The Ch G1x is perhaps one of the most gruelling events for the 30 juniors that will race down the Dorney course for the first time in almost two years, next Saturday. Despite the restriction allowing each Junior to only compete in one event each over the weekend, the Championship Girls’ single remains a busy event with 30 entries and straight progression from time trial to A/B finals, which means performance in the morning’s time trial will be paramount.
Tideway Scullers School – Emilia Regan
TSS rower Emilia Regan has a strong sculling racing history with a collection of past wins and looks in a good position to perform well, despite likely being one of the younger competitors in this event as a J17. This season, Regan has taken wins in both the W Junior 2x at Pairs Head and in the W18 2x at Weybridge Silver Sculls, showing impressive form in the limited number of events run this past year. She is part of Tideway’s growing Junior programme, who have been training hard in the run up to NSR, most recently completing time trial pieces with the seniors from their club, no doubt providing great race prep for Regan. Having also previously represented GB in 2019 in the GB vs France match, winning gold in the 8+, Regan looks to be a formidable force and one to look out for come Saturday.
Hartpury University & College Boat Club A – Poppy Shipley
A part of the GB World Class Start programme, Shipley has notable achievements both on the water and on the ergo over the past few years. Having won two golds at BRIC in 2018, before placing 4th in the WJ16 4x at the last staged National Schools’ as well as coming 18th in the 2019 WJ16 GB trials, Shipley has demonstrated she can effectively transfer her indoor prowess to the water. Despite not a lot of recent racing to go off, I’m sure Shipley will be looking to end her Junior rowing career successfully with an impressive performance.
Walbrook RC – Holly Youd
One of the few rowers in this event with racing experience in the 1x this season, Youd may be among the most race ready going into the time trial. She raced both the WJ18 1x and WJ18 2x at Weybridge Silver Sculls, placing 3rd and 2nd respectively. Having raced a lot of sculling events over her years as a junior, finishing 15th in the WJ16 2x at National Schools’ in 2019, Youd will want to make her last appearance a good one as she bows out of Junior racing.
Burway RC – Eleanor Needham
Another Sculler with racing experience this season, Needham will be aiming to make up the gap between her and Youd in particular, after finishing one place behind her at Weybridge Silver Sculls last October, where she was 4th in the WJ18 1x. She will also be looking to improve on her last National Schools’ performance in 2019 where she was 2nd in the B final of the WJ16 2x.
Prediction
It is difficult to call which way this single scull event will go, as so many of these athletes have had such limited racing experience and only recently have been back full time on the water- a particular challenge in an event such as this where getting a feel for the boat on the water is so crucial to a smooth race. As well as those mentioned above, scullers from Twickenham Rowing Club, Ella Wilson, Cambridge 99 Rowing Club, Laura Burton and Isobel Clements of George Watsons College RC will be hoping for improvements from the 2019 National Schools’, where they all raced this event. Going off previous racing caliber, I think the competition for the top spots will come from TSS- Regan and Hartpury University & College Boat Club A – Shipley in particular, but expect outstanding performances from a number of these athletes as they bring down the curtain on their junior rowing careers.
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