Wallingford Long Distance Sculls 2021, a 4250m race on arguably the best stretch of water in the country. Over 40 scullers will be face off for the win, with a considerable number of entries from Latymer and St Pauls. With GB junior Early Identification trials in Boston, Lincolnshire in mid-November, this will be a good warm up for all these scullers aiming to place highly
Henley Rowing Club
5 singles from Henley will be competing, coming off a very successful summer season ending well on the Friday of Henley Royal Regatta. Lamont, Hutchings, Wallace, Ribbons and Landau are all well experienced and capable scullers looking to take first blood of the head race season. Coached by Tony Bailes these boys will certainly be up for the challenge of taking it to the other crews.
Latymer Upper School Boat Club
This year Latymer certainly have a vast quantity of junior men. With a staggering 17 boats entered they clearly have a good and competitive squad size this season. However, quantity is no guarantee of quality, in light of this and with no outstanding results last season, I think it will be unlikely that they will be at the sharper end of results. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to rule anybody out of contention.
Radley College Boat Club
In recent years Radley have had some disappointing results. Most predominantly achieving a dissatisfying 14th place back at National Schools’. Under the watchful eye of two time Olympian, Chris Bartley, this may the start of their resurgence back to the top of the timing sheets. With only 6 scullers entered I anticipate will be right in the middle of the results.
St Pauls School Boat Club
One of the house hold names in junior men’s rowing, their infamous 2018 PE crew setting unimageable times, and raising the bar to new levels that these boys aspire to. A very successful end to their season last year by which they lost to Eton in the final of the PE, it is obvious that they have a good set of boys and with some returning names from the First VIII they may have an outsider’s chance. Whilst being a predominantly sweeping programme means it will be intriguing to see their individual sculling skills.
Westminster School Boat Club
In my opinion the favourite for this event will be Griffin, with a very respectable result at Scullers Head just last week, coming 3rd, it is clear that he is a fast and capable sculler and certainly one to keep an eye out for this year. Polychronopoulos is also a well-known name, stroking the Championship 8+ at National Schools’ Regatta to 7th overall. It is clear that Westminster have gone for quality over quantity.
Predictions
In this extremely competitive event, I expect Griffin to take the win and then followed by Landau from Henley and then Ribbons. This early in the season I may have missed off a potential contender for the win, so don’t be surpisred if someone I haven’t mentioned takes a shock victory.
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