Following the cancellation of the Schools’ Head, the finale of junior sculling will be held ad Eton, Dorney. Traditionally, entries aren’t always to the same strength that race the Tideway stretch. That being said, the shorter course provides fierce racing up and down the course and can therefore throw a few surprises into the results.
Had schools’ Head been running Junior Quads this year, Leander would have faced considerable pressure from Windsor Boys’ in their category. However, at the Scullery, Windsor will be racing in J17 instead, meaning that Leander will be aiming for a commanding victory over the rest of the field, and it will be a disappointment for them if this is not achieved.
Making up the rest of the field, we have crews such as Henley Rowing Club, Claires Court, Tideway Scullers’ School and Lea Rowing Club who should all expect to be finishing at the top end of the results. In particular, Henley Rowing club will be looking to turn around their poor result at Reading University Head if they want to compete against the boys in pink. On the other hand, Claires Court and Tideway Scullers’, narrowly missed out on the win at Hammersmith Head falling to Hackney based Lea, and Lea will most certainly be trying to maintain their margin from Hammersmith Head against these other two crews on Monday.
Walton Rowing Club and RGS High Wycombe will also be ones to watch. Both of these clubs have previously had strong programs but at the moment, they are not racing at their full potential. That being said, given their pedigree and recent success on a national level , particularly fro mWalton, these crews should not be counted out but don’t expect them to be winning the event.
The Junior Sculling Head also sees Istituto Statale “E. STEIN” Gavirate, Italy entered into the Junior quads category. Based on last years results, where this Italian club raced in J16 quads and placed 6th, this club could provide some strong competition into the junior quads category and will definitely be challenging for a top 5 finish. It will be exciting to see whether some international competition will be able to defeat the local crews or whether one of our home crews will be able to take the win on Monday.
Overall Prediction
Leander Club to take a commanding win over the rest of the field in the J18 category, although they will be battling with Windsor Boys’ on time to win the overall event. I think there will be a close fight between Lea and Henley RC for 2nd position, with Lea securing the silver medal, and Henley gaining the bronze medal. I think we will also see some incredibly close margins between Tideway Scullers, Claires Court and Istituto Statale “E. STEIN” Gavirate, Italy, who will most likely make up the next few places. It will be interesting to see how the other crews fare and whether conditions will play a part into Monday’s racing, as Dorney Lake is very exposed, meaning high level winds could mean result in very rough and choppy conditions, which could completely skew the overall set of results, as only those crews which are well-drilled and technically sharp will be able to post a fast time.
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