The J17 sculls will see 20 athletes contest the event at Dorney. It will be interesting to see which of these scullers will make the step up to Championship Singles at the National Schools’ Regatta in two weeks time, and thus use this event as a springboard to gain useful experience.
Maidenhead RC- Rowe
Harrison Rowe is a sculler who is making a big impact in the Great Britain trialing system. He improved his 9th place single finish in February to 4th at the Selection Regatta three weeks ago. Given these impressive credentials for a J17, Rowe is clearly the favourite going into this event and it will be extremely difficult for someone to get the better of him this weekend.
The Windsor Boys’ School- Bodkin
It is likely Bodkin was part of Windsor’s second crew that raced Championship Quads at Schools’ Head and placed 7th. If this proves correct then Bodkin could end up as one of the top scullers in this event and this is emphasised by his 5th place finish at Hampton Small Boats Head.
Henley RC- Reid
Henley RC is more commonly known for its dominant junior girls squad, but don’t count out their junior boys. 15th at the Fours Head shows the crew still needs to mature in order to prove their worth against the country’s top athletes. That being said, 5th in J16 Quads at last year’s British Championships does suggest that the club does have potential against crews in the same age category and as a result we could see a strong finish from Reid at the Sculling Regatta, despite a shakey 14th at Hampton SBH.
Leander Club- Smeeton
With a 2nd place finish in J17 quads at the Scullery, Leander are have proven themselves to be one of the crews to beat in the J17 category. Consequently, there is no reason why they will not be able to achieve as highly in smaller boats. Expect to see a solid performance from the Leander sculler.
Marlow RC- Fairman & Walton RC- Wilkinson
Both these Scullers raced well at last year’s British Championships, placing 2nd in the J16 2x and J16 1x respectively. Given the strong results Marlow’s senior boys are stringing together, it is highly likely Fairman could be one of the most competitive in this event. Wilkinson placed 4th in J17 2- at Hampton SBH so it will be interesting to see how he fairs in the single.
My Prediction…Harrison Rowe to take the win
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