This year sees three new Open women’s events added to the regatta programme – the W2-, W2x and W4X. So far they have no trophy names but I’m sure that will change in the next couple of years.

The Princess Royal Challenge Cup

Holder: Lisa Scheenaard, Hollandia Roeiclub,

Judith Anlauf – Ruder-Club Süderelbe v.1892 e.V., Germany

Silver medallist in the LW4X at the 2016 World Championships. Anlauf was Germany’s representative in the LW1X at the 2015 World Championships where she finished 6th and won bronze at the European’s earlier that year.

Jennifer Cleary – Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia

A member of the Australian W4X during the Rio Olympiad that finished 4th in 2014 and 5th in 2015. At the Rio Games they had a slightly disappointing regatta being the one crew in a 7 boat event that failed to make the A-Final.

Inge Janssen – Hollania Roeiclub, Holland

A two-time Olympian, Janssen raced in the W2X at the London Olympics finishing 8th. 4 years later in Rio she was a member of the W4X that won a silver medal. She has won championship medals in the W1X with a bronze at the 2013 European Championships. So far this season she has a gold and silver medal from the 1st World Cup in the W2X and W4X. At the European Championships she was a member of the gold medal winning W4X. She will be one of the favourites for the title.

Kirsten McCann – University of Pretoria, South Africa

Another two-time Olympian, McCann raced in the LW2x at the Beijing Games finishing 14th. She took a break from international competition after Beijing to focus on her studies, but returned for the Rio Olympiad forming an effective partnership with Ursula Grobler. They won bronze in 2015 and then just missed the medals in Rio finishing 5th in the Final.

Hannah Osborne – Waiariki Rowing club, New Zealand

From Te Kuiti in New Zealand’s North Island, Osborne made her senior international debut at the Poznan World Cup this year. She raced in the W1X and finished a strong 5th.

Annekatrin Thiele – Sport-Club Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur Leipzig, Germany

Yet another two-time Olympian, Thiele won silver in the W4X in London. She remained in the quad for the Rio Olympiad winning gold at all three World Championships and then culminating in gold in Rio.

For 2017 she’s moved into the single and took silver behind GB’s Vicky Thornley at the European Championships and 4th at the Poznan world Cup.

Vicky Thornley – Leander Club

The 5th Olympian in the event (and the 4th Two-time Olympian) Thornley will start as favourite for the title. She’s had an outstanding season so far in 2017 with silver at both the 1st and 2nd World Cups and gold at the European Championships. That gold medal made her the first British woman to win a senior open-weight single scull championship. After the difficulties of 2016 that so nearly had a fairy-tale ending she looks to be relishing the freedom of racing the single scull. The Princess Royal Title would be a fitting reward and set her up brilliantly for the rest of the season.

Three scullers progressed from the Qualifying races on Friday:

Camilla Plumb – Peterborough Rowing Club

A GB trialist and runner-up in the Senior LW1X at Henley Women’s Regatta and 4th in elite LW1X at Notts City. She’s currently on a sports scholarship at Leicester University reading Law.

Pippa Whittaker – Imperial College

A former member of Leander Club, Whittaker won the W1X at the Home International Regatta in 2013 and went on to race in the W4- at the World University Championships in 2014 winning the gold medal. She also raced at the 2014 Commonwealth Regatta winning both the W1X and the W2X. 2017 will be her third time of racing in this event, in 2013 she lost to Mirka Knapkova and the year before to Sanita Puspure of Ireland.

Sophie Connolly – Leicester Rowing Club.

3rd in the elite W1X at Notts City regatta and she reached the quarter finals of Senior 1X at Henley Women’s Regatta.

My picks – I’m going for a home win for Vicky Thornley

W2-

8 crews

The Stewards have attracted a world class field to inaugurate this event.

