National Schools’ Regatta is approaching at a rapid pace and for those racing in the Women’s J15 Quads, anticipation and excitement will be incalculable. This Friday will be the first National Schools’ for many of these exhilarated rowers, and for many of them it will be the most significant event of the year. A whopping 46 crews are entered into this category so standards will be high.
Headington School Boat Club
Headington School is one of the most highly regarded boat clubs around for women’s rowing and always competes to a reputable standard. Recently, the J15 squad placed first at the Junior Sculling Head before following this up with a third, 15th and 24th at the Junior Sculling Regatta. If the result at events preceding this weekend are anything to go by, this crew has a lot to look forward to. So far, these girls have been thriving in the side-by-side regatta atmosphere, knowing when to put their heads down and be aggressive, alongside sustaining a high level of skill.
Henley Rowing Club
Henley Rowing Club will definitely be a crew to watch out for on Friday. They are a boat club of high esteem and are known for producing exceptional crews at all age groups under the watchful eye of head coach Leon Redman. An example of this is their Women’s J15 Coxed Quad placing second at the Junior Sculling Head. This demonstrates that the squad has the scope to gain one of the top spots or even surface as winners.
Sir William Perkins School Rowing Club
Winners of this category at the Junior Sculling Regatta, SWP have a deep and rich history of producing outstanding young crews. They are serial winners of J14 and J15 level (although curiously often struggle to convert these athletes into senior medalists). Be that as it may, I expect to see SWP build on their strong showing a few weeks ago and challenge for the title.
Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club
Sir William Borlase Boat Club has been reaping consistently strong results lately. Recently, they emerged second and 13th at the Junior Sculling Regatta and placed a respectable eighth at the Junior Sculling Head. This suggests that the crew is physically conditioned and has a shot at winning the title. I expect them to do well on Friday.
Predictions
- Headington
- Henley
- Sir William Perkins
Other notable mentions are Kingston Rowing Club, Marlow Rowing club, Maidenhead Rowing Club and Hinksey Sculling School.
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