The Pairs Head provides a great opportunity for clubs to build small boat skills and set a marker down for the season ahead. After the cancellation of this event last year due to poor weather, this will be the first time since the global pandemic that we will see J18 pairs race on the tideway.
With a fairly sizeable entry, comprised mostly from select clubs, we can expect to see some good, tightly contested racing. It is not normally surprising that there are multiple entries from some of the top junior sweep programs as they start their seasons targeting small boats events. However, this year we have a group that is primarily made up of the same names with 21 out of the 25 entries coming from only 3 clubs, all three of those being local to the tideway. We are likely to see, perhaps a less diverse yet, a quality set of crews. With smaller entries from Norwich School Boat Club, Walton Rowing Club and the 1863 club.
St Paul’s School
The dominance of St Paul’s in this year’s entry is undeniable. This year’s Princess Elizabeth winners seemingly always boast ludicrous depth and strength however this year’s cohort is absolutely a standout offering from them. With 9 pairs and hence 18 athletes entered, it is clearly a race targeted heavily by Bobby Thatcher. With many athletes having just won at Henley Royal, it stands to reason that they would have a strong chance of securing a victory. With Henley winning athletes Alp Karadogan, Felix Peerless, Philip Wolfensberger and Jack Stephenson forming part of the roster, one can only imagine how such depth of experience can bolster a club’s confidence.
Similarly, one would imagine that the club’s location nestled by Hammersmith bridge would allow for a ‘home field advantage’. Especially when one considers the challenging nature of steering on the tideway, even more notably when one has to do so in a coxless pair. Junior crews can often struggle with such an endeavour so to remove this difficulty presents St Paul’s a clear upper hand. It is highly likely that a St Paul’s crew will win the J18 2- event as they have done many times before. It is also very likely that competition within the squad, for which crew will do so, will be fierce. Hence, I would not be surprised if most (if not all) St Paul’s pairs were to finish within the top 10 crews in this event.
King’s College School
KCS had a triumphant season last year, securing a bronze medal at the National Schools’ Regatta and reaching the semi finals of the Princess Elizabeth where ultimately they were toppled by St Paul’s. Building on a good year of growth, King’s have submitted a large entry into this year’s Pairs Head. Likely attempting to cement the foundations of a strong and deep squad. They have entered a good number of crews and ultimately will have to be the main opposition to St Paul’s. Athletes to watch are almost certainly those who attained a bronze at NSR. Namely Thomas Corbett and Samuel Scowen. Who will likely provide KCS’ best performance at this race due to their experience. It is very logical that they be partnered up for this event.
Dulwich College
Dulwich College notably form the majority of all other competitors in this category that are not from KCS or SPS. Dulwich did well in pre qualifying a Princess Elizabeth eight last season after winning the B final at the National Schools’ Regatta. In a vacuum, Dulwich College has a very strong rowing program, which consistently places well in national events and consistently qualifies for the PE. However, it must be noted that given the pedigree of the crews they will be facing in St Paul’s and KCS, any stand out performances would be an upset. They most certainly are underdogs in this event. Yet, it is entirely plausible that a Dulwich pair could bring about a surprise, and with such a volume of entries, one would hope that they will find themselves nicely in the mix of results.
Prediction
I would argue it is nearly certain that a St Paul’s crew win this race, the depth of squad and prevalence of Henley winners in their squad along with the coaching prowess of Bobby Thatcher sets them apart from their competitors. It would not be unlikely to see an SPS lock out of the top positions. However, the King’s College pairing of Corbett and Scowen looks formidable and could produce a serious upset on the boys from Hammersmith.
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