Quintin Head – J16 8+
Raced through the 4600m course on the infamous Tideway, between Hammersmith and Chiswick, Quintin Head is one of a few heads’ races for crews to prove themselves in the eight.
St Paul’s School Boat Club
SPSBC lives up to their name once again, providing seasoned crews who already have many laurels to boast – an impressive feat at J16. The first of two entries, SPS-Bennison competed at the only other large-scale event for 8s, Wallingford Regatta, finishing 9/20 in the J18 category, holding their own against more experienced crews. Their second boat, SPS-Harker, contains crew members who have competed at national standards since J15, in Nat Schools, and continued with successes at Fours’ Head this year. With such high standards comes an expectation to win, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the boys in black and white.
Westminster School Boat Club
Having only entered one crew into the J16 8+ category, we can assume that this is their first eight. This crew has had plenty of practice in the eight, having raced at Teddington Head, also on the Tideway, and beating King’s College School who they will also be racing at Quintin. But the WSBC vs KCSBC rivalry has been established since their J15 season, with the two school clubs racing side-by-side at the Junior Sculling Regatta in 2021. Here, WSBC also beat KSBC but only by less than 4 seconds, and they themselves were beat by SPSBC, so this boat class is shaping up to provide fierce competition.
Other Entries
King’s College School Boat Club have entered an A and a B boat, and similarly have Dulwich College. Maidenhead have only one entry into this boat class and so does the London Oratory School’s 1863 Boat Club, rounding it to a total of 9 entries.
Predictions
SPSBC have both the strength and the skill to ensure a win, sharing a home-ground advantage with Westminster School Boat Club who are sure to give them a run for their money and potentially stir-up some nerves. Along with KCSBC, these three schools have been competing with eachother for some time, are definitely not stopping anytime soon!
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