For most, Quintin Head is the first of many visits to the Tideway over the coming months. Attracting some of the highest-performing clubs from around the country is an opportunity to assess the depth of many of these programmes and speculate what that might mean as we approach the Head of the River.
Thames Rowing Club
Unsurprisingly, Thames RC have to be one of the favourites for this category. Alongside their other Putney-based competition, which will be mentioned elsewhere in this preview, they have an outstanding level of depth that is repeatedly demonstrated. With three entries in this category, it’s astonishing how many athletes that the club have performing at the highest standard. With their 2V claiming a commanding third place at the Remenham Challenge, and their 3V a respectable fifth, their top entry at Quintin will most likely feature athletes from both. It’s always difficult to write off a Thames entry, and there’s good reason for this. However, they’ll face stern challenges, and given how last season unfolded, they would be naive to write off some of their nearest neighbours.
London Rowing Club
Having entered three boats of athletes in the championship category, this entry from London RC should be somewhat depleted compared to their Thames counterparts. With their 4V finishing 11th at the Remenham Challenge, this London crew will have to raise their levels if they want to compete against the might of Thames RC. Based on some of the assumptions that I’ve made, the gap that they would have to close is somewhere in the region of 25 seconds. If anything could show the positive change in direction from which this club has benefitted in the last few years, it would be a result of this kind. It’s well known that London were close last season, which will have had a ripple effect on the whole squad.
Vesta Rowing Club
With two entries in this category, including their first boat, Vesta RC could be a dark horse. With the appointment of their new head coach, James Cracknell, it’s an exciting time for the club, and they’ll be desperate to compete for honours this season. Coming off of the back of a disappointing Remenham Challenge, where they came 13th overall, the slowest of the championship crews, the two-time Olympic gold medallist and Boat Race winner still has much to prove off the water. People questioned the appointment based on his coaching experience, but it’s an appointment that could pay dividends, with Quintin being the start of something special for the club.
Dulwich College / Imperial College BC
Dulwich College and Imperial College are two entries that carry a similar weight. Both Tideway clubs, they’re the only academic institutions to be represented in this category. Dulwich College has had something of a renaissance of late, rising through the junior rankings, whilst Imperial, despite their pedigree, has fallen from the top table of student competition. That makes for a healthy battle that sees them race with far less expectation than their fellow Putney-based clubs. It’s always tricky to know what calibre of athletes institutions might have access to given the comings and goings of academics, but both will likely be optimistic about the things that they can achieve this season. Quintin could be the perfect launchpad for an intense few months of racing on home water.
Marlow RC / City of Bristol RC / Derby RC
Rounding up the last of the clubs to have entered, each is coming off of the back of outstanding seasons that demonstrate the sport’s growth across the country. With Marlow having won The Wyfold Challenge Cup, they’re among the first clubs to have upset the big players in recent years. Building on this with some strong recruitment, Marlow can now boast numerous boats of talented athletes. Derby RC qualified their first crew in The Thames Challenge Cup and were one of the strongest provincial clubs in the country. If they carry this momentum into the Head of the River Race, they could upset some of the usual contenders and take the trophy back to the East Midlands. City of Bristol BC, like Derby RC, qualified for The Thames Challenge Cup, and though they were eliminated on Wednesday, they’ve been putting themselves in contention for the best provincial clubs.
Prediction
Whilst this is a strong field of competition, Thames RC should have too much for the other entities. That being said, the competition between the rest should be interesting. London, Vesta and Dulwich could have a good battle while Deby RC should be the best of the ‘non-Tideway’ clubs. Quintin is always a good opportunity to get a lay of the land ahead of some of the bigger races that are just around the corner, and it should prove to be an exciting day of racing.
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