Due to the unfortunate cancellation of Scullers’ Head two weekends ago, Pairs Head marks the start of the head season and its Tideway races. The event appears to be growing in popularity for juniors, with a huge entry of thirty-eight doubles in this category, more than tripling last year’s entry of twelve. This is a challenging race for these young boats to handle, with long queueing pre-race, large bends to contend with and sometimes unclear start and finish lines, but it’s an invaluable experience for any who brave it and rewards those who learn their line.
Wycliffe College Boat Club
After their phenomenal season last year and historically excellent results in this event (taking the top four spots in this category in 2023), Wycliffe will want to continue this success on Saturday. With very few returning athletes and a vast cohort of Junior 17 recruits, these doubles combinations will be new together and to the programme. The top double appears to be Anderson and O’Reilly: Anderson, who raced for Wycliffe last year in the second quad and had great success in the smaller boats, winning the Di Ellis trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta and second in this event last year. She’s joined by an up-and-coming Junior 17 from the City of Bristol, who came third in the Women’s Junior 16 double at the National Schools’ Regatta last season and reached the final of the Nina Padwick Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta Women’s Regatta. Their six doubles will be fighting it out with each other and the other clubs, as they will all be vying for selection in the top quad this year.
Marlow Rowing Club
Another excellent 23/24 season came from Marlow rowing club, and with two athletes returning who rowed in their top quad at some point in the season, they are in a powerful position this year. Both Wells and Haley were in the quad that came second at the National Schools’ Regatta and won the Oarsport Junior Sculling Regatta, and Haley stayed in the top boat to reach the finals of both Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. Cawdell and Kennedy, their doubles partners, were the stroke pair of their sixth-placed eight at the National Schools’ Regatta, and it appears they will be making the step up to the top boat this season, as I assume the two doubles will come together into a quad later this season.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
Headington appear to have put their top six athletes in the pairs and have another three boats entered into this doubles category. With decent squad depth, even the athletes at the bottom of their first eight will be strong, with Tewelde and Butters having raced in the successful second boat last year, placing seventh in the Championship eight at the National Schools’ Regatta and reaching the Thursday of The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. They are joined by younger doubles partners, who are not without experience, as Sartin raced and won the Women’s Junior 16 doubles here last year with Tideway Scullers School.
Barn Elms Rowing Club
Training on the Tideway will give an advantage to the crew from Barn Elms as they will be well-practised in dealing with the stream and bends and knowing the landmarks to look out for down the course. This home experience has paid off well in the past, with McDougall from this double being extremely successful on the Tideway, coming a close second in the Women’s Junior 16 doubles last year and winning the Women’s Junior 16 category at Scullers’ Head last year, with a time so quick that would have also won the Women’s Junior 17 category. This is a young double, with Weiler being only a Junior 16, but I am sure their Tideway experience will allow them to be highly competitive in this event.
Latymer Upper School Boat Club
Another boat club with the local advantage is Latymer Upper School, which could help their four doubles move up in position from their start order. Notably, in their top double, Riley makes an impressive return from injury to compete for England at the Home International Regatta this summer, winning gold in the single and the quad. Speight and Denham-Davis also won their race in the quad at the Junior 16 GB-France match, so I’m sure they will bring speed into their respective doubles.
Honourable Mentions
Unlike most crews, the Hornzee combination from Walton Rowing Club have raced together the past year, so it come in a practised combination. Together, they came third in the Women’s Junior 17 double at the Junior Sculling Regatta and fifth in the Women’s Junior 18 pair at Pairs Head last year so that they will be used to the course and its challenges. I would also look out for the double from Nottingham Rowing Club as Ainger and Fergusson both raced in their top quad last year, winning the B-final of the championship quad at the National Schools’ Regatta and qualifying for both Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta.
Prediction
It’s hard to bet against Wycliffe to take the top spot with their Anderson/O’Reilly combination, but I think the Marlow doubles will be close behind and disrupt Wycliffe’s hold on this event in the past. I expect we will see some extremely close results, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tideway experience of the Barn Elms or Latymer doubles could allow them to fight for a top-three spot.
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