The time has finally come again! Summer racing is in full swing and crews from across the country meet next weekend to battle it out at the National Schools Regatta. At the hallowed Dorney Lake, 11 senior second eights will be racing on Saturday battling it out for the Elsenham Cup.
Shiplake College
Defending champions on the tideway, and one of the fastest growing rowing programs in the country, Shiplake College will definitely have a strong second eight for this event. They were victorious in this division at the Schools’ Head of the River, defeating Radley by just over two seconds, on a day where their first eight took the headship by a whopping 14 seconds. If Dave Currie and Hugh Mackworth-Praed can walk away with double gold on the Dorney straights, it would be a sensational achievement – and you would need to be brave to bet against them.
Eton College
Fighting it out on their home turf and returning bronze medalists in this event, Eton College will be a tough crew to beat. With rumored legendary times over 2k in their first eight, their second boat will be champing at the bit to emerge from those illustrious shadows and write their own compelling chapter. They were fourth at the Schools’ Head of the River and a long way back on Shiplake (26 seconds) but we all know Eton get a lot faster as the season progresses.
Radley College
Defending champions in this event, Radley College will be right there in the mix next Saturday. The sheer consistency with which they produce quality at basically every age group deserves recognition and although they’ve never quite dominated an open season in the way a St Paul’s or Eton have at championship level, their second eights are always incredible competitive. Second at the Schools’ Head of the River will have lit the blue touch paper – can Sam Townsend and his coaching staff deliver another gold to the Radley boathouse?
St Paul’s School
It is no surprise that St Paul’s School are having another excellent season under the expert tutelage of Bobby Thatcher. At Poplar regatta last weekend both their first and second eights made it into the A final, demonstrating the depth of the squad. Paul’s have their work cut out to overhaul a 16-second margin established between themselves and Shiplake in March but if anyone can work out the wizardry required to overcome seemingly impossible odds, St Paul’s can.
Honorable Mentions
Teddies performed strongly at the Schools’ Head of the River, placing themselves in fifth but 35 seconds back on Shiplake. Two crews perform in bright pink next weekend; Abingdon and Westminster have both enjoyed success at this level in the past and will both be aiming for an ‘A’ final berth. Rounding off the Tideway-based clubs are Latymer, Dulwich and KCS, the latter of whom are probably the best bet for a spot in the ‘A’ final.
Predictions
My top three eights for this event are almost definitely a repeat performance from last year. Radley, Eton and Shiplake will be very close for time and all looking for that gold medal. St Paul’s will definitely try and upset this trio and could easily be in with a shout for a podium placement.
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