For those not attending Henley Royal Regatta, the National Schools’ Regatta is often viewed as the pinnacle of regatta season. This is the event that crews from across the country will flood to in order to prove their dominance on a national level. This year, there are 34 entrants hoping to claim the Fox Tankard for Championship double sculls.
Reading Rowing Club
After their silver medal-winning exploits in 2023, the Snoxall brothers are back for another go round the open championship double carousel. Beaten by another set of brothers in the Pattons of St Andrew Boat Club, 2024 will see the Reading duo as the fastest-finishing crew from 2023 still out on the field of play. They’ll be desperate to win the elusive gold.
American School in London Boat Club
The American School in London Boat Club have entered two boats into this event. They are slated fourth and 23rd in the time-trial staggering. The boat in fourth is composed of Steven Lewis and Elias Tejpaul. These two scullers have a huge wealth of experience racing together in this boat class over the last season which has resulted in several impressive finishes at national events. They finished sixth in the J16 double at this event last year and more recently claimed a win at the Poplar Regatta. The experience and success that the two scullers have achieved in this boat puts them in an excellent position to be in with a chance of the medals.
The Windsor Boys School Boat Club
The Windsor Boys School Boat Club is known to be the dominant force in the country for junior men’s sculling with medal-winning frequency at national events and many alumni continuing on to represent the GB team. They have entered two boats into this event, one composed of Antonio Todorov and Marcus Downie and the other of Tristan Irvine and Arjun Kharay, slated sixth and 11th respectively. At the recent Poplar Regatta these crews achieved second and third-placed finishes in the open junior 18 double. Additionally, the double of Todorov and Downie placed third at the Junior Sculling Regatta and two Windsor doubles finished first and second at Wallingford Regatta the day before. Irvine won a bronze in the open junior 16 double at this event last year. These results will boost the hopes of both crews as they fight for a medal at this event
Newark Rowing Club
The Newark Rowing Club double comprised of Jesse Hole at stroke and James Gleed at bow are leading the time-trial. This will likely give them a much-needed confidence boost going into this event. James Gleed is no newcomer to national events, having previously claimed bronze in the single at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. However, both rowers are more used to being in the Newark quad and so will be hoping that the switch to the double pays off for them.
Hinksey Sculling School
With one returner from the crew which won the ‘B’ final of open championship doubles at last year’s National Schools’ Regatta (Anton Zebisch), Hinksey are becoming a boat club that are impossible to ignore on the biggest stages. Although the quad is undoubtedly their priority boat – and with this event not allowing athletes to double up – boats always feed off each other and the progress being made by the quad will only serve to speed their double up.
Prediction
This field is pretty open and there are a number of boats that have a strong chance of finding themselves among the medals. I think Reading are the favourites, particularly given their added incentive following silver in 2023. The Windsor Boys School will undoubtedly be fast and I’d be surprised if they don’t get at least one medal. The American School in London are a good bet for bronze.
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