Sam Courty & Carragh McMurtry – Bath University and Southampton Coalporters Amateur Rowing Club

Sam Courty was a member of the GB U23 squad in 2014 and 2015 having only taken up the sport 2 years earlier as part of the GB start talent identification scheme. During her two years in the U23’s she won silver in the BW8 and followed that with a bronze in 2015 in the BW4-. In 2016 she raced at the World University Championships winning a bronze in the W2- with Anastasia Chitty. This season she steps up to the senior squad and is the spare for the W8.

Another product of one of GB’s talent Identification schemes – Project Oarsome. Caragh McMurtry won bronze in the senior W8 at the European championships and followed that with silver in the U23 BW2-. In 2014 she won another senior medal taking silver in the W8 at the Europeans and finishing 6th at the world Championships. In 2017 she returns to the W8 and finished 4th at the Europeans before taking a superb silver medal at the 2nd World Cup in Poznan.

Kirstyn Goodger and Jackie Gowler – Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand

The spares for the New Zealand women’s squad, Goodger and Gowler raced as the 2nd New Zealand W2- at the 2nd World Cup in Poznan finishing 5th. Goodger is a graduate of the University of Washington with whom she won a silver medal in the 1V at the PAC-12 Championships and also competed in the Windermere Cup in 2014 for UW beating the GB W8. Back in New Zealand she rowed in the women’s Premier Eight event at the National Championships taking the gold medal.` Her partner, Jackie Gowler made her senior debut at the Poznan World Cup after two years on the U23 team which saw her finish 5th in the BW8 in 2016.

Alexandra Hagan & Rosemary Popa – Banks Rowing Club, Australia

Hagan raced in the W8 at the London Olympics finishing 6th. In 2013 she won gold in the U23 BW4-. She raced in the w8 throughout 2014 and 2015 and was part of the crew that had a late call up to the Rio Olympics following the exclusion of the Russian team.

Popa has dual US/Australian citizenship and during her time at the University of California, Berkeley she represented the USA at the U23 World Championships and also for the senior US team at the Sydney World Cup in 2014. She also won gold in the Varsity 8 at the PAC-10 championships in 2011. Racing for Australia, she finished 8th in the W8 at the 2015 World Championships. Both her parents are Olympic medallists from the 1984 Olympics, her mother in the W4+ and her father in the M8.

Natalie Hardy & Lowenna Coad – Thames Rowing Club

One of the strongest lightweight club pairs in the country, Hardy and Coad won Tier 2 w2- at the Metropolitan Regatta and went on to claim the Elite LW2- title at Henley Women’s Regatta.

Megan Kalmoe & Tracy Eisser – New York Athletic Club, USA

Kalmoe is a three-time Olympian with a 5th place in the W2X in Beijing, a bronze in the W4X in London and 5th in the same boat class in Rio. In 2014 she raced in the W2- with Kerry Simmonds and won a silver medal. A graduate of the University of Washington she was recently inducted into the NYAC “Hall of Fame”. In 2017 she’s racing a pair again, this time with Tracy Eisser. In their first international outing they took a silver medal at the Poznan World Cup.

Eisser, a graduate of Cornell, began rowing in 2008 after a successful career as a junior track and field athlete, winning the High Jump at the New Jersey state Campionships. She made her international rowing debut in 2014 winning silver in the W4X at the Aiguebelette World Cup and followed that with a bronze medal at the World Championships. In 2015 she was a member of the W4X that won the World Championships, and was a crewmate of Kalmoe’s in the Olympic quad in Rio.

Monica Lanz & Lies Rustenburg – Hollandia Roeiclub, Holland

Both Lanz and Rustenburg are members of the Dutch W8 that finished 6th at the Rio Olympic Games. Lanz started rowing at the age of 12 and is a member of the USR Triton Club. She was a member of the W8 that won silver at the 2015 and 2016 European Championships. So far this season she has a gold medal from the W4- at the 1St World Cup and a silver medal from the W8 at the European Championships. Her partner, Lies Rustenburg from the AASR Skoll club was also in the silver medal winning W8 in 2015 and 2016. She raced in the W2- with Jose Van Veen at the 1st World Cup taking a silver medal and was in the W8 that took silver at the Europeans.

