After the showpiece national event that is National Schools’ Regatta, it is often easy to forget that we have national racing that takes place before Henley Royal Regatta. However, Marlow Regatta offers an excellent opportunity for crews to continue to build up racing experience, and to confirm how they stack up against others. This may be why the regatta has received a staggering 57 entries, with all but one of the top 16 crews present.
The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club
It is clear that Windsor Boys are the favourites to win here, as they continue their preparation towards the Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley. At National Schools’, they dominated the time trial, clear of any competitor by more than eight seconds, before comfortably claiming the gold medal. Year after year, Mark Wilkinson has continued to preside over a successful sculling programme that has brought consistent results. The four boys have pretty much remained the same throughout the course of the year, which has undoubtedly helped to create a crew that is both full of strength and technique. It will be exciting to see the progress that Windsor have made even in the four weeks or so since National Schools’.
Marlow Rowing Club
In the current junior scene there is much talk of the Windsor Boys and Leander rivalry, which leads to crews like Marlow often being overlooked. This is despite Marlow beating Leander by well over ten seconds at National Schools’, and pushing Windsor all the way, claiming a silver medal in the process. It is well worth asking whether Marlow are again able to win silver and be the crew who pose the biggest threat to Windsor Boys. Their crew is also unchanged, so perhaps consistency is the key to success?
Leander Club
Leander are the defending Henley champions, who will be racing at Marlow off the back of a disappointing National Schools’. Fifth place saw them a staggering 16 seconds off Windsor Boys, and still nearly ten seconds off the medal places. What went wrong is unknown, but with a crew of Leander’s quality it is very likely that it was simply an aberration. Nevertheless, Leander are the defending champions here, having dispatched Windsor Boys last year by nearly five seconds. Leander will be feeling the heat more than their competitors, as they will most welcome a success so close to Henley. It remains to be seen how they will fare.
Hartpury College
You may wonder why we’re choosing to highlight Hartpury over other National Schools’ Regatta finalists, all of whom are present and accounted for at Marlow. In their pursuit of Fawley Challenge Cup glory, the Gloucester-based college appear to have brought single sculls national champion Elliott Donovan-Davies into this boat, which had meteoric effects at the Metropolitan Regatta. They finished fifth overall, the fastest junior crew by five seconds and the only junior crew to feature in the ‘A’ final. If this is anything to go by, we could be in for an explosive appearance for these boys.
Other Notable Mentions
All crews from the A-final at National Schools’ are competing at Marlow. It would be foolish therefore not to mention Hinksey Sculling School, bronze medallists at National Schools’, and notably finalists in the Fawley last year. They raced in matched quads at the Metropolitan Regatta and will surely have settled on a combination in pursuit of going one better at Henley in 2024.
Similarly, Great Marlow School, who finished fourth, have experienced what is likely their most successful season in history, unfazed by who they are up against. Further down the results list and we have Tideway Scullers, a crew who tasted glory at the Schools’ Head of the River in March, who will be eager to move up the rankings.
Prediction
Windsor Boys come into the race as the favourites, and there is seemingly nothing that will prevent them from coming away from Dorney with a first place finish. As for second, it is a close call between Marlow and Hartpury, with the latter most likely to take it. Hartpury will therefore take third place, but not without a stiff challenge from Leander, Hinksey and Great Marlow School.
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