As this is one of the first races of the year, these 26 scullers have the opportunity to put down a baseline for the coming season, and I’m excited to see the results, and how they make the step up from J16 to J17. It will also be useful for the athletes to see how they compare to other competitors, since they will be racing one another for the next 2 years, some of whom will compete at GB Trials. The racing takes place over a 4250m course, and it is likely to be strong tailwind, so those racing must stay focussed, sharp and in control of their steering to get the best out of the race.
With 7 girls entered, many with Brit Champs and Nat Schools medals under their belts, I suspect Henley will have a successful day. HEN – Robinson Ranger and HEN – Orr both produced strong performances in last year’s trials. They both won gold together in J16 4x at National Schools and Brit Champs last year, and both qualified for Henley Royal (with Robinson Ranger making it to the final 8). Orr also topped of her impressive season with 2 wins at Coupe, competing in the women’s double. With these results, these girls will definitely be jostling for a win at this event.
HEN – Wright and HEN – Jonsson should also be looking for a place in the top 5, with Wright winning J16 4x at Nat Schools and qualifying for Henley Royal, and Jonsson picking up silver and bronze at Brit Champs in the J18 4x and J18 8+. Both have shown they can maintain the high standard of the club, and although they don’t appear to have had much experience in singles, I think they’ll be able to give a strong performance in this field.
MHD – Harris, who came in 4th in J16 singles at Brit Champs, has definitely demonstrated her skill and experience in a single, which will give her confidence, and an advantage against some of the other competitors who have mostly stuck to crew boats. CAN – Young, winning bronze in Girls 4+ at Nat Schools, is another experienced competitor in this event. However, she has stuck to sweep last season, so it will be interesting to see how she fares in a single. Other scullers to watch are HEN – Lock, HEN – Johnson and SGC – Hertzog, as they have each achieved some strong results at National Schools and Brit Champs, putting them in the mix for the top positions.
My predictions for top 3 are:
HEN – Orr
HEN – Robinson Ranger
MHD – Harris
Good luck to everyone racing!
BowSide
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