Once again a combined effort between the Jersey Rowing club and the Bonne Nuit Boat Owners’ Association, the Jersey Post-sponsored event has attracted an array of 48 boats.
Of the 24 fours/quad teams, only six field identical crews to last year, while only five of the 18 pairs/double partnerships remain intact.
Both clubs are reporting an increase in the number of novices this season, which bodes well for the sport.
Top Guernsey quad Nova will not be there to defend the record they set last year, but just behind them in the Guernsey club championships are new team Thames River Capital, and they are now favourite to record the fastest time of the day – if they can get their ultra-light Guernsey-designed-and-built boat repaired in time.
Jersey’s hopes lie in the hands of the recently formed Team Mayo, put together just three weeks ago.
The team, who have competed in just three races and done only a handful of training sessions, will find keen competition from a handful of evenly matched Guernsey quads.
Also in this class is the legendary 62-year-old Brian Staples, who will be competing in his 40th and final Sark race.
His mature Hash Anchors team includes two over-40 and two over-50-year-olds.
The doubles class should also be exciting.
Some keen battles have been fought out among Jersey teams this season, with Lee Wells and Simon Stead having the edge on last year’s Sark winners, John Searson and Paul Le Gros.
Record holders Tim Le Gallais and Bob McAllister are unlikely to improve on their time due to the neap tide, which will not be conducive to record breaking.
The Guernsey challenge will be from Tim Prout and Karl Pederson.
The fixed singles title could well be lifted by Jersey’s John Fowler, chased hard by Colin Hidrio, even though neither of them has put in a lot of training.
With them will be Guernsey’s one remaining fixed-seat rower, Karl Guille.
Despite the demise of fixed-seat rowing in Guernsey, Jersey has an excellent turn-out of 14.
In the fours men’s fixed are the ‘Class of 67’ crew, who include two 60-year-olds who competed in the very first race in 1967 and who, though never having rowed since, were keen on celebrating the 40th race.
Their enthusiasm is hugely impressive, and in the heat of the last few days they have been rubbing down and polishing the boat and making their own cushions! They will be competing against the St Ouen Youth team and teenagers from the Jersey Sea Cadets, coxed by possibly the youngest competitor in the race, 14-year-old Joseph Dowie.
They will be faced with stiff competition from the ladies fixed-four team boat 53 (now coxed by Steve Cohu), who formed only recently but who have been training hard, including a remarkable four-hour, though unexpected, row in their schedule.
The first boat over the line should be the Jersey Post team who, bucking the current trend, have abandoned their sliding-seat boat to join the increasing fixed-seat entry.
The fixed-seat fleet leaves Dixcart Bay at 12.05, followed 25 minutes later by the chasing sliding-seat pack.
The first boat is expected in just after 2 pm.
No parking will be available at Bonne Nuit, but a free minibus service will be in operation from Les Platons car park.
