Crews will return to Dorney Lake for the third or fourth time this month for the Metropolitan Regatta. For some, they will be well-practiced on the course, and their time spent there will have put them in a great position. However, this does, of course, leave crews who did not race at one or all of Wallingford Regatta, the Junior Sculling Regatta, or the National Schools’ Regatta at a slight disadvantage. The draw for women’s junior quads is comprised of 13 crews from nine clubs, which does not leave much room for error.
Wycliffe College Boat Club
Following their very impressive win by almost nine seconds at the National Schools’ Regatta, Crew 156 (Martin) will be eager to repeat this stellar performance. Wycliffe College BC have constantly proved that they are the club to beat when it comes to girl’s sculling, with numerous rowers achieving success at the GB U19 April Regatta and the Munich International Regatta. Results included a second place in the quad (a composite crew with Amalka Delevante of Tideway Scullers School) and a winning double, both at Munich International, as well as a second-placed single at the GB U19 Regatta. Wycliffe have entered two quads into this event, both comprised of very strong scullers, and I will be very surprised if they do not do extremely well at the weekend.
Sir William Perkins School Boat Club
The girls from Sir William Perkins School BC have had recent success in doubles, having placed first and fifth at the Junior Sculling Regatta, and third at the National Schools’ Regatta. Annabelle Thornton is a particularly strong rower, having placed second in the coxless four and winning the pair event at Munich International Regatta. It will be interesting to see how she transfers her sweeping skills over to the quadruple sculls. The SWPS crew are third in the draw and I expect them to keep this place behind Wycliffe.
Tideway Scullers School
Another club which consistently produces impressive results, Tideway Scullers School will be pushing for a medal position this weekend, following their fourth-placed finish at the Junior Sculling Regatta. Although Amalka Delevante will not be competing against her crewmates from the Munich International Regatta – as she races at the European Junior Championships – I expect that this TSS crew will be eager to prove their pedigree without their star athlete. Ansley Vicars, alongside Delevante, placed second in the girls’ championship double at the National Schools’ Regatta, so will be pushing for another medal in this quads event.
Other crews include Henley RC who are known for producing successful female scullers, and this race will surely not prove them wrong. Similarly, Headington School Oxford BC, who placed fifth at the Junior Sculling Regatta, and Claires Court School BC, who placed fifth at National Schools’ Regatta, will be looking to put out a strong performance.
Prediction
The draw for this event is comprised of numerous incredibly powerful clubs, and I expect it to be a very exciting race. I think that those from Wycliffe College BC are the crews to watch, and it will be interesting to see which of the two boats takes the gold. Sir William Perkins School BC will perhaps not be close behind, neither will Henley RC or Tideway Scullers School.
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