After being cancelled last year due to high water levels, typical of the head season, the scenic 5.2km stretch of the Kingston Small Boats Head will once again be filled with rowers, all eager to establish early dominance in the season. Along the large bend, rowers will need to strategically navigate the turns and the two bridges in the last kilometre of the course to secure top times. With favourable conditions forecasted, it seems likely that we will see some impressive performances this weekend.
Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club
Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club has historically performed well in the J15/J16 categories across various crew types. Their previous achievements, such as a 5th-place finish in the B final at the National Schools’ Regatta, suggest they will be a crew to watch. With two of their boats in strong starting positions, Sir William Borlase’s crews are expected to bring excitement to the race this weekend.
Walbrook Rowing Club
Walbrook Rowing Club is a strong contender, having dominated last year and winning the British Rowing Junior and Senior Club Championships, the Junior Sculling Head, the Junior Sculling Regatta, and placing 2nd at the National Schools Regatta. Despite losing some members of the original crew, including, of course, their cox, they have gained new rowers eager to get involved with the club’s recent success. It, therefore, seems likely that these boys will be in top crews, which will pose a threat to their competition this weekend. In addition to their success last season, the race will be taking place on Walbrook’s local stretch, meaning the boys will be well rehearsed in navigating the bends and bridges, again setting them apart from their competition.
Brentford Rowing Club
Brentford Rowing Club is a community club which placed thirty-second at Nationals last season. Known for fostering a wide range of abilities, their younger rowers typically face greater challenges when competing against elite programs. It will be interesting to see how Brentford’s boats fare against crews that outperformed them last year, and whether they can narrow the gap as the season begins.
Walton Rowing Club
Walton Rowing Club did not compete at the National Schools’ Regatta last year, making it somewhat of an unknown entity. While they may have potential, a new crew seems unlikely to outperform the experienced and locally familiar crews. Being relatively local—based in Molsey—the boys may have some familiarity with the course conditions, but it may not be enough to compete against established rivals like Walbrook.
Shiplake College Boat Club
With an elite rowing program that focuses on both sculling and sweeping, Shiplake College Boat Club attracts strong sixth-form entries, as shown by their impressive Henley Royal Regatta performance this year. Known for their high-calibre rowing program, the Henley-based crews are expected to perform well, with two crews representing the school. After spending a week in Cerlac training during the half-term break, these boys will undoubtedly be coming to Kingston SBH with the mileage under their belt to pose as contenders for a top spot.
Prediction
As the Kingston Small Boats Head approaches, rowers will be battling for competitive spots in what will be the season’s first race for many crews. It seems likely that Walbrook Rowing Club will take the top spot this weekend, followed closely by Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club, or the Shiplake College Boat Club crew. Beyond these frontrunners, the remaining placements are still up for grabs, and it will be exciting to see which crews manage to push ahead.
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