The Sunday boats at NSR in champ sweep always seem to be something of a lucky dip. Winning is never easy and some schools are predictable, but one never knows until the draw is released who will be racing and in what boat classes. This year champ pair is looking very sparse, and coxed should play host to a titanic clash between the Shiplake and St Paul’s top boats – one or even both of these crews will have lost the day before and will be fired up. Champ coxless looks like it will contain pretty much everyone else.
Radley
A top offering here. Whilst their eight was off the pace at Wallingford, this crew contains Archie McChesney, a strong oarsman and one with Munich representation to his name. Perhaps relying more on power than finesse, this crew is nevertheless in the running for the medals.
Eton
It would be of great disappointment to the crew, and surprising to spectators, if this crew did not take the gold. Felix Drinkall is the top junior strokesider in Britain. He sports, alongside Adams and Pearson, a red box and a Worlds bronze. All four athletes are J18 – Norman has made the step up from the second eight in 2016 and raced to a gold in the eight at Munich with his crewmates (all but Pearson, who has opted out of GB for 2017).
Hampton
This is the top Hampton offering also. Gilligan and Worthington raced at the GB Spring Assessments, the latter coming close to a Munich vest and finishing with a ranking that would see him in the Worlds squad. Hamilton and Cross are J17s from last year’s triumphant J16 eight, with GB-France vests to their name. A top coxless from Hampton on Sunday has become a familiar sight in recent years. I would like to see how they got on on Saturday before predicting this crew’s fortune, but alas. Certainly they won’t want to face the ignominy of losing to a second four from another school.
St Paul’s
All J17, this is the second boat from Bobby Thatcher‘s boys. They were top of the schoolboy pile by some way in Challenge 4- at Wallingford although they were bested by five men’s crews. There is all to play for here – they have nothing to lose and everything to prove, not least against Hampton, their arch-rivals throughout J15 and J16.
Molesey
A boat very capable of contending. Darlow raced for GB in Munich, and Hardy and Warren acquited themselves admirably at Springs and the recent Pairs Regatta. How they come together as a unit will be interesting to see, but I expect to see them bruise some public school egos.
Westminster, dare I say it, could be reaching the tail end of in recent years’ successful run. As such I forecast for the bottom half of their first eight (as entered here) a finish towards the back end of the A final or lower. Shiplake, on the other hand, are a second boat that I expect to be fighting it out at the sharp end. Their squad features several strong and experienced oarsmen ineligible for GB, so woe betide those who underestimate them.
I anticipate a pleasant chaser to the thrills of the Queen Mother, hopefully one bathed in May sun. Thus far the draw and the weather forecast have co-operated to that end. Eton ought to win but by how much? What chinks will the final placings reveal in the armour of the top schools, when collated with Saturday’s results? Will those weaknesses tell at Henley? Excitement awaits.
About The Author
