With Henley Royal Regatta fast approaching, the Boat Club delivered a series of encouraging performances across a busy weekend of racing, headlined by a highly competitive showing at Marlow Regatta.
Saturday saw the 1st, 2nd and 3rd VIIIs, alongside the Colts quad, take on one of the deepest fields of the season. As the final major event before Henley, Marlow attracted around 150 of the strongest school, club and university eights in the country.
The 1st VIII produced an impressive time trial, emerging as the third-fastest school crew, behind only St Paul’s and St Edward’s, and qualifying at the top of the C final. In what proved to be a tightly contested race, they ultimately finished eighth, just a length behind winners Westminster School, in a result that belied the overall quality of the performance.
Both the 2nd and 3rd VIIIs also delivered solid racing to reach their respective finals. The 2nd VIII competed strongly in the I final, finishing close to Kew House’s 1st VIII and just behind Durham University’s 4th VIII. Meanwhile, the 3rd VIII produced a competitive display in the O final, finishing just behind Abingdon’s 3rd VIII and ahead of Reading Blue Coat School’s 2nd VIII.
There was notable success for the Colts quad, who won their K final with a strong performance, overturning a previous defeat to Star Rowing Club’s J16 crew from earlier in the season.
Thames Valley Park Regatta
Racing continued on Sunday at Thames Valley Park Regatta, with highlights from the J14 A and Colts squads. The J14 A crew delivered an excellent performance to win their octuple event, beating Kew House in the semi-final before overcoming St George’s and Windsor Boys in the final. Racing again as quads, one crew narrowly missed out in the semi-final, while the other progressed to the final with a dramatic bow-ball victory over St George’s before finishing runners-up to Windsor.
The Colts squad began their day in coxed fours, where both Bedford crews reached the final and secured a dominant 1–2 finish ahead of Windsor Boys. They then rounded off a long and hot day in style, winning the J18 VIII event convincingly against strong opposition, including Brentford School and Bedford Modern School.
Elsewhere, the J14 B, C and D octuples, along with the J15 B and C crews, competed at the BASHER II Regatta against Abingdon, Eton and Hampton. There were several closely fought races, particularly for the B and D octuples, with the B crew finishing just a few feet behind Hampton in a tightly contested final.
Attention now turns firmly to Henley. The 1st VIII has been confirmed as pre-qualified for the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup – a significant achievement at this stage of the season. The 2nd and 3rd VIIIs will head to the Temple Challenge Cup qualifying regatta, while the 1st VIII is also set to race at Reading Town ahead of the Henley draw. Meanwhile, the J14 and J15 squads will compete at the Peterborough Junior Sculling Championships.
With momentum building across all age groups, the programme looks well placed for an exciting few weeks ahead.
