Now well and truly into regatta season, crews are keen to reap the rewards of those long winter hours and there’s no better opportunity than the multi-lane racing of Wallingford Regatta. On top of the multiple entries from each of the usual suspects, including defending champions Leander Club, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club, the rest of the line up is made up by the likes of Upper Thames Rowing Club and Shiplake College Boat Club. The Challenge categories are never ones to disappoint, and a quick scan of this lineup will clue you in to the level of competition set to take to Dorney this weekend.
Leander Club
Returning following a victory in this event last year, Leander Club are back hoping to hang on to their title and keep the Lorcha Challenge Cup in the cabinet for another year. While there’s limited information available about the athletes forming the two crews they’ve entered, it is still safe to identify Leander as firm favourites for this event. In addition to their undeniable reputation for producing strong crews, only recently did they bring home an outstanding ten medals from European Championships in Hungary; including in gold in the Women’s Coxless Four. Anyone familiar with Leander knows they are no strangers to taking home trophies, with some highlights of recent years including convincing wins at both Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta last season, so it’s safe to assume they’ll be looking to continue this at Dorney.
London Rowing Club
Another squad with their eyes set on the Lorcha Challenge Cup, London Rowing Club have three crews entered. London RC have also been demonstrating the depth of their squad throughout the season, with highlights including two top 30 finishers at the recent Women’s Eights Head of the River. Both Kate Jayne-Coupe and Jemima Harbottle – who are named in two of the London RC fours entered in this event – were part of the Senior Medium Club Pennant winning crew, finishing 15th at the infamous tideway race. Not only was this London RC’s third year in a row securing the pennant, but the crew were also able to best their own course record in the process. As it’s clear London RC have an impressive talent pool to choose from, their three crews will be eager to see how they match-up.
Thames Rowing Club
Another major force within the Challenge Coxless Fours this year is the fleet of crews lined up to represent Thames Rowing Club. With four crews entered, there’s plenty of opportunity for last year’s runners-up to turn the tables this time around. Even though there’s little known about these crews, those who are named including Phoebe Campbell, Darla Matthews and Anna Terry were all part of the crew who stormed the field at WeHORR earlier in the year; taking third position and a Club Pennant with it. Rosa Millard, named for the fourth boat, was also part of the second crew who established a very respectable eighth place finish, as well as the Senior Pennant. Both performances speak to the incredible standard the programme has set for itself, and these crews will be raring to get themselves back into reach of the Cup for another go at the glory.
Predictions
As a category bursting with talent, the battle in the Challenge Coxless Fours is set to be fierce. While it would be easy to suggest Leander will continue their reign of supremacy and keep the Lorcha Challenge Cup firmly with the Pink Palace, Thames could be on track to offer up a challenge. With their impressive list of accomplishments from Henley to the tideway derbies, they have truly dominated the club scene over the years. Sitting just behind Leander at WeHORR, they will be biting at the bit to snatch the title; and while the proven excellence of Leander could never be downplayed, if anyone had the potential to get close to them in this event, its Thames.
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