At the beginning of the regatta season there’s a palpable sense of excitement. It’s the end of the long cold winter and the countdown has started to the big summer races. Wallingford is an excellent early race, as it not only gives these scullers the privilege of racing at Eton Dorney but also the challenge of the long 2k stretch. This year the WJ18 singles is a relatively small category but one that should still yield some strong racing.
Most of the girls racing have a good head season behind them and were featured in the 2018 regatta season. Both Blake and Abbott from Kingston Grammar School raced at Reading Small Boats Head, with Abbott coming a very strong 2nd place. Abbott also had some quad wins at the 2018 Marlow Regatta, so I think she is a strong contender in this race. Similarly, Dunn from Stratford-Upon-Avon also had a successful 2018 quad season, with an A Final finish at National Championships. Hunter-Young from Surbiton High School is going to be another strong competitor, with a third place at Kingston Small Boats and experience gained from a seat in the 8+ at the Junior GB vs France match she clearly has the training to do well here.
There are also scullers from Wallingford, Westminster and St Paul’s Girls School– all of which will also be wanting to lay down some strong times and this will hopefully lead to a great day of racing.
Predictions:
I think the win will go to either Abbott or Hunter-Young, with Dunn coming close behind them. However, I hope that the excitement and adrenaline of this regatta race will spur all the girls to perform well and surprise themselves.
Sweepingsculler
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