Filippi enjoyed another successful weekend at the 2024 edition of the National Schools’ Regatta, winning 25 medals across the 52 available categories, including five golds. With thousands of junior rowers converging on Dorney Lake to test their mettle against the fastest in the country, the weekend became a festival of sport with some superb racing and exhilarating sprints to the line.
Friday was a quieter day for Filippi, but we still picked up two bronze medals in the open junior 14 second octuples (King’s College School, Wimbledon) and the open first equivalent (Radley College).
Saturday was a little sharper, with eight medals won. In the open junior 16 coxed fours, our crews won both gold and silver with Enniskillen Boat Club taking the win and St George’s College in second. Following that, Radley College won the open junior 16 second eights category, a victory that was compounded by another win in the open junior 16 first division too. Both crews raced in Filippi shells.
We also collected three silvers via Wallingford Rowing Club in the girls’ junior 16 first eights, Radley College in the open third eights and Lea Rowing Club in the girls’ second quads. Our final medal came in the girls’ championship coxed four category, as Sir William Perkins finished in third behind Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association and Wallingford.
Sunday brought 15 medals to the Filippi cabinet, starting with a bronze in the open junior 16 quads thanks to a smart row from Tiffin School Boat Club. We also won a bronze in the girls’ equivalent via Killorglin Rowing Club of Ireland. Silver in the girls’ junior 16 doubles was a bitter pill to swallow after the Sir William Perkins crew led from stroke one only to be overhauled on the line by a fast-finishing AB Severn. We also picked up a bronze in the open championship pairs as Westminster School placed third.
Our first gold of the day came in the girls’ championship pairs, as Enniskillen Boat Club executed a superbly-measured race to take the win. Behind them, Sir William Perkins took bronze, also in a Filippi. The same club also claimed a bronze in the girls’ championship double before Reading Rowing Club won a brilliant gold in the open equivalent to banish the ghosts of yesteryear when the Snoxall brothers fell just short in silver.
Our next medal came in the open championship coxless four as Walton Rowing Club won bronze before we picked up both silver and bronze in the girls’ equivalent race via Pangbourne College and St George’s College. A silver in the open championship single was well-earned by Jack Rafferty of St Michael’s Rowing Club, Ireland before a trio of silvers rounded out a hugely-successful weekend; Marlow Rowing Club picked up successive second-placed finishes in the open and girls’ championship quads before Radley College secured a brilliant silver in the open championship eights in the penultimate race of the day.
We were so pleased to see so many crews racing and winning in Filippi shells and look forward to supporting all of these boats as they continue their journey through the season. With both of the Henley races still to come, we’re excited to watch the season reach its climax.
