Wansbeck LDS and SBH 2024 Preview

Wansbeck Long Distance Sculls Preview

As crews from all over the region gather for the third consecutive weekend of racing, we are excited to see who will be the fastest over the shorter two-kilometre race on the tidal River Wansbeck.

Men’s Junior 18 Quads and Men’s Junior 17 Quads

Gass from Tyne United Rowing Club is the only crew in this category, giving them an automatic win. But as the first crew to set off, will they set the fastest time of the day, or will the J17 crew from St Leonards School Boat Club overtake? This will surely be a close race with lots of excitement for competitors and spectators alike! 

Men’s Junior 14 Coxed Quads

Setting off first is Durham Amateur Rowing Club’s Auyeung. This crew has already experienced victory at Durham Regatta 2024 in the Junior 13 Coxed Quad. Will their speed over the 700-meter course at Durham Regatta continue over the 2km of the Wansbeck Head and lead them to win over the other two competing crews?

Women’s Junior 16 Doubles

With a smaller pool of competitors this year, the podium will feature new names, such as Cantrill, Marshall, and Abela, who will race the 2km course. Cantrill narrowly lost out at the Talkin Tarn Regatta over the summer when racing in a quad. As first to set off and with wrongs to right, will Cantrill and her crewmate row to gold, or will the other two crews beat them to it? 

Men’s Junior 17 Singles

Thompson from Lambton Rowing Club and Thornton from Cambois Rowing Club will surely put on an exciting and close race on the Wansbeck this weekend. Both athletes have impressive racing histories to date. Thompson won at Tyne Single Scullers Head at the beginning of the season, whereas Thornton was part of the B final quad, which raced at the Junior British Championships 2024.

Women’s Junior 15 Singles

This should be an exhilarating race to watch as the first two athletes to start are very familiar with the other’s racing style and prowess. Lewis from Cambois Rowing Club and Gritton of Chester le Street Rowing Club row together in a highly successful double and have already won their races at Tyne SBH and Tees SBH. The racing will be close, but will Lewis’s outstanding performance so far this season, with four wins already in the single, push her ahead of Gritton?

Men’s MasCDEG Quads

Although setting off last, Morrison from Berwick Rowing Club will be hoping to turn the tables and repeat their result from earlier in the season from Berwick Head, where they won. Setting off right in front of them is Mark from Talkin Tarn Amatur Rowing Club, who raced at Tees Head to get third place in their category. Will Morrison win again, or will a different crew take home the first-place medal?

Women’s MasBEF Quads

Also with four competing crews, this category should be a thrilling race to watch. Hexham Rowing Club’s Harrison – though starting in fourth – will be hoping to move their way up the rankings. A potential threat to their ambitions are the crews from Tyne United Rowing Club. The crew Lombard from Tyne United contains an athlete who won the WMasC single at Tyne Single Scullers at the beginning of the season, meaning they could bring home gold after this Saturday. 

Wansbeck Small Boats Head Preview

We are over halfway through the Northern Regional Rowing Council’s Long Distance Sculls Series, and temperatures have been rapidly dropping. Last weekend’s Tyne Long Distance Sculls received some chilly temperatures—reaching three degrees—and heavy rainfall soaked the cohort of afternoon competitors. Despite this, the region’s athletes are back for more this weekend on the River Wansbeck, just 3km from the Northumberland coast.

Women’s Coxless Four

We have two college crews taking on the course from South College and Saint Chads (Durham). This will no doubt produce some close racing between equally matched crews. The South College crew placed third behind the university crews at Tyne SBH, suggesting excellent endurance.

Men’s Junior 18 Quads

As usual, there are plenty of j18 quads racing this weekend. Setting off first is Lambton Rowing Club. This crew is likely the same crew that medalled at both Tees and Tyne SBH in the J17 quad category, showing fantastic consistency and a good medal haul so early on the season. Despite racing up an age group it is likely that these boys will be taking the win once again, I’m sure they are hoping to be fastest crew of the day. Setting off next is St. Leonard’s School Boat Club, a crew that doesn’t seem to have raced yet this season, but having been seeded second to set off shows they clearly have experience in the boat from previous seasons. Having not competed at any heads for almost a year, it will be interesting to see whether their legs are ready for the longer winter races, and if so, can they stop Lambton’s winning streak?

Women’s Junior 16 Doubles

Once again, Lambton Rowing Club seems likely to take the win, but this time with their WJ16 double. This crew seems to have been medaling consistently since they appeared on the rowing scene, with many notable performances, including a bronze medal at the British Championships 2023 (WJ14 double) and placing well in the pair at GB vs. France trials, despite racing competitors a year older. Also in this category are two doubles from Tyne United Rowing Club, which will likely comprise members of the winning WJ16 quad last weekend on the Tyne. It is always an exciting race when larger boats get split into doubles and singles, as racing tends to be close and intense, as no one wants to lose to their compatriots and friends.

Women’s Junior 15 Singles

With an impressive 13 junior women racing in singles from five different clubs across the various age categories on Saturday, we should get a good overview of who might be claiming those top positions throughout the coming year. A notable mention goes to Cambois-Ward, who is racing WJ15 at Wansbeck and took third place whilst racing up a year as WJ16 last weekend, suggesting a very strong athlete over this long distance.

Men’s Junior 15 Coxed Quads

With a composite crew from Berwick and Lambton racing in the Junior 15 4x+ that won last weekend over the longer distance, these young athletes should anticipate some impressive times.

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