After a slew of cancellations, Filippi UK enjoyed a stunning debut to the 2026 racing season with a series of fantastic performances at the U19 GBRT February trials. Both men and women’s winners raced in Filippis whilst our shells were responisble for 14 of 20 top-ten finishes on either side.
For the women, Shiplake took both first and second in impressive fashion. After winning the National Schools’ Regatta last summer and pushing perennial rivals Headington exceptionally hard at Henley Royal Regatta, Dan Safdari’s young women sent out a strong statement of intent. “An incredible weekend for the Shiplake women at the GB Trials, finishing first, second and 14th, particularly given the depth and quality of the field,” commented Dan. “This is a set of results that we are hugely proud of. These results reflect the commitment and consistency the girls have applied over many months, alongside the discipline and dedication to raising standards every day. It’s early days in our GB campaign, but we’ll continue focusing on the process as well as building on the habits that have brought us this far.”
In third was Marlow Rowing Club, whilst fourth was Headington School under the continued instruction of Ryan Demaine (all in Filippis). “For the most part, our senior oarswomen do the bulk of their technical development in Filippi pairs and single sculls,” said Ryan. “These boats are a big part of how we build skill, rhythm, and boat feel day-to-day, and we’re looking forward to getting back to that foundation work properly once the river conditions improve.”
On the men’s side, Norwich School’s Nicholas Conway (fresh off winning the U19 trial in November) and Shiplake College’s Barney Doyle took the overall victory, ahead of two crews from St Paul’s School. “Barney Doyle rowed well with Nicholas Conway to win the U19 trials,” said Dave Currie, Director of Rowing at Shiplake College. “We’re still early in the process heading into the spring, and performances like this are a positive sign for the group. After last season’s success, we’re working with a new squad and concentrating on gradual improvement as we look ahead to the summer racing and U19 objectives.”
With Bobby Thatcher’s programme regrouping after losing their grip on The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, it will be interesting to see how the dynamic in U19 men’s rowing evolves over the coming months.
Other strong performers included Radley College in fourth and sixth + Walton Rowing Club in fifth.
All attention now turns to the flagship head races, with both the Schools’ Head of the River (Friday 13th March) and Oarsport Junior Sculling Head (Monday 23rd March) on the horizon. Another round of U19 GBRT trials will take place in April.
