Single head season is upon us! After a summer of Henley, Worlds, Coupe and much more, we return back to the head season to look towards endurance and skill for now. Considering the unpredictable conditions of the tideway, along with a well-studied steering plan needed, rowers will be looking to put a good step forward from the get go. A tough race to start off with due to the length of the course (6.8k) and to be completed in a single is no easy task!
Tideway Scullers School
A boat club of many successes and one to definitely look out for moving forward. Notable mentions go to Alice McCarthy who recently competed at the Junior World Championships at Varese in the quad, coming home with a bronze medal. She has shown she is a worthy competitor to snatch the top spot this weekend. Her impressive career is also well-founded at the National Schools’ Regatta where she collected a gold medal in the double, proving her sculling abilities. A.O’Sullivan also competed at the National Schools’ Regatta in the quad and won a silver medal, contributing to the impressive wealth of experience produced at Tideway Scullers School. With seven athletes competing from the club, they will no doubt produce a strong set of results. Inevitable complications of the Tideway will always arise – twists and turns and possibly worsening conditions – but these athletes will likely thrive given their daily grind.
Wycliffe College Boat Club
With a strong entry, Wycliffe could be named as the underdogs of the race even though they did actually win this category last season. This is a boat club that has stepped up immensely, evidenced by their quad reaching the semi-final of Henley Royal Regatta. A massive notable mention to Ella Fullman who competed in the single scull fat the Coupe De La Jeunesse, earning very impressive gold and silver medals which will certainly stand her in good stead with her sculling abilities. I have no doubt we will see her name finishing within the fastest times of the Head. Kathryn Burton, who also competed at the Coupe and earned a well-deserved bronze medal in the quad, has shown that she is no stranger to sculling and is no doubt going to produce a fight of a race.
Team Keane Sculling School
Only three athletes competing in the head this weekend but, much like Tideway Scullers School, these folk are no stranger to the Tideway. Although slight, this will create an advantage before they even boat to race. With all three athletes competing at the National Schools’ Regatta in a quad together, they are yet to finish within the top percentile, however a new season is upon us and it will be exciting to see how they step up!
Nottinghamshire County Rowing Assn
Two athletes with an immense wealth of experience in competitive rowing have been entered. E.Abraham, competed in the junior coxless pairs at the British Rowing Junior Championships and has shown her abilities within competitive rowing, however it will be interesting to see how she converts her expertise in sweeping to sculling. E.Besley competed in the single sculls at the British Rowing Junior Championships and also turned out in the pair at the National Schools’ Regatta. She is yet another athlete who will be looking to make her mark early-doors.
Other clubs competing include Lymington BC, Emanuel School Boat Club, Gordon’s School BC.
Predictions: I believe that Ella Fullman of Wycliffe will be extremely hard to beat. Her nearest challenge is likely to come from the Tideway Scullers fleet. The nature of the Tideway means that racing the course as much as your opposition is critical to success. This should somewhat level the playing field.
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