With crews eyeing up the Redgrave Challenge Vase at Henley Women’s Regatta and even potentially the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in just a few weeks, these pairs will be heading to Dorney ready to put their speed to the test. The fight for a spot in the A- Final of this event on Saturday is set to be fierce with 21 entries compared to Sunday’s 13.
Thames Rowing Club
Dominating the entry list with five pairs set to race over the weekend are the women from Thames Rowing Club (Thames RC). One of Sunday’s crews appears to feature this year’s pairs head winner Emilia Crocker. Crocker is a highly experienced athlete with a Henley Royal Regatta win to her name, so there is no doubt the boat she is in will have eyes on a win. Freshly back on British soil following their training camp in Spain, the Thames RC women are poised to show off their speed. Expect intense competition from their entries across both days.
Shiplake College Boat Club
The three Shiplake College Boat Club pairs are set to feature combinations from their recent fifth-placed championship girls’ eight at the National Schools’ Regatta. One of which appears to have recent Munich International Regatta junior women’s coxless four silver medallist, Emily Downing, in the line-up. Shiplake College is one of the only junior clubs that have entered crews into this event, so it will be exciting to see how they compare to the top-end senior crews in the category.
University of Surrey Boat Club and Molesey Boat Club
Sharing a boathouse has led to a composite entry from the University of Surrey Boat Club and Molesey Boat Club. The Surrey programme has seen recent success in this boat class with their silver medal in the women’s championship lightweight pairs at BUCS Regatta. The Molesey Boat Club programme has a track record of producing incredible female talent, so whichever athlete ends up in the combination- this is likely to be one to look out for on Sunday.
Cambridge ’99 Rowing Club
Last season, Cambridge ’99 Rowing Club qualified a pair to the Redgrave Challenge Vase at Henley Women’s Regatta for the first time in the club’s history. This year, that same pair appears to be returning to race at this weekend’s Metropolitan Regatta. It will be intriguing to see their progress and speed this season.
Notable Mentions
There is a strong presence from an array of Irish universities and clubs. With several entries from the University of Galway Boat Club and the University of Limerick Boat Club, which are both clubs that have a strong track record for producing athletes of an international standard, the competition will be formidable.
Predictions
With the exact pairs combinations unknown, it is hard to say which crews are in contention for the win. However, given the track record of the women at Thames Rowing Club, it is safe to say these crews are likely to be in the A- final on both days of the event and will be strong contenders for the win.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
