The Metropolitan Regatta will see 12 eights charging it down the prestigious Dorney Lake 2000m course. This regatta, after National Schools’, will be another opportunity to showcase the speed and strength of crews in the build up now to Henley Women’s and Henley Royal Regatta.
Hinksey Sculling School
After their victory at the National Schools’ Regatta, Hinksey must be on top of the world right now. The guest-appearance of the infamous Dorney crosswind had organisers frantically reassigning lanes from eight (most favoured) to one (good luck buddy!) in the middle of the day. From their performance in the AB semi-final, Hinksey drew lane six in the final, showing that they weren’t the favourites to win it based on time, and yet overcame all odds to defeat even those in lanes eight and seven. Hoping conditions are better for the this weekend, it’ll be exciting to see what they can do in fair racing conditions
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
A well-established programme on the women’s sweep side, with a National Schools’ result that may seem somewhat dissappointing to the best-of-the-best (close third), I have no doubt that Headington are going to be back with a vengeance with their eyes set on the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta later in the summer. But first, a long road to get there, one of recovery and rehabilitation, figuring out what didn’t go so well last time they were at Dorney, why their performance in head-racing season was so much better than what we saw over 2000m, and most importantly – what changes are going to be made to fix all this?
Marlow Rowing Club
Marlow Rowing Club are a club that’s been pushing its way up to fight with some of the bigger names for the past couple of years. This crew will be aiming to medal, having missed out by over ten seconds on the podium at the National Schools’ Regatta, and once again take on the heat of racing crews from Headington and Hinksey. Having had more successes in the smaller boats over the winter season, with both their women’s quads and fours medaling at the Schools’ Head of the River, they definitely have their work cut out for them.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club B
To have even one crew mentioned in a highly exlcusive JRN preview is a coveted position but two crews is almost unheard of. A testament to Headington’s squad depth, this and the fact that their second eight placed in the A-final of the mixed second/first eight’s event at National Schools’, a feat no other ‘B’ boat managed to achieve. Missing out to Marlow Rowing Club by a mere 1.07 seconds in the final, both Headington crews have their foxes for hunting in sight – and when the buzzer goes off at the start blocks I know that I wouldn’t want to be in their way.
Predictions
I think we’re going to get some tantalising racing all the way down the course, between Hinksey and Headington A. All things going as they should, it could even be a bow-ball to bow-ball photo finish. But I trust Hinksey to pull another one out of the bag and just put a pin in Headington’s Henley campaign for a little longer. Again between third and fourth place we could be treated to some private 1v1 racing between Headington B and Marlow Rowing Club. Here I’m backing the underdog, I think they’ll be chomping at the bit to make a name for themselves with less emphasis on second boat and more on Met Regatta medalists.
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