The Scottish Championships are back to mark the peak of the rowing season in Scotland. For many this will mark the end of the rowing season and a last chance to win some silverware while for others this will be a vital opportunity to claim one of the highly sought after spots on the Scottish Rowing Home Internationals team.
Open Eights
The eights event at Scot Champs is unfortunately this year looking rather bare, with just two entries. While I have no doubt the St Andrew BC crew will be strong opposition, this should be a fairly straight forward run down the track for the Edinburgh University eight. While this is not Edinburgh University’s fastest eight, with its Temple crew down in England at Met Regatta, this eight should be fast enough to secure a reasonably comfortable win.
Open Coxed Fours
The Coxed Four looks to be one of the races of the day. Edinburgh University has two crews entered, but both are made up with athletes from their second eight as their top Temple eight competes at Met Regatta in England. Their Intermediate Coxed Four placed second in the B final at BUCS Regatta and so should have some decent pace but this looks to be a tough race for the usual favourites from Edinburgh.
St Andrews University came home only 1.2 seconds behind Edinburgh University at BUCS Regatta in the coxed four and so there every chance they could overturn the result here.
Finally, there is Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association who are entered into the J18 category but who will also be able to fight for the overall win here. Fresh off a mighty win in the coxed four at Nat Schools they will be full of confidence and ready to beat the older student crews.
I am going to therefore predict ASRA to win here ahead of Edinburgh University and St Andrews University.
Open Coxless Fours
Again, this race is likely to play out similar to the coxed four. With two fairly matched crews entered Edinburgh University will be strong but certainly beatable. ASRA will have a very good chance here of picking up another win with that very fast four of theirs, while the St Andrew BC crew should not be counted out here as an outside threat.
However, I am going to stick with ASRA again taking the win here with Edinburgh University A and B close behind.
Open Pairs
The Open Pairs race at Scot Champs has long been seen as one of the biggest opportunities to secure a spot on the Scottish Home International Regattas team.
University Rowing Aberdeen have two pairs entered who will be fairly matched. I would expect both pairs to aim for the A final with the pair of Andrew Dunse and Michael Troy likely to just lead over the pair of Thomas Lloyd and Jakub Zbikowski.
There are also five Edinburgh University pairs entered here. Knowing how competitive the Edinburugh programme is there’s no doubt that they will all be close and all fighting up front. I would predict the pair of William May and Harry Fletcher to be favourites to win although the pair of Sam Thornton and Onur Howie will be strong.
One of the more interesting pairs to watch out for will be that of Joe Flood and Mathew Hughson. Hughson has already shown some very strong pace in the pair earlier the season at BUCS where he placed fifth in the A final of the Men’s Intermediate Pair. Flood was in the Glasgow University Intermediate Quad which placed sixth in the A final at BUCS Regatta, and it will be interesting to see where this pair places with an A final certainly on the cards.
The Glasgow University pair of Alexander Beeson and Ethan MacLachlan are another pair which will be looking to make the A final. Alexander was in the pair with Mathew Hughson which placed fifth in the A final at BUCS and will be wanting to make the HIR team again after being selected last year. With a strong pairs partner in the form of Ethan MacLachlan this pair could place well but also might be in the unfortunate position of just missing out on the A final.
I would predict the pair of William May and Harry Fletcher from Edinburgh University to be favourites here although it will be tight behind. The University Rowing Aberdeen pairs should be quick and there are also three pairs from St Andrew Boat Club that also could throw up a surprise result.
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