With only 15 entries, this event may be one of the less competitive ones in the entire of Schools Head. Lot of teams that could have put out a strong quad in this event have opted for the eight instead. With clubs like LEH, Headington, TSS and Latymer all not competing, this is a chance for smaller and less traditionally successful clubs to shine. It’s hard to predict what racing will look like, as many of these crews haven’t raced in big races this year, but some crews to look out for are:
Kings School Ely– Kings School Ely has been raking up some solid results as well as lots of experience this season. They placed 7/16 in the quad at Hampton Head, which may not sound particularly good, but out of 6 teams that beat them only one is here (Henley). At the same race they put out a crew that got 3/13 in the double. At Hampton SBH they put out a double that got 4/28, another very solid result that should set them up for a good season.
Walton RC– This crew wasn’t so far behind Kings School Ely at Hampton Head, with 9/16 in the quad, and 4/13 in the double. Many of the crews that beat them are not racing Schools Head or racing a different event. They have been producing other good doubles results with a Pairs Head finish of 2/10 and a Hampton SBH finish of 3/28.
Thames– Thames won Hammersmith Head recently, and their experience down the course should only strengthen their potential for this race.
Henley RC– By not putting out a J16 eight or four, Henley is clearly prioritizing this event. Henley put out a quad that won Hampton Head by an 11-second margin, and none of their nearest competitors are even going to be racing them again for this event. They are clearly the favorites to win.
Special mention to Twickenham and Grange School.
Final prediction is Henley for the win, and many crews could conceivably follow them.
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