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For most of the crews taking to the water this weekend, racing is a distant memory. With little to no competition due to heavy stream conditions running throughout the country, these crews lack crucial experience in sweep racing events. Lack of entries from Radley, Hampton and Abingdon evidences a lack of ability to train, and it’s clear coaches would rather have a weekend of preparation than the first race of the year.
St Paul’s School Boat Club
A club that needs little to no introduction, SPS has won this event for the past two years, and they will be keen to make it a hat-trick. St Paul’s have entered four eights into the category, flexing their muscles in impressive style. They have opted for what seems to be two matched eights followed by the rest of their squad. These crews are all punchy but with the silky rhythm of Parson in the stroke seat and the unlikely chemistry of Mizzoni and Clapham up in the bows this crew is one to look out for. With the added advantage of being located on the course, the SPS boys have a one-up on others travelling down.
Kings College School Boat Club
Kings College, rather than opting for matched eights, are tearing down the course in an A and a B crew. A broken wrist means that their notorious stroke man has been dropped to the seconds. Located a few hundred metres down from St Paul’s on the Putney embankment, King’s are another crew that can not only scout out their competition but have an intricate knowledge of the course that they’re racing on the day, giving their coxes an edge over some of the competition.
Westminster Boat Club
Westminster are a crew that did reasonably well at the National Schools’ Regatta, with their first 8x+ placing eighth in the B final. It’s clear that Westminster will be looking to pull back on crews such as St Paul’s and Reading Blue Coats that got the edge on them last year. Starting just after a St Paul’s eight they will be focused on closing the gap.
Notable Mentions
Reading Blue Coat are a club that must be mentioned; a fifth place at the National Schools’ Regatta and leading the field out gives them the ability to push off of other crews and lay down a good time. Latymer, also boating two eights, likely have essential knowledge of the course and will be able to hold a good line.
Predictions
The race seems to be in the hands of the tideway clubs as they make up most of the entries. However, in junior rowing, anything can happen, but I find it hard to see past one of either St Paul’s or Kings.
- St Paul’s
- Kings
- Reading Blue Coats
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