The Metropolitan Regatta arguably marks the start of the lead-up regattas that culminate in Henley Womens and then Henley Royal. For the big names in club eights racing, it’s a chance to test their metal against competitors at the very top end. For those on the lower end of the totem pole, it will be a chance to not only impress the Henley stewards and potentially avoid a difficult qualifying draw. With the big hitters of the club rowing scene such as Thames and Vesta, the competition will certainly be intense and exciting.
Thames Rowing Club
Having dominated the domestic rowing scene over the past couple of seasons, winning three events at HRR 2022 and events at the Met and Marlow, Putney-based Thames Rowing Club is not only a quality outfit but also has outstanding depth. A successful head season, which culminated in the Thames having four eights inside the top twenty at HORR, a feat that few other clubs would be capable of matching has given way to a successful recent showing at newly re-instated Poplar Regatta with several victories for the women’s squad in the W8+ and the W4+. Given that last year, Thames’s top three eights all made the final of the Ch8+ category, which was won by Leander by seven seconds, they should cope fairly well in this field. Adding to this that the Thames are the defending champions in this event and that even their fourth eight seems to be equivalent to many clubs’ second or first eights, I would back the Thames to get a top-three finish at the very least. A win is of course never assured, and there are plenty out there who would be all too happy to see Thames knocked off the somewhat exulted perch that they have cultivated at the top of British club rowing but personally, I think it is more than likely that Thames will win the overall event.
Vesta RC
It would a fair statement that Vesta RC has undergone something of a re-brand in recent years. Having argubly fallen on the bandwagon a bit in domestic rowing since their semi-final in the Wyfold in 2013, Vesta was a club that had an excellent program but was unlikely to challenge the scorers at the very top end of the club rowing spectrum. However, in the past two years, the Club’s results have steadily improved, with HORR 2023 being of particular note, as three Vesta Eights finished in the top 75 for the first time in several decades. Since finding new speed, Vesta has gone from strength to strength, converting a solid training camp in Seville into wins in the Op4- at Poplar indicates that Vesta is not an opponent that should be taken lightly. Despite the uptake in Vesta’s fortunes in overall racing results, there seems to be a disparity between their fours performances and their eights, with the former seeming to do better overall, possibly suggesting that Vesta tends to prioritize it as their top boat. Whatever the machinations of boat selection, it’s clear that Vesta has a solid shot at bringing home some silverware, although, with the stiff competition provided by the likes of London and Thames, it seems more than likely that they will have to settle for a strong placing. One to watch for sure
London RC
A club with an extraordinarily rich amount of rowing history and success, like Vesta, London RC had several years where they arguably fell short of their high standards, failing to make a Henley final for ten years until last year’s Britannia Challenge Cup at Henley (where they were felled by Hanratty and Co of Thames RC). Since that final, London has had a superb head season, with three eights finishing in the top 50 at HORR 2023, and wins at Fours Head in the Op4+ and 4x. Of course wins in the Head Season, as Shiplake seem to be finding out to their cost, sometimes do not translate initially into a successful summer racing season. A win at Wallingford and a credible performance in the Boustead and Rayner cups (the Trophy which in which Thames and London compete against each other) shows that London has more than enough quality to go up against Thames for the title. In terms of whether they can actually win it, I would say the jury is still out but it’s more certain than it has been for some time that London is capable of taking on the big hitters and coming out on top.
Molesey BC
One of several high-performance club centers that are used by British Rowing, Molesey is a stalwart of the club rowing, producing and preparing seemingly endless athletes for the national squads, most recently the likes of Harry Geffen, Theo Darlow, and Miles Beeson. Having produced a credible 10th at HORR 2023, and some good results in the Op4- at Poplar Regatta, where they took home the gold, one would hope that the system crafted so carefully by Franz Imfeld will pay dividends further down the line. Molesey is always strong in eights, and their win in the Thames Cup last season substantiates that fact. But there does seem to be less depth in the squad (judging by the gap of around thirty places between their two eights at HORR 2023). At the very top end of the squad and on their day, there are very few clubs in British club rowing that can get anywhere close to Molesey in terms of speed. But this is the Met. Good crews tend to be dime a dozen and good crews tend to perform. A strong placing should be in the running for Molesey and whilst I would never rule out a win, I would say its more unlikely than not.
Prediction
Thames looks as strong as ever, as as much I would like to write something less obvious, Thames looks to be the most likely to take home the silverware this time around. I’ll go Thames and London for the 1-2 in the final, with Vesta and Molesey scrapping it out with each other for the minor places.
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