Grace Prendergast & Kerri Gowler – Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand

Grace Prendergast of the Avon Club in Christchurch, and Kerri Gowler of the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club won their first senior World title in 2014 winning the W4-. In 2015 they doubled up in the W2- and W8 winning silver in both events. At the Rio Olympics they were both part of the W8 that just missed out on the medals.

For 2017 they have moved back into the W2- and stunned the rowing world by smashing the World Best Time whilst winning the Poznan World Cup. They have always been an outstanding pairing but often had to play 2nd fiddle to the dominant British pair. With the British Olympic champions now disbanded the Kiwis look set to become the dominant force in this boat class.

Alice White & Myriam Goudet – Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club

Alice White and Myriam Goudet were both members of the Cambridge Blue Boat this year, White sitting in the 6 seat and Goudet at 7. White raced for New Zealand at the 2011 Junior world Championships winning a bronze medal in the JW4-. In 2015 she represented GB in the U23 team winning a bronze medal in the BW8. A graduate of UCLA where she rowed in the Varsity 8 at the PAC-12 Championships.

Frenchwoman Myriam Goudet is a graduate of Imperial College and won her first Blue in 2016. She represented France in the W8 at the 2009 and 2010 European Championships, winning a silver medal in 2010. She was a member of the w4X that missed out on qualifying for the London Olympics when finishing 3rd at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta.

My picks….no-one will get close to the Kiwis.

W2X

Claire Bove & Laura Tarantola – Club France

A new, talented young crew, Claire Bove and Laura Tarantola raced for France at the European Championships in Racice finishing 5th in the LW2X. At just 19 years old Bove went straight from the Junior team in 2016 to the seniors this year. Tarantola, from Grenoble, made her senior international debut in 2015 racing in the LW2X at the European championships. Later that year she raced in the U23 BLW4X that won silver and then raced the LW2X with Camille Leclerc at the World Championships finishing 19th. She missed out on qualifying the W4X for the Olympics but finished the year with a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships.

Roos De Jong & Marloes Oldenburg – Hollandia Roeiclub

De Jong raced at the European Championships in the W1X winning the B-Final to claim 7th place overall. 2017 is her first year in the senior team following a bronze medal at the 2015 U23 World Championships. She made her debut at the 1st World Cup in the W2X with Kirsten Wielaard finishing 6th of a field of 6 (including 3 Dutch boats).

Oldenburg, from the A.G.S.R Gyas club made her international debut last year at the 1st World Cup in Varese winning a silver medal in the W2X with Lisa Scheenaard. This duo just missed qualification for Rio. So far this season she and Scheenaard picked up a silver medal behind their team mates at the 1St World Cup and then another silver behind the Poles at the European Championships.

Brooke Donoghue & Olivia Loe – Wairariki Rowing Club, New Zealand

Donoghue started rowing in 2010 at Te Kauwhata College and within 2 years was National Champion in the U18 W1X. She raced in the Junior team in 2013 making the A-Final in the JW4X. In 2014 she progressed to the U23 team winning a bronze in the BW4X and followed that up in 2015 with a silver medal in the BW2X. She made her senior debut in 2016 in the W4X that missed qualifying for Rio finishing 3rd at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta.

Olivia Loe, from the Avon Rowing Club in Christchurch, on silver in the U23 BW4- in 2014. In 2015 she was named as the spare for the senior sculling squad and went on to be the spare for the W4X as they tried to qualify for Rio.

This duo formed a new double for 2017 and made an outstanding start to their season winning gold at the Poznan World Cup in a time of 6:39.13 – just 1.8 seconds outside the World Best Time.

Georgia Francis & Alice Baatz – Imperial College and Agecroft Rowing Club

Both Georgia Francis and Alice Baatz made their senior international debuts this season. 22 year old Francis spent three years as part of the British U23 squad, winning a silver medal in her first appearance in the BW8 in 2014. In 2015 she raced the U23 BW2X with Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne finishing 4th and then in 2016 she was in the U23 BW4X that finished 8th. This season she has stepped up to the senior team and raced the W2X at the European Championships with Emily Carmichael winning the B-Final to claim 7th overall. At the 2nd World Cup in Poznan they slipped back to 8th out of a field of 8.

