Unique and packed full of racing, the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head is a fantastic way for crews to compare themselves to the top competition and get a taste of rowing on the famous Olympic Lake. The event differs from a typical head race as the course consists of a 2x1800m format with a quick turn-around. This reduces the emphasis on steering whilst highlighting crews with sheer speed and power. A further rarity of this event is its inclusion of a J17 category; many national events combine J17 and J18 events into one, yet this separation will certainly spotlight some of the new faces to watch on the junior rowing scene. That said, J17 Women’s Quads is sure to be a highly contested category and the inclusion of some big names means the fight for gold will be a harsh one…
Henley Rowing Club
With a consistently strong squad of juniors, Henley have demonstrated their strength of performance at events such as Fours Head, where they took 1st in junior women’s quads. Their ability to row at a high calibre in both sweep and scull presents the versatility of these young athletes and with impressive results at this years’ U19 trials this is likely to include some J17’s. First to set off down the lake, HRC are strong contenders and definitely a crew to watch.
Tideway Scullers School
Another big name, TSS recently placed an impressive third at the Schools Head of the River Race and took home the same result at Fours Head back in November. This continuous success is likely to be replicated at the upcoming head, leaving them as another quad to keep an eye on.
Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club
New J17 faces have been making waves at Wycliffe this year, with their inclusion in a win at Schools Head in the championship eight. Wycliffe placed second in the J17 Women’s Quads at last year’s Sculling Head and are likely to be striving for an even better performance this year. Will they be able to transfer back to the quad for a top result? Only time will tell.
Kingston Grammar School Boat Club
Throughout the season, Kingston’s junior women have been stepping up their game, moving from ninth at fours head to fourth at schools head a few months later. This esteemed improvement is something for other competitors to be cautious of as the girls are likely to be aiming for their best race to date.
Other competitors
Impressive women’s sculling has also been exhibited by juniors at Sir William Perkin’s School, Lea RC and Molesey BC and with the event differing in its format to heads so far this season, anyone could step up and take a leading position. There really are so many crews to watch out for!
Predictions
For me, it appears that the contest for gold will be a close battle between Henley RC and Wycliffe Junior RC. Placing first and second at last year’s event, performances so far this season have indicated a high likelihood of similar results. Although neither of these crews raced in quads at this month’s SHORR, their battle of the eights is one I believe to be replicated in the J17 Women’s Quads category. Wycliffe may have taken the lead in this rivalry at Schools Head, but it’s all to play for at Dorney and we wish every crew the best of luck.
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