Sunday will see over one hundred J16 boys descend on the 4,600 metre Quintin Head course, in the first major head race of 2019. As such, this is a crucial opportunity for these boys to prove to their coaches, their fellow oarsmen, and most crucially themselves, what they are capable of as the regatta season draws nearer. Over the years Quintin Head has become infamous for its tight racing amongst top crews, especially from the tideway area, and with this year’s line up containing many high profile names, we can expect some adrenaline fuelled racing.
Before we get stuck into what we can expect on the Tideway this weekend, it is important to note that specifics on the contents of each crew are scarce, so a certain level of guided guesswork has been employed in areas of the article.
Westminster School:
Westminster has a heritage of great success at J16 level, with their four being selected to represent the nation in the GB V France match last year, going on to win that event. This year’s cohort of J16 rowers have already proved their worth last season with an impressive second place in the Second Eights, and a gold in the Championship Eights. Similar success was demonstrated at Marlow with the eight bringing home the gold. Possibly in a show of the talent that is being cultured by the coaching team at Westminster, the club is entering two eights this year – ‘ the one’ and ‘if only’ – with no real indication of which boats sits as the first eight at this point in the season, it will be exciting to see both crews fight each other, and the rest of the category down the course at the weekend.
St. Pauls School:
With the success of Henley Royal still ringing in the ears of the squad at St. Pauls, the J16s are coming under increasing pressure to perform and maintain the dominance that Thatcher has built in recent history in the eights. Unlike in the J15 category, Pauls is only entering a single eight here, but with some proven strength in this section of the squad. At Nat Schools last year their championship eight swept to victory, and a year ago, placed sixth at Quintin Head. Pauls will be keen to hold on to the win they achieved in this event last year, with a boat of oarsmen aspiring to emulate the success of the senior squad.
Kings College School:
Another name synonymous with tideway racing at Quintin, Kings took the win in the J15 event last year, and in the J16 eights, missing the win by less than 5 seconds. This year’s J16 sweep squad had some great success last summer, coming away with the bronze from Marlow Regatta, but took a loss at NSR tumbling down the rankings to finish 16th, but only 13 seconds behind the winning crew, demonstrating the strength in this cohort. Kings are experienced, and on home water, have a proven track record in a variety of racing environments; with this head forming the first major eights race of the year, it can be expected that Kings will be aiming to place highly in this event.
Shiplake College:
Some may argue that their proximity to Henley has inspired success in the crews from Shiplake, but there is one fact that cannot be subject to argument – Shiplake is not a name to be messed with, especially in recent seasons. The J16 squad from Shiplake are seemingly making their debut at Quintin this year, with the eight from this category last year finishing in bronze medal position. However, last season the J15 eight were unsuccessful in making the final at NSR and failed to make an appearance of any sort at Marlow. It is this that makes the strength of this part of the squad hard to judge, so Shiplake will be a name to keep an eye on this weekend as we move towards the larger races of the season.
Abingdon School:
Abingdon School is quickly becoming a dominant force in junior rowing, with their ‘B’ and ‘A’ crews finishing second and fourth respectively at Nat Schools, and at Quintin Head placing 4th in the J16 event last year. The J15 squad spent time in La Base with Charles Cousins; the new media favourite with his recent success at GB trials, bringing Abingdon into the limelight. The J16 squad should be hoping to capitalise on this and bring a high ranking position back to Abingdon.
Predictions:
Westminster are the clear favourites for the win here, with the rowers of this category showcasing success throughout regatta season last year. The other frontrunners for the podium seem to be Abingdon and St. Pauls due to their positive results in recent months. Despite what we all say, however, the beauty of the tideway is that its unpredictable conditions and tough racing environment not only make for dramatic racing, but also results in surprising wins.
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