This preview was written prior to the cancellation of Wallingford Long Distance Sculls 2024.
On Saturday morning, 590 crews will descend on Wallingford in what will be, for many, the first race of the often-dreaded winter season. Separating the wheat from the chaff, the 4000m course will put athletes used to the summer sprints through their paces and will test their endurance in a new realm of racing. Competing this year are a plethora of southern crews including Wallingford themselves alongside the titans of Henley, Marlow, Tideway, Abingdon and RGS High Wycombe. It is worth noting that while this year’s event hosts a relatively small cohort of six clubs, there are 13 crews entered, and so we’ll see a high crew to club ratio: perhaps an indication of testing out a new season’s squad in experimental combinations.
Wallingford Rowing Club
Kicking off the start order are Wallingford Rowing Club. Home advantage aside, this crew have garnered a justified position towards the top end as they head into their J16 season, boasting an array of accolades from a commendable fourth place at the British Rowing Junior Championships to a bronze medal at the National Schools’ Regatta, pipping Marlow to the medal position by just two seconds. The crew have something to live up to though, eager to defend their streak at Wallingford as they won the J15 event last year. There is also evidence that the squad have a developed programme, since their sweeping sensations accomplished a bronze medal in the J15 coxed four at the British Rowing Junior Championships too. Looking a bit further back, the J15s at Wallingford secured a solid sixth place at the Scullery and an improved third place at the Junior Sculling Regatta, before winning Maidenhead Regatta by a convincing three lengths. Just looking at the results this collective have collated over the last year certainly puts them as contenders for a podium finish.
Henley Rowing Club
Second off, Henley Rowing Club have also had a prosperous year when it comes to making a statement for their name in the junior circuit. Having placed fifth in the B final of the J15 doubles at the British Rowing Junior Championships, the now J16 crew will take encouragement from their victory over Wallingford at Henley Town & Visitor’s Regatta in August, verification that upturning of the ‘divine order’ can come to fruition. And so close to race day, this could give Henley the edge over their counterparts at Wallingford. Henley have also won Thames Valley Park and Reading Amateur regattas and took fifth place at Hampton Head along with a seventh place at the Scullery and Junior Sculling Regattas at Eton Dorney. They also have just one crew entered this year, while there are plenty of opponents with three, so we will see if the ‘quality over quantity’ rhetoric stands. Nonetheless, maybe their upset will come at this extended course, as it is a whole new ball game to contend with, and one that can produce a whole new winner.
Marlow Rowing Club
Setting off third, Marlow RC have had an albeit quieter year when it comes to results, but they can still attest to a sixth place in their J15 crew at the British Rowing Junior Championships and a second place at Marlow Regatta. Along the way they had developed a rivalry with returning racers Henley RC whom they were pipped by with a 1 second verdict at the Junior Sculling Regatta, shunting them into eighth place. I’m sure they will be eager to reverse those positions this weekend. Marlow have three crews entered this year, and so may be opting for the hope that at least one of their crews could scrape some silverware. If this were to be the case, I’m certain it would be a scrappy fight for the prize against Henley RC.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway have a strong track record when it comes to their championship crews, but there is arguably less to go on for their J16s. Going off last summer’s events, their crew achieved a commendable sixth place at the National Schools’ Regatta after a disjointing 26th spot at the Scullery. Their past performances at Head races have been evidenced by a third place in the J15 doubles at Hampton Head, which may curry favour when reunited with the doubling of distance from the preferred regatta ‘sprints’ we have become accustomed to, and it feels are all too far in the future. Tideway also seem to be opting for the quality over quantity approach, with only one crew entered. Again, this might strike well if the crew have had substantial development since the spring, but they will need to find another gear to compete with the likes of Wallingford and Marlow.
Royal Grammar School High Wycombe Boat Club
Finally, RGS High Wycombe are the defenders of the J16 category, with their predecessors having won the event in 2023. This year’s crew started off in similar territory as Tideway Scullers with a somewhat disappointing 27th place at the Scullery, but rose through the ranks to a fourth place in the C final of the J16 4x- category at the British Rowing Junior Championships in July and a C final for their J16 double. They have two crews entered this year, marking a wider cohort than last year, which not only brims competition but also gives RGS a higher chance of success over the rest of the field.
Predictions
Overall, while one of the smaller categories in the past, the J16 Quads this year will prove to provide thrilling entertainment, with several close matches expected between RGS High Wycombe and Tideway, then perhaps Henley RC and Marlow RC. As far as any prediction might go though, I assume the conservative verdict would be that Wallingford RC will take the lead, but I’m not so sure. I feel like Henley might have done enough recently to give a good hit against the Wallingford Titans and may usurp their proud position for this year.
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