As the Head season begins, clubs and schools gear up to race at the prestigious Fours Head. With twelve crews, it promises to be an exciting race, and I am intrigued to see how they fare on this notoriously difficult stretch of the Tideway.
Henley Rowing Club
Having won for the last two years in a row and putting on an incredible performance in their J16 season, Henley Rowing Club are the definite favourites for the win. Their dominance in both head and regatta seasons is a testament to their prestigious program and I am certain that they will perform brilliantly. After placing fourth in the quad at the Henley Long Distance Sculls earlier this month, it will be interesting to see how they transfer from sculling to sweeping, and how the addition of a cox changes things.
Headington School Boat Club
Another high contender for the win is Headington School Rowing Club. The classic Headington-Henley rivalry is one to look forward to in this race and makes for exciting competition. Despite Headington tending to perform better in the regatta season than in head season I am sure that their consistent performance will manifest itself in a good result and I am excited to see how they will do across the 6.8km course. With 11 Headington rowers recently qualifying for the GB Early ID Trials, they are clearly a strong club with plenty to prove, and this weekend will be no different.
Surbiton High School Boat Club
With two entries into this category, Surbiton High School Boat Club are already putting themselves in a strong position. Although they have not raced much so far this season, due to race cancellations, I expect they will do well. This will be one of the first times that these athletes are in smaller sweep boats, rather than the eight which placed in the A final of the National Schools’ Regatta earlier this year. It will be exciting to see how they deal with this change.
Predictions
With all this mind, it seems that Henley Rowing Club are sure to emerge victorious and complete their third victory in this category. However, it is impossible to determine for sure who will win as the tideway is extremely unpredictable. It ultimately comes down to who can manage the conditions best on the day. Although Henley, Headington, and Surbiton are strong clubs, I wouldn’t discount the likes of Wallingford Rowing Club or Godolphin and Latymer School Boat Club. As crews enter the 24/25 season, exciting racing is sure to occur, and I look forward to seeing the results.
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