading races so far in 2024 will have caused much consternation and this boat will be desperate to progress behind the final four next weekend.
Shiplake College
After winning silver in March on the Tideway – at a race that Shiplake always typically fare well in – Dan Safdari’s girls may have been slightly underwhelmed with their fifth at the National Schools’ Regatta. There is no doubting the talent on-board, with junior international Emily Downing present and accounted for amongst others – but bringing that altogether is the real challenge. Shiplake deserve a great deal of credit for the way in which they have established themselves in junior women’s rowing. After winning the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup in 2021, they put out two further competitive quads in ’22 and ’23 before switching to eight blades and bodies for the 2024 campaign. Next weekend should be a real indication of how well they have used their time between the last May bank holiday and Henley Royal Regatta.
Marlow Rowing Club
What is remarkable about this Marlow crew is how well they punch above their weight, considering this is actually their ‘B’ boat. The four fastest girls are in the quad, tasked with the likely thankless pursuit of a rampant Wycliffe. The eight however have a more open and divided field in which to find speed and pass their competitors. If they can sneak up the rankings – based on their position of sixth at the National Schools’ Regatta – that would represent a good return on investment.
Groton School, USA
With a trophy named after them – and a silver medal at the NEIRAS in the same category – it’s a wonder that Groton did not fancy a tilt at the Groton School Challenge Cup. They’re opting for the eight though, which might mean they’re pitching for a run at the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy. If they can put in a strong performance next weekend – particularly against their NEIRA rivals in BB&N below – then perhaps they can steal into the latter stages of this competition.
Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, USA
Hailing from the rowing hotbed that is Cambridge, Massachusetts, Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (or BB&N as they are colloquially known) have had a strong season, culminating in their first Varsity coxed four making the grand final at the NEIRAs. Four of that crew race here, including cox Lea von Hilgers, and they’ll be desperate to make a mark on what looks like it could be a domestic march to the Peabody Cup.
Wallingford Rowing Club
This is a pretty exciting entry from Katie Greve’s girls at Wallingford Rowing Club. Featuring three of the boat that won silver in girls’ championship coxed fours at the National Schools’ Regatta plus a handful of the athletes who were in the silver medal-winning junior 16 crew. If this boat is more than the sum of its parts then we could be in for a fast crew.
Surbiton High School
An ever-present at the business end of junior rowing these days, Surbiton will be seeking to improve upon their eighth-placed finish at the National Schools’ Regatta back in May. If they can squeeze past the quarter-finals, that would represent a marked step-on and put them into the frame for a weekend spot at Henley Royal Regatta. Let’s see where they land. There is no doubting the potential of this boat club.
Prediction
This one is between Headington and Hinksey for me. The winners of the Schools’ Head against the winners of the National Schools’ facing off in the final is a mouthwatering prospect but both boats will know that victory at Henley Women’s Regatta does not guarantee success two weeks later at the Royal.
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