Baatz started rowing at Bangor University and moved to Manchester University to combine her studies with training at Agecroft Rowing Club with the GB World Class Start programme under the guidance of coach Hamish Burrell. 9 months after graduating from Manchester University she made her senior international debut racing in the W1X at the Poznan World Cup. For Henley she swaps seats with Emily Carmichael to race the W2X in what looks to be a very exciting combination.

Jordan Cole-Hossain & Suzi Perry – Thames Rowing Club

1st and 2nd in the Tier 2 W1X at the Metropolitan Regatta, with Perry also finishing 3rd in the Elite LW1X. As a double they raced at the Ghent Spring Regatta picking up a silver medal in the W2X behind Molesey.

Katinka Ernst & Giedre Rakauskaite – Worcester Rowing Club

This pair finished 1st in the D-final of the W2X at the British Championships last year securing them the Club Shield. Ernst is a student at the University of Worcester and coach for Disability Sport Worcester. Lithuanian-born Rakauskaite is head coach at Hereford Cathedral School and in 2016 won W4X at the Lithuanian National Championships. She’s currently part of the GB Para-Rowing development squad for the Legs, Trunks and Arms squad.

Isabel Lingard & Oluwaseun Olusanya – University of Exeter

Lingard represented Exeter University at the BUCS Regatta in 2016 and 2017. In 2016 she reached the final of the Championship Lightweight 1X and this year won gold in the Championship Lightweight 4X. In 2016 she finished 1st in the B-Final of W2X at the British Championships.

Olusanya stroked the Exeter W8 at the British Championships winning the University shield.

Laura Macro & Steph Clutterbuck – University of Bath

Winners of the senior W2X at Henley Women’s Regatta. Laura Macro won gold in the Lightweight Intermediate 1X at the 2016 BUCS regatta and is a member of the GB development squad.

Steph Clutterbuck raced in the W1X at Notts City regatta picking up a silver medal.

My picks…It should be a great battle between the Dutch and New Zealanders, assuming they are on opposite sides of the draw. I’m going for a Waiariki win.

Women’s Fours

Buckingham Rowing Club & Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia

This crew contains one senior Australian international, Meaghan Volker, who raced in the W8 at the Rio Olympics. She’s joined by two former U23 internationals, Kate Michelmore and Addy Dunkley-Smith. Michelmore raced in the U23 BW8 that finished 5th last year and Dunkley-Smith won bronze in the BW2- in 2015. The fourth member of the crew is Kate Rowan, who represented Australia in the W2- at the World University Rowing Championships last season.

Club France – France

At bow in this crew is Flavie Bahaud from Lyon, she made her senior debut this season racing in the W2X at the European Championships finishing 9th. At 2 is Adele Brosse 5th who will celebrate her 19th birthday during the regatta, she raced in the JW2- last season finishing 5th. In the stern pair are Pauline Bugnard and Alice Maine. They raced in the senior W4x at the 2015 world Championships finishing 10th.

Hollandia Roeiclub, Holland

This has the looks of the potential Dutch U23 BW4- for the world Championships in July. Three of the crew (Karolien Florijn, Ymke Clevering & Veronique Meester) raced in the Dutch W8 that won silver at the European Championships. The fourth member of the crew sitting at bow is Elsbeth Beeres who raced for the Netherlands in the W4- at the World University Championships.

New York Athletic Club – USA

A bit of a USA “All-Stars” boat led at bow by double Olympic Champion Susan Francia. In front of her at 2 is Rio Olympic gold medallist Kerry Simmonds and at stroke is Olympian Felice Mueller. Sitting at three is 2015 world Champion Olivia Coffey. So just the 3 Olympic golds and 10 World titles in this crew!

