With Vesta Scullers Head and Fours Head ending up cancelled, Quintin Head is one of the few Tideway races left in the season. As the new year brings in new racing, we look forward to the return of big boats battling it out over the 4.4k track. Having had another year of minimal racinghas left us without much info on all the crews, so getting a good understanding of how they might stack up poses a challenge. Fortunately, I have done the hard work for us all and looked to find what we do know.
London Rowing Club
London has a fleet of boats, with four crews making up half of the entries. Their ‘A’ crew from last year made it to the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta, only to lose out to eventual victors from Thames. In the 24/25 era, their winter strength was again displayed at the Rememham Challenge, where their top eight took the headship. Good recruitment and depth could lead to victory on Saturday.
Thames Rowing Club
Another Tideway club, Thames are notorious for providing reliable results in club-level events. Top contenders for the win, they emerge into 2025 with three Henley Royal Regatta wins at their back, including two in the male club events. Over the last few years, they have backed themselves with consistent regatta wins, providing decent competition for superclubs like Oxford Brookes and Leander. The question is, will they go into the Henley Royal Regatta run as favourites?
University of London
The only university crew to enter the championship eight category, the University of London are a premier student outfit with a history of performing well throughout the winter months. Pulling from a host of academic institutions across London, UL often put together strong eights at the start of the year before splitting out into fours for the Henley Royal Regatta run-in. A home water victory to start the year would be sweet, but they’ll have to work double-time to overcome the might of their Thames-based rivals.
Marlow Rowing Club
Having been on the rise in recent years, Marlow come into 2025 off a highly successful 23/24 campaign, which was capped with a win in The Wyfold Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. With a vast recruitment of rowers and new coach Ben Hinves, who previously rowed for Marlow, Brookes and the GB U23 team, there is a lot going for them. As the only non-Tideway club in the championship eight class, their lack of recent Tideway practice may be a detriment, but perhaps Quintin Head comes at the opportune moment to refine their skills ahead of a tilt at the Head of the River in March.
St Paul’s School
As the only school club to enter championship eights, St Paul’s School have set their standards typically high. Reigning champions in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup and early-season frontrunners at the Pairs Head of the River – where they collected the junior pair’s pennant – and GB U19 Trials – where they placed three athletes in the top five – their recent history is littered with success. It would not be at all surprising if St Paul’s took it to the older and more experienced competition this weekend; the level of undisrupted training they have managed to enjoy over the festive break will be a determining factor in their early season speed.
Predicton
After taking chunks out of each other at the Rememham Challenge in December, round two of this epic tussle will see London take it to their Putney rivals again this weekend. I expect Stu Heap’s men to defeat Thames and they’ll hope to carry that form through into the Head of the River. I think St Paul’s will finish third and Marlow will be close behind, just edging out the University of London.
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