Bedford School Boat Club enjoyed an impressive run of results across three major events in late May and early June, following on from a strong performance at Bedford Amateur Regatta. There were particularly notable successes from the younger crews at Star Regatta, alongside excellent progress at senior level across the programme.
Star Regatta – 6 Jun
The Boat Club recorded a highly successful day at Star Regatta, with the J14 octuples delivering one of the standout performances. All three crews progressed confidently through their opening races with the A crew defeating Hampton, the B crew beating Bedford Modern School and the C crew overcoming another Hampton crew.
The semi-finals saw the B and C boats meet, with the B crew advancing, while the A crew secured victory over Emanuel to set up an all-Bedford final. In a fitting conclusion to a dominant day, the A crew went on to win the event.
The J15 octuples followed a similar pattern. The B and C crews faced each other in the semi-final, with the B crew progressing, while the A crew defeated Bedford Modern School and St Edward’s to reach another all-Bedford final. The race proved exceptionally close, with the A crew taking the win by just a quarter of a length.
Many of the boys were also racing in smaller boats. The J15 fours included a strong performance from the Northey crew, who reached the final before narrowly losing to Bedford Modern School. The J14 quads also impressed, with the Hendry crew making the final, where they finished runners-up to Hampton.
There was further success in the smaller boat categories. Fourth Formers Freddy and Aaron won the J14 double sculls, Jonathan claimed victory in the J14 single scull, and Fifth Formers Ben and Hamish secured first place in the J16 pair event.
The senior coxed four also reached their final, finishing as runners-up to Star Rowing Club.
Metropolitan Regatta – 29 May
At the Metropolitan Regatta, held at Dorney Lake, both the 1st and 2nd VIIIs competed against a strong field of national club, university and school crews.
The 1st VIII progressed to the D final, where they finished second to Dulwich College, while the 2nd VIII reached the F final and also secured second place, finishing behind Crabtree (Cambridge University alumni). These results reflect steady progress against high-calibre opposition.
National Schools’ Regatta – 22–24 May
Conditions at this year’s National Schools’ Regatta were challenging, with strong headwinds affecting racing and leading to the cancellation of several side-by-side finals on the Friday.
Among the younger crews, the J14 A boat placed fifth in the B final, finishing just behind Dulwich and ahead of St George’s. The J15 A crew delivered a closely contested race to finish fourth in their B final, narrowly behind Eton and Shiplake and ahead of Reading Blue Coat.
On the Saturday, the J16 A crew achieved second place in the B final, finishing just behind Eton and ahead of St Edward’s. The 2nd VIII reached the A final, where they placed sixth after a committed race in which they held third position for much of the course before fading in the closing stages.
Particular credit is due to Upper Sixth Former Sam, who competed despite illness the night before and has shown outstanding leadership and commitment throughout the season. The 2nd VIII has exceeded expectations this year, and his contribution has been central to that progress.
The 1st VIII also delivered a strong campaign. After finishing sixth in the time trial, they progressed directly to the semi-finals and produced one of their best performances of the season to secure a place in the A final with a third-place finish. Racing at the end of a demanding and hot day, they went on to finish seventh in the A final.
GB U19 Trials
Looking ahead, Upper Sixth Former Ollie and Lower Sixth Former Ewan have been invited to attend the GB U19 rowing team crew formation trials, taking place between 7 and 11 July – a well-deserved opportunity and recognition of their continued development.
