Hutchins School won the prestigious independent schools open schoolboys eights Head of the River crown for the fourth year in a row at Lake Barrington on Saturday.
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In a really closely-contested race, Hutchins beat home a fast-finishing Scotch Oakburn College crew by 1.92 seconds with Friends School in third and Launceston Church Grammar well back in fourth.
In the Head of the River open schoolgirls’ eights, Friends School proved too strong winning the title for the third year in a row.
Friends just held off the Launceston Church Grammar eight to claim a narrow victory with the two crews continuing the close rivalry they have developed all season.
The two schools opened up a considerable gap on the rest of the field with Fahan School finishing third and St Michael’s Collegiate fourth.
“In both those races the first two crews were really racing hard with close finishes,” regatta secretary Julian Joscelyne said.
“Unlike last year when much of the regatta had to be cancelled due to high winds today we had perfect conditions form early in the day with just a light northerly wind coming in later in the day including for the final eights races.
“Hutchins eight rowed a 5:54.12, so rowing a sub-six is very fast in schoolboys’ rowing but there was some wind assist in that race.
“We had a strong crowds in attendance and as always it was a fabulous event with a number of other close race results.”
The schoolgirls’ under-16 eight was taken out by St Michael’s Collegiate by 12.09 seconds to Fahan School followed by Friends and St Patrick’s College.
In the schoolboys’ under-16 eights, Scotch Oakburn triumphed by 1.31 seconds over Hutchins with Grammar next home.
The schoolboys’ junior, co-ed junior and schoolgirls’ senior aggregate shields were won by the Friends School.
The schoolgirls’ junior shield went to St Michael’s Collegiate with the co-ed senior going to Launceston Church Grammar and the schoolboys’ senior shield to Hutchins School.
In other results, St Patrick’s College rower Lilli Wrigley continued her dominance in the girls’ open single sculls this season winning by 1.54 seconds from Lucy Southcott, of Friends.
The boys’ open single sculls was won by Guilford Young’s Jared Weisse by 1.89 seconds from St Patrick’s Owen Elmer.
Southern crews pipped Northern crews by less than a second in many events including the under-13 boys’ quad sculls where the Hutchins crossed .52 of a second ahead of St Patrick’s.