Oxford Brookes & Melbourne University, Australia

Another “All-Stars” crew, all of whom raced at the Rio Olympics and all four were part of the inaugural EY Women Athletes Business Network Intern Program.

At bow is Wianka van Dorp of the Netherlands who raced in the Dutch W8 that finished 6th at the Rio Olympics. At two is Great Britain’s Olivia Carnegie-Brown from the silver medal Olympic W8. Sitting at three is Australia’s w1X Olympic champion Kim Brennan and steering the boat in the stroke-seat is Grace Luczak who finished 4th in the W2- at Rio. Hopefully the two “All-satrs” crews will be on the opposite sides of the draw as a potential final between these two boats should be great to watch.

Vesper Boat Club & Princeton National Rowing Association, USA

Another US boat packed with 1 Olympic gold and 7 World Championship golds between them.. At bow is Grace Latz, from Jackson, Michigan was a member of the W4X that finished 5th in Rio and a world Champion in this boat class from 2015. At 2 is Molly Bruggeman, a silver medallist in the W4- in 2015. At 3 is University of Wisconsin graduate Victoria Opitz, she is a three-time World Champion in the W8 from 2013-2015. Sitting at stroke is Olympic champion Emily Regan. From Buffalo in New York she has three World titles and one world silver medal to her credit as well. This quartet raced at the 2nd World Cup in Poznan in the W8 and the W4-. In the W8 they suffered a rare defeat finishing 3rd (the first loss for a US W8 since the Sydney World Cup of 2013 and the worst performance at an FISA regatta since 2005). As a W4- they didn’t really fare any better finishing 5th out of 6 crews.

Newcastle University

Winners of the Sen 4- at Henley Women’s Regatta. At bow is U23 silver medallist Emily Ford. In front of her at 2 is world Junior silver medallist Lola Anderson. At 3 is Frances Russell who was 4th in the JW4- at last year’s Junior worlds and in the stroke seat is Nicole Lamb a double U23 medallist with silver in the BW8 in 2014 and bronze in 2015. They were winners of the Tier 2 4- at the Metropolitan Regatta.

Ohio State University, USA

The Ohio State Buckeyes. This crew reached the semi-finals of elite 4-‘s at Henley Women’s regatta, losing to Durham University .The crew of Allyson Baker, Sarah Peffley , Annie Jachtuber and Maddie raced in the 2nd Varsity crew that won silver at the NCAA Championships last year and finished 4th in 2017.

My picks…the draw should lead to a NYAC v Brookes/Melbourne final which should be a great display in the first year of the event. I’m going to go for a win by the New Yorkers.

Princess Grace Challenge Cup

Calgary Rowing Club

A Canadian club crew with University of Calgary graduate Kierstan Mort at bow. She raced in the LW2X at the Canadian University Championships finishing 7th. At 2 is Tessa Vanderveeken, a personal trainer and former varsity rower at Ithaca College. In the 3 seat is Gillian Cattet from Saskatchewan and winner of a silver medal in the W4- at the Canada Games in 2013. In the stroke seat is University of Victory graduate Alexandra Marchuk. This crew were finalists at Canadian Henley in 2015 and 2016

Hollandia Roeiclub, Holland

The Dutch national W4X and favourites for the event. This crew raced at the 1st World Cup and the European Championships winning a silver medal on both occasions. At bow is Lisa Scheenaard from Eindhoven, in 2014 and 2015 she was the Netherlands representative in the W1X finishing 14th and 15th respectively. In the 2 seat is Olivia Van Rooijen. In 2016 she raced in the W8 that finished 6th at the Olympic Games and in 2015 was also in the W8 that came 6th. In the 3 seat is a crewmate from the Olympic W8, Sophie Souwer. Souwer doubled up in the W2X at the first World Cup winning gold. She will celebrate her 30th birthday on Regatta Thursday. At stroke is Olympic silver medallist Nicole Beukers. She raced the quad throughout 2015 and 2016 winning bronze at the World championships and silver in Rio.

