The first event for many this season, with crews looking to lay down a marker for the season ahead, the competition will be tough. Many, no doubt, will have been itching to get back to racing and all crews will be ready and raring to go when it gets to race day. With not much to go off early in the season, it will be hard to call who will come out victorious.
Reading Rowing Club
Reading Rowing Club isn’t too far from the course, and its squad has had some success recently. This double has been together for at least a couple of months with an appearance at their home regatta, Reading Amateur, although they did not have as good a performance that they may have hoped for. Yet they may carry more experience than the other crews and with a whole summer’s worth of training they may be slight underdogs heading into race day.
Wallingford Rowing Club
On their home stretch of water, Wallingford will want to make the most of their home advantage come race day. They will look to improve upon the result of 9th from last year’s J16s and hopefully move up the pack. With only one boat entered Wallingford may face tough competition but with at least one member of a coxed four that placed 4th at the National Schools’ Regatta earlier this year, they do show some potential.
St Pauls
Always a strong contender in schoolboy rowing, St Pauls look to dominate everywhere they go and will want to stay strong into their younger squads. Many of the athletes representing St Pauls were members of a J15 second eight that finished second in the C final of this year’s National Schools, which is a result they’ll be aiming to improve on as they develop their younger athletes. Four doubles have been entered, which may increase their odds of finishing higher up the pack.
Other entrants include only one entrant from Leander Club, suggesting they may be pushing a crew of two high quality scullers in hopes of a good result; several entries from Magdalen College School Boat Club and Royal Grammar Sch. High Wycombe Boat Club; one from Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club; and one from Lea Rowing Club.
Prediction
As it is the first race for most of these crews, it’s very tough to call. I reckon the competition for first will be between St Pauls and Wallingford, the latter perhaps taking advantage of being on their home turf. However, the doubles from Leander and Reading may well put out some quick times to strike out this head season.
SilkySweeper
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