With one crew withdrawn, only six pairs will contend the Hambleden this year – down almost two thirds on the 2019 entry. Despite this shallow pool, the event sets the stage for some hugely dramatic racing, with recognisable names from home and abroad competing.
S.J. Redgrave & S.L.J. Dear (Leander Club)
Two high-flyers of GB’s ‘Project Paris’ initiative, Sam and Susie claimed a bronze medal at the third World Cup as a pair and no doubt have hopes of selection in 2024. This pair would, all else being equal, be hands-down favourites for the Hambleden, yet the fact that this duo is doubling up in Leander’s Remenham Eight adds a cautionary asterisk to that prediction. Nevertheless, they’re already my favourites in the eight, and if they manage to pull a favourable draw, there’s every possibility these extraordinary athletes walk away as double Henley Champions.
S.G. Paine & M. Slabbert (Leander Club & University of London)
As President of the women’s squad for the 2021 Season at CUBC, Sophie steered her crews to a stunning double victory in the Blue Boat and Blondie. In 2019, she was also a silver medalist with the British eight at the World Rowing Under23 Championships. She’s joined in the pair by Megan Slabbert, who stood alongside Sophie on the podium at the World Champs in 2019. If I were a member of this crew, I’d be watching the draw for the Remenham almost as closely as the draw for the Hambleden because if their all-Leander competition finds themselves in a gut-buster before they come up against this pairing, the Henley dice might just roll in their favour.
L.M. Lindsay & M.V.E Saunders (The Tideway Scullers’ School)
A pair with deep individual experience in the eight, Lily and Meg have the potential to cause the upset of the regatta. As part of the Scullers’ eight, Lily made the final of the championship event a few weeks ago at Henley Women’s Regatta. Her partner, Meg Saunders, took the silver medal at this year’s NCAAs with Stanford’s first eight. Both of these oarswomen were Under23 medalists in the eight in both 2018 and 2019. As mentioned, this crew could cause the upset of the regatta but provided they don’t burn through their reserves in the Remenham, I can’t see this crew breaking Redgrave and Dear.
Conclusions & Predictions:
Even though they’ll be spending time in the Remenham, the World Cup bronze medalists are clearly the form crew. If they manage to avoid any mid-week stresses in either of their events, Sam and Susie should clean up in the pairs and have a great chance of winning in the eight. However, a foul draw could scupper those plans. If such a scenario unfolds, Sophie and Meg should be the first to jump into the opening, and regardless, it’s this crew I would expect to see lining up beside Leander on Sunday.
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