Marking a welcome change for many, this prestigious sculling event amidst a winter of sweep offers the change for rowers to clutch two handles once more, inspiring hope that the summer of sculling, sun and regatta success is nearly upon us. This year’s category has a whopping 51 crews from all around the country, ranging from Monmouth to Bewl Bridge to Lancaster. Each crew will be vying to establish an early lead in the sculling season however, and the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head is the first opportunity for them to do so.
The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club
Last year’s winners and titans of schoolboy rowing, The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club has timelessly exercised a lead out in front of the rest of the field when it comes to sculling. However, the boys’ successes are not limited to two blades, winning the Heineken Roeiviekamp earlier this month. This year though, the crew has two entries who are heading off second and third, a remarkable absence of the first place starter which has been afforded to the comparative unknowns Walbrook Rowing Club. Last year The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club finished two crews within the top seven, and the higher starting points this time could evoke a promotion. The only upheaval may be a rather disappointing fifth place finish at Hammersmith Head, which may evidence why we are seeing Windsor start second, and not first. It also worth noting another Chute scion amongst the crew on Wednesday, as a third Chute brother has been engineered, standing on the shoulders of his brothers, both giants of the sport.
Marlow Rowing Club
Setting off sixth are Marlow Rowing Club, who are coming in strong from a silver medal ranking at Hammersmith Head, scoring a better medal than their fifth place Junior 18 crew. In addition, Marlow Rowing Club came away with both second and fourth at Wycliffe Big Head, which, as its name suggests, saw the conflation of many prestigious schoolboy rowing programmes. In fact, the event was won by Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club, though this unit are setting off sixth on Wednesday. Looking a little further back, the Marlow Rowin Club crew also crept into the A final of the British Rowing Club Championships, a very impressive feat once again considering the volume of opposition.
Walbrook Rowing Club
First off though, perhaps somewhat surprising for our amenable Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club fans: Walbrook Rowing Club, who will be leading the way down the two 1800m stretches. Fresh off a Kingston Head win, it is Walbrook Rowing Club’s race to win, and so they must enshrine their competence and build from a burgeoning rowing platform to ultimately dethrone the ‘unbeatables’. While it may be Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club’s race to lose, Walbrook Rowing Club will certainly be vying to turn it into a win for them.
Westminster School Boat Club
Westminster School Boat Club were winners of the Hammersmith Head, knocking down competition from Marlow Rowing Club, Molesey Boat Club, Henley Rowing Club and Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club in one swipe. Whether they will be able to repeat such a feat will be up to the four boys on Wednesday. They’ve done it before, and for them, they must do it again.
Prediction
Though the current sculling rankings are sparse given this year’s season is yet to really start, we can base predictions off of who’s performing well, as and when races of any kind have occurred. In terms of underdogs, the onlookers’ favourites, I’d love to see Westminster School Boat Club or Walbrook Rowing Club clinch a medal, preferably gold. There is method in such ‘madness’ though, since each crew has proved itself able to vie for the top of the tree at some point this season, so there’s nothing saying they can’t repeat this success. Undoubtedly though, save chaotic catastrophe, at least one of the two Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club crews will sneak onto the podium just because of how developed and consistent their squad is. But, as always, nobody can predict the future, so we’ll just have to wait until Wednesday to find out!
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