National Schools Regatta is finally upon us and with 31 entries, the WJ16 quads remains one of the toughest and most competitive categories for the j16 age group. Racing will be tight and with a draw stacked full of talented crews, its going to be an great event to watch. I’ll be previewing the main contenders for the medals here.
Headington School
Headington have split their J16G 8+ racing on Saturday into a quad and a four, and I believe this to be their top crew. Renowned for their strength in sweep, Headington have recently emerged as a dominant force in sculling and will be the ones to watch in this category. Winners of the schools head in the eights, Headington raced to an incredibly impressive 3rd and 4th at the junior sculling head the next day, and while they were beaten by Henley and Latymer, margins were tight and after Wallingford Regatta, it seems Headington may have turned this result around. I think this crew girls have a great chance of taking home the win come Sunday, especially considering their remarkable depth in this age group – just making this boat would be a challenge enough for Headington girls.
Latymer Upper School
The battle between Headington, Latymer and Henley for the top title in the quads has been a fierce one and with the latter racing a four, its going to be all about how much speed these girls can bring on the day. After winning the junior sculling head and JIRR, Latymer have showed they are formidable opponents, but undoubtedly they must have been disappointed with a 3rd place finish at Wallingford Regatta. Nevertheless, after some testing conditions we could be seeing a completely different set of results this weekend. Reigning champions in the J15G eights, Latymer know how to win and will be gunning for this title on Sunday.
Putney High School
Putney showed some great speed at last weekend’s junior sculling regatta, winning the WJ16 4x, which puts them in a great position for this weekend, and the girls in purple will have the advantage of having raced this course before. While the competition here is significantly more competitive, Putney have really developed their sculling this season and definitely have the ability to challenge for the medals.
King’s School Ely
Kings have been putting in some solid results in the quad all season, most notably 3rd at the schools head and 5th at Hampton head. Their top double also took silver at the junior sculling regatta, and this crew seem to have really stepped ready for the racing season. While they may not be at quite the level of the top challengers in this event, an A Final finish may be possible for these girls and they should be able to put in a decent result.
Sir William Borlase
Borlase have been slightly off the pace this season but after a bronze in this quad at the junior sculling regatta, they’ve proved they can race and will be gunning for a good result this weekend.
Molesey
Molesey are beginning to develop a strong junior squad and this quad, while they aren’t at the top of the WJ16 sculling scene, may be able to deliver some speed and a good result this weekend, especially if they’ve upped their game since the head season.
Thames
As with Molesey, Thames have some depth in their juniors and have showed some speed at Hammersmith Head and Hampton. Its difficult to predict their speed in relation to the top quads as they did not race at the junior sculling head, but I think they’ll be able to have a great battle with Molesey.
Llandaff
Llandaff have the ability to be the dark horses in this event after their strong results winning the J16 double at the junior sculling head. I think these girls may be able to through some surprises into the mix and I’m excited to see how this quad do, as we haven’t seen much from the head season.
Prediction
Racing is going to be extremely tough, with a big battle between Latymer and Headington leading the field. The bronze medal should be fairly open, with Llandaff potentially having the ability to challenge.
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