On Friday more than 50 championship quads will take to the Tideway to race the 4.5-mile championship course. With multiple boats entered from the likes of Windsor, Leander and Marlow. We are in for a very high-quality race which will come down to the finest of margins.
Windsor Boys School Boat Club
Leading off the field of Champ quads is the first of three Windsor Boys quads. With the likes of Cadawalder and Harlow, this crew are more than capable to take the fight to the likes of Leander and Marlow. With Windsor missing the Fours Head entries and subsequently not racing, it is slightly more difficult to know if this season’s quad is as good as previous years but I am sure that coach Mark Wilkinson will have these boys well-prepared for the challenges that the tideway can face.
Leander Club
Hot on the heels of Windsor will be the Leander A crew. Certainly the favourites to take the win following from their previous Tideway successes this season, most notably dominating the junior quads category at the Fours Head back in November. Leander also has a second boat entered which are starting a little further back than they probably should, regardless I am sure that they will also place very highly come Friday.
Marlow Rowing Club
Another one of the big hitters in the world of Junior men’s sculling comes in the form of Marlow. Picking up second and third at Fours head just behind the aforementioned Leander crew, showing that they have got some good strength and depth this season. With the A crew headed up by GB trialist Anderson, these boys are more than in the mix for a top 3 finish.
Claire’s Court School
A somewhat less talked about club is Claires Court School. Mostly known for their 2016 Fawley Challenge Cup campaign they have been a little quite in recent years. However with anchor man Ruinet this year’s quad should definitely be up at the sharp end alongside the other top crews.
Predictions
I reckon that this one is definitely between the Windsor and Leander A crews, with Marlow to finish on the podium in third. Other notable crews include Hereford who are fresh after a dominate win at Gloucester Head last Sunday and also Hartpury who seem to be going from strength to strength so far this season. Good luck to all crews racing!
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