The challenge events at Wallingford Regatta are the premier category and are intended to serve as preparation for the top crews aspiring to be competitive at Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta later this season. With the student crews racing at BUCS Regatta, this event will be a showcase of the strongest club and junior boats. There is a significant increase in entries compared to last year, so competition for a spot in the final looks fierce.
Thames Rowing Club
Gearing up for another blockbuster regatta season are the women at Thames Rowing Club. Following their Women’s Head of the River performance, where they placed five eights in the top 21, there is no doubt that the four eights entered in this category will be rapid. In last year’s race, the Putney powerhouse won this event. They had two more boats in the final, with their ‘B’ boat placing third and their ‘C’ boat placing fifth. It will be interesting to see if their additional entry this year makes it through the heats to the final.
Leander Club
Last year’s second place in this event, Leander Club are returning to Dorney with two challenge eight entries. If the line-ups at Wallingford Regatta reflect their first and eighth-placing Women’s Head of the River crews, then it will be easy to put Leander Club as favourites for the win.
London Rowing Club
Last year’s performance in this event left London Rowing Club (LRC) just shy of the final; they will be returning to Wallingford with hopes of stepping up from their 2023 cameo. This year the women at London have had a solid season, boating four eights at the Women’s Head of the River Race with their top boat coming away 15th. As experienced athletes, like Henley Women’s Regatta winner Aoife Keane, are in the line-up it will be exciting to see what this crew can do at Dorney.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
The unstoppable force within junior women’s sweep rowing, Headington School Oxford Boat Club (HSOBC) are returning to race in the challenge category. Last year, the women at HSOBC had a busy regatta. After winning the Women’s School Eights race, they then raced again in Challenge to come away just three seconds shy of third place. Following their season of pennant-collecting at both the Women’s Head of the River Race and Schools’ Head of the River, the Headington women will have their eyes on the challenge final once again.
Hinksey Sculling School
After capturing everyone’s attention at the Women’s Head of the River with their top-20 finish, just three seconds behind Headington, eyes will be on Hinksey Sculling School to see how quick they are over a two-kilometre course. In last year’s regatta, Hinksey only entered the school’s eight category. With U19 world championship medalists Emily Myers and Martha Shepherd likely in the crew, their step into the challenge category should be seamless.
Predictions
With crew line-ups largely unknown, it is hard to say which of Thames Rowing Club and Leander Club will take the win. However, if Leander ‘A’ is stacked with the club’s top-end athletes, it will be a Leander, Thames, Thames podium.
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