For this year’s women’s head of the river race, we see a total of four crews entered into the “open” category. This category is for the elite crews and a lot of these girls will be eyeing up the overall head pennant, second and also third-place prizes. Having nabbed some of these positions during WeHORR 2023, they will be no stranger to winning and will want to continue the success.
Leander Club
Leander always bring a prepped pink party to the Tideway and this year’s edition of their top-ranked crew will be no different. Leading the pack with bow #1 courtesy of their 2023 headship, their crew contains current GB squad athletes and must surely be favourites for the Head Pennant with the absence of a national squad composite crew this year. Coxed by Olympian Henry Fieldman and spurred on by the enigmatic talents of trials-winning duo Juliette Perry and Amelia Standing, this boat will be tough to beat
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Hot on Leander’s heels will be Hugo Gulliver’s Brookes brigade. Their top crew are boating third and will be focused on overturning the headship result from 2023. It’s remarkable that we’re discussing Brookes as genuine headship contenders, considering they’re still a university and majority comprised of students. Irish International Claire Feerick is likely to feature in the boat and this should mark the club’s first marker in the sand as they look to storm their way to the summit of the Island Challenge Cup for the third time in four years.
University of London Boat Club
Since taking over at UL, Antony ‘Smithy’ Smith has enjoyed a mixed bag of results. 2023 was one to forget for the club but with a fresh calendar comes a fresh chance to impress. Recruitment plays such a profound role in the success of student boat clubs and it will be interesting to see how UL have stacked their outhouse as the summer draws near. Expect a competitive showing after an emboldening win at Hammersmith Head in February, with a crew likely strengthened by the inclusion of GB International Saskia Budgett.
Castle Dore/Dart Totnes Rowing Club
Beijing Olympic Silver Medallist Annie Vernon makes a return to the race this year in a Castle Dore/Dart Totnes composite starting 53rd and this boat are surely a wildcard entry and one to watch as the race unfolds. It would not be unfair to say that the two clubs represented don’t typically frequent the top of the domestic leaderboard but with experience like Vernon on-board, this represents their finest chance in a generation to pull one over on their contemporaries.
Predictions
Leander to take the headship – their provisional crew is simply too strong to be outgunned on the Thames. This crew will have a very good shot at the Remenham Challenge Cup in the summer, which should lead us to a fascinating tussle with perennial rivals Brookes.
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