This year The Junior Sculling Regatta is being held on the 5th May at Dorney Lake, and will be contested over 2000m, on the day preceding Wallingford Regatta. This year, for the WJ18 2x there are thirteen entries, which should allow a compact, but competitive field of racing, which should allow us to see how the crews have improved over the Easter break, and if any training camps have added valuable speed coming into the regatta season. This is one of the only major regattas before exam season truly begins for this age group, so they will undoubtedly be looking forward to racing and having a well-needed revision break, albeit only for a day!
Marlow look slim favourites for this event, with a bronze medal finish in the quad at SHORR, and a 5th place the following day at the scullery, they will be aiming to carry this early season form into the tight end of the season, and I would expect their top two athletes to be in this boat.
Sir William Perkins School were beaten by one place by Marlow at both SHORR and OJSH, so these athletes will inevitably be seeking revenge here, and overturn Marlow to give a confidence boost coming into the regatta season.
Tideway Scullers School will equally be looking to beat the two aforementioned crews, after being beaten by SWPS by just over 5 seconds in the quad at SHORR; these two athletes will believe that a win is within reach, albeit a far reach.
Walton came 6th in WJ17 4x at OJSH, and with a double in both WJ18 and WJ17 doubles, one presumes that the quad has been split into two doubles, who will not race against one another. If this were the top double, I would expect them to be challenging for a podium position.
Norwich School are the only competitors who raced in Girls 1st eights at SHORR, so seeing a double come to the Junior Sculling head suggests that Norwich believe they have a top double out of the eight, and wish to see what their speed is like early season.
Also entered are Llandaff, Eton Excelsior and Bryanston, who came 20th, 26th and 27th at OJSH respectively, in addition to Cambridge 99, City of Oxford, and Surbiton High, who all had limited information available.
Prediction:
- Marlow
- TSS
- Sir William Perkins
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