Long days, warm nights and the imminent arrival of the largest junior event of the season. It’s time for the National Schools’ Regatta. For the first time in three years it will be run in all its glory with over 4000 athletes taking to the waters of Dorney Lake in a bid to become national champions. That also means the return of semi-finals which gives us even more racing to watch.
The pair is a boat class which I feel is oft overlooked but the skill needed to move (and steer) one fast shouldn’t be underestimated. The new doubling up rules have hit entries to small boats the hardest with 26 crews in 2019 down to just seven this year. It does however leave the Nick Bevan Trophy wide open to clubs who don’t have the numbers but do have the talent. According to the draw that means a six boat A final and one boat B final which seems pointless so hopefully they decide to run a seven boat final. Perhaps a useless fact but something which caught my eye- the list of entries is completely different to last year with not a single returning club to the category – do with that what you please.
Hinksey Sculling School
Hinksey were one of the standout performances of Henley Royal Regatta last year being only the second junior crew ever to make the final of the Britannia Challenge Cup. What makes that feat even more impressive is that some of that crew were only J17’s and are thus able to come back and race again this year. Joe Travis and Gabriel Reynolds are doing just that but this time trying their luck in the smallest of sweep boats. As HRR finalists with a great story behind them they have to be the favorites in this event.
Great Marlow School
A club with ever improving results, GMS are in with a shout. Returning from their Championship coxless four which placed fifth at last year’s event are Henry Gavin and Hugo Loretto. With an extra year’s worth of training behind them they’ll be hoping to improve on that placing and end the weekend with a medal in hand. They won Reading Small Boats Head in the Open Division and are likely GMS’ best chance of an NSR medal since the J16 First Eight in 2016. The lads will be jumping back into the quad for HRR.
There’s a diverse assortment of other clubs entered from the prestigious Westminster School to Monkton Combe School from Somerset and Wales’ representative Llandaff Rowing Club. All of them could bring something unexpected to the table but no matter how they do they can all expect a day of good rowing with 3 races guaranteed for all.
Predictions:
1st – Hinksey
2nd – Great Marlow
3rd – Westminster
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