With the arrival of National Schools’ Regatta, we are well and truly at the sharp end of the rowing season, when boys and girls from around the country come together to see if all their hard work will finally pay off at arguably the biggest junior rowing event of the year.
However, this event has a way of challenging young inexperienced rowers beyond just rowing fast in a straight line. With over 5,000 competitors, thousands of screaming spectators, hospitality gazebos, and tents heaving with rowing merchandise, Dorney Lake often has a party-like atmosphere that’s capable of distracting even the most experienced rowers. So, it’s worth pointing out that the crews that tend to do well are ones that can stay relaxed, focused, and with their heads very much in the boat – that’s of course until all their racing is complete.
For many of these young J15 crews, the National Schools’ Regatta represents an opportunity to obtain some fierce side-by-side six-lane race experience, which in addition will start revealing who their main rivals might be in future years. And of course, if everything goes to plan, there is the opportunity to walk away with one of junior rowing’s major accolades.
Because the category of junior coxed fours is somewhat unique to this event, and with so many young unknown crews, there’s little data to go on to inform predictions. However, there are schools and clubs amongst the 26 entries with long histories of doing well at J15 level and they are definitely worth looking out for.
St Paul’s School Boat Club
With a large-enough pool of talent to put out a coxed four in an age group where they already have their usual eights, St Paul’s is a rowing powerhouse that can’t be ignored in any draw. Under the inspirational leadership of head coach Bobby Thatcher, and with a history of rowing alumni who have smashed numerous schoolboy records on their way to competing at the pinnacle of the sport, this boat is bound to be full of young 15-year-olds ready to prove they’ve got what it takes to become new contenders.
Windsor Boys’ School (WBS)
For slightly different reasons, WBS is another powerhouse that’s hard to ignore. In recent years under the formidable leadership of head coach Mark Wilkinson, WBS have developed the incredible ability of putting four boys in a boat and making them go fast. They were so dominant in J18 Quads in 2022 that they came first in every event that they competed in, with their “B” boat often coming second. But rowing in a boat with only one blade each and the added weight of a cox is very different than the lighter faster quad shells, so there will be lots of interest to see how they get on.
Westminster School Boat Club
Another school with an impressive history of rowing is Westminster. In fact, they are on record as being the oldest boat club in the world. They are a school that is always up there fighting amongst the best when it comes to schoolboy eights. Lacking the depth available to names like St Paul’s or an Eton, they are used to training and racing in fours and that kind of experience could serve them well.
Other crews to look out for are Team Kean Sculling School, whose crew came second in the same event in 2022, as well as Latymer Upper School, who are always capable of putting out a strong powerful boat when it comes to sculling.
Prediction
If I had to make a prediction, it would be based on the strength of each school’s rowing programme, with St Paul’s taking the win, followed by Westminster, and then perhaps Windsor Boys. But having said that, with a field of such young and perhaps unpredictable rowers, anyone one of them stands a good chance of medalling – if, as I have pointed out – they are able to stay calm and focused on the day.
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