The Metropolitan Regatta is one of the most exciting regattas on the calendar. You can get junior, student and club athletes alike all competing in one race. After successfully navigating the time trial, there are seven finals (A to G) all made up of evenly matched crews, leading to some close racing all the way down the course and the rankings. This year there are four entries into the junior women’s subdivision, with many clubs opting to rest their crews as the event is so close to the National Schools’ Regatta.
Latymer Upper School Boat Club
Latymer are fresh off a sixth-place finish in this event at the 2023 National Schools’ Regatta. They were some way off the winners but the crosswind conditions would likely have played a role in the margin. Prior to that, they placed fourth at Wallingford Regatta and 12th at Schools’ Head. They have clearly spent some valuable time in the eight this season which could give them the upper hand on the weekend.
Marlow Rowing Club
Marlow are coming off the back of some strong results at the National Schools’ Regatta. Excluding their top quad as they are entered in that event instead, both their J18 crews made it to the A Final, placing second in the pair and sixth in the single. This crew is also likely to be made up of several J16s, who won the coxed four and the second quad and placed fourth in the first quad. Before this, they placed eighth at Schools’ Head in the eight, ahead of Latymer. Although potentially less experienced in the eight than their main rivals for this event, they previously showed they are faster than them – can they do it again?
Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club
SWPS had some mixed results at the National Schools’ Regatta. They made several A Finals but many of the girls who are likely to be in this boat only made B or C Finals. However, they did finish third in the Girls’ School First Eight at Schools’ Head, but their time was slower than both of the previously mentioned crews. It will be a tough ask for them to overcome this deficit, particularly as they have also entered a top quad at the regatta.
Kew House School Boat Club
It’s great to see Kew House entering another eight into such a high-quality field. Unfortunately for them, they were the slowest crew at the National Schools’ Regatta, although they were very close to the crew ahead of them. It will definitely be a challenge for them to overcome the other crews, but the great thing about this regatta is that they will also get to race clubs and universities and will be in with a good shout of beating some of them.
It is also worth pointing out that many of the top juniors will be racing in composites for Nautilus Boat Club as part of the GB junior trialling process. They have entered into the Championship Eights category and it will be interesting to see how they fare against some of the top university and club crews in the country.
Prediction
As far as the junior category goes, I think Marlow will come home with the win. I think they are just too strong for the other crews entered. Behind them, Latymer will place second with SWPS in third.
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