At last we are greeted with summery weather, which can only mean one thing; we are rapidly approaching National Schools’ Regatta, the highlight of the junior rowing calendar. With multiple races being cancelled due to poor conditions, this year’s event is even more competitive than normal, as crews are finally being given the opportunity to put their training into practice. The weekend, Dorney Lake will see 40 girl’s championship doubles take on the course.
Sir William Perkins’s School Rowing Club
With some incredibly impressive recent results, Sir William Perkins’s School Rowing Club will be hoping to keep up this winning streak. First in the draw is boat 191 (Patient and Thornton), who won both the time trial and A-final at the Junior Sculling Regatta. Addy Patient was also in the silver medal-winning double in this category last year. Although there were only 23 seconds between their win and sixth place, it was a strong performance which I am sure they will be eager to repeat. Their win at Nottingham City Regatta was equally as remarkable. This crew is well practiced on a lake such as Dorney, and I would be surprised if they did not do very well this weekend.
Hartpury University and College Boat Club
A club that went on a four year winning streak in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, this is a group that have experience and pedigree on their side. I am really excited about this combination; Millie Hurrell returns from the crew that placed fourth in 2023 and she is joined by Chloe Sheppard, who won silver in the single last year. This is likely Hartpury’s top-ranked crew and they’ll be vying for the title.
Tideway Scullers School
Featuring recently-minted GB international Amalka Delevante, this boat are arguably Tideway Scullers’ top junior women’s crew on the docket. Delevante will pair up with Ansley Vicars, who will be joining the University of Michigan in the autumn of 2024 and will want to leave her junior rowing days with a bang. Whilst Delevante won the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last year – in arguably the shock of the event – Vicars was shifted into the eight after a run in the quad beforehand.
Rob Roy Boat Club
Five seconds behind the SWPS crew at the Junior Sculling Regatta was Rob Roy Boat Club (Cotrel and Lestienne) and I am sure that they will be keen to catch up to their competitors this time. Having been training on the Great River Ouse alongside the likes of Cambridge University Boat Club, they will have observed first hand what it takes to reach success, and will be putting this into practice. I expect the results to be similar to those at the Junior Sculling Regatta.
Molesey Boat Club
Molesey Boat Club continuously places highly on the draw in events such as National Schools’ Regatta and are often ready to prove why. Boat 196 (Perry and Sakharet) placed fourth at the Junior Sculling Regatta, only one second behind the SWPS crew. Interestingly, the other Molesey BC crew who placed third are not competing in this event. I’m sure that this will give Perry and Sakharet the extra push needed to race for a medal. I expect that they will do well in this event.
Other entries
Often with the NSR, J17 crews enter into the Championship categories. The crew from Royal Grammar School Worcester Boat Club (Hodgson and Whiteley) won the WJ17 2x at the Junior Sculling Regatta by an impressive 9nine seconds, and I expect them to be eager to prove their ability despite being a year younger. Putney High School have a burgeoning junior rowing program and both of these athletes won silver in the girl’s second quads in 2023. Bedford Rowing Club were sixth in the doubles category at the Junior Sculling Regatta but a long way back on the leading crews.
My predictions
I think this could be a fascinating contest between Hartpury, Tideway Scullers and Sir William Perkins. With their strength and know-how, I would plump for a Hartpury gold.
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