Nottingham Rowing Club & Warrington Rowing Club

This is the Great Britain U23 W4X and the 4th of the crews to be pre-qualified. At bow is Saskia Budgett of The Tideway Scullers School, 4th in the U23 BW4- last year. In the 2 seat is Kyra Edwards from Nottingham Rowing Club who raced in the GB U23 BW4X last season finishing 2nd in the B-Final. In the 3 seat is fellow Nottingham Rowing Club member Anna Thornton, she is an U23 silver medallist from the BW8 last year. In the strokeseat is 19 year old Lucy Glover, a silver medallist in the JW4X last year.

The Tideway Scullers School

The Tideway Scullers have had an excellent season so far with wins at Ghent, the Metropolitan Regatta and finally the Senior W4X at Henley Women’s Regatta.

Oxford Brookes University “A”

Losing semi-finalists in the Senior W4X at Henley Women’s Regatta and 2nd to the Tideway Scullers at the Metropolitan Regatta.

Reading University “A”

4th at the British University Championships, two of the crew, Lucy Ryan and Lou Grove won bronze in the Championship Doubles at BUCS.

University of London

Winners of the Champ 4X at the BUCS regatta and 4th at the Metropolitan regatta. At Henley Women’s Regatta they lost in the Quarter Final of Senior 4X to the eventual winners Headington School.

Wallingford Rowing Club & Agecroft Rowing Club

This crew contains 2 of the U23 BLW4X that finished 6th at the U23 World Championships last year, Ellie Lewis and Mary Wilson

My picks – it’s a real shame that the GB W4X have withdrawn as it looked to have been a great battle between them and the Dutch. In their absence I can’t see anyone beating the Dutch.

The Remenham Challenge Cup

Calgary Rowing Club – Canada

An impressive club crew from Canada. In 2016 they became the first crew to win back to back titles in both the W8 and W4- events. They have totally dominated the domestic scene in Canada going undefeated for 2 ½ years. Jessie Loutit and Amelie Schumacher won bronze at the 2016 Canadian National Championships with team mates Kasia Gruchella-Wesierska and Colleen Nesbitt finishing one place behind them. At the Recent Canadian National Team Trials three pairs from this crew finished in the top 10, it’s only a matter of time before the majority of this crew gain senior international honours.

Cambridge Rowing Club, New Zealand

From Lake Karapiro – I have to admit I’ve not been able to find any information on this crew!

Edinburgh University

This crew raced as a Senior 4- and 4X at Henley Women’s Regatta with the W4- of Gray, Blake-Parsons, Stevenson & Somerside losing in the semi-finals to Imperial College. The W4X of Currie, Rodahl, Buchan and Rankin also bowed out at the semi-final stage losing to the Tideway Scullers.

Hollandia Roeiclub, Holland

The Dutch national squad. They’ve made a few changes to the crew that won silver at the European Championships with the bow four now containing the W4- that won bronze – Willeke Vossen, Marleen Verburgh, Annemarie Bernhard and Lisanne Brandsma. There is also a change in the stroke seat with Olympian Kareian Robbers replacing Monica Lanz. Remaining from the silver medal crew are Jose Van Veen at 5, Aletta Jorritsma at 6 and Kirsten Wielaard at 7. Jorritsma raced in the W2- (with Robbers) at Rio and won gold in the W4- at the 1st World Cup. Jose Van Veen was also in the gold medal winning W4- in Belgrade and was also in the W8 that finished 6th in Rio.

Leander Club & University of London

The Great Britain senior women’s 8. They have made two changes to the crew that won a superb silver medal at the 2nd World Cup in Poznan with Anastasia Chitty and Fi Gammond coming in for Karen Bennett and Caragh McMurtry. The British have been making get strides in what is a very young crew. There isn’t a single member of the crew remaining from last year so the coaches have had to build the boat from scratch. Built around the successful U23 W8’s of the past couple of years this boat has a huge amount of potential. Their race at the European Championships was the first time a GB W8 has beaten the US since the World Championships in 1997.

Molesey Boat Club

Winners of the Championship 8’s at the Metropolitan Regