Lots of top clubs with potential to win or do really well in this event (Headington, Henley, LEH, etc) have unsurprisingly opted to race the Eight, leaving this field wide open. With only one crew looking solidly ahead of the rest of the field, the top spots are anyone’s game.
Shiplake College– A 6th place finish at Fours Head is a good indicator going into this race. Frye got 21st at GB trials which is a solid result from a J17. This crew should have the potential for a good finish but may be still developing.
Emanuel School– Emanuel has been looking strong this season, starting off strong with a win in the J182- and J162x at Pairs Head. They will probably be prioritizing the Four for this race, but if they don’t, the quad they put out will be of a high standard, especially compared to previous years.
Latymer Upper (2 entries)– Their top quad shows promise after a 4th place finish at fours head. Hampton Head was good as well, with 5/22 in the quad, and 6/33 in the double. They may not quite be the ones to win but they are certainly a fast squad that is developing depth and prioritizing sculling for this race. Last year they placed 6th at this race and they could be looking to improve that placement this year.
Nottingham– These girls won head of Trent in the quad with good time margin, but might not be at the winning standard for this competitive race. Becket School should have first dibs on the top girls, so they are probably not as strong a club as they would normally be.
Thames– 11th at Fours Head, 9/22 at Hampton Head, and 9/33 in the double Hampton Head all are solid results for this team. Thames managed to race a quad at Henley last summer, even if they didn’t make it out of their heat, this club is trying to raise their junior girls standard. With Munyard placing 12th at trials and Knight trialing as an U23 lightweight, Thames is doing a good job developing these athletes and should be looking to sharpen up their results.
Molesey BC– Hampton Head proved a great opportunity for these girls to show off their speed with a very impressive 2nd place in the quad, and 1st place in the double. Holly Dunford decisively winning Feb trials should only add to the momentum of this boat. Last year they came a close 2nd behind Gloucester Hartpury, so this year these girls are going to have a little extra motivation to win this race.
Royal Shrewsbury Sch– These girls don’t appear to have raced much this year, but they put out a quad that placed 5th at Fours Head. That shows a good deal a promise but their result is otherwise unpredictable.
Special mention to Yarm, Globe, and Sir William Perkins, who could all surprise in this race.
Final order: Molesey with a big win, followed by Latymer and Royal Shrewsbury in second and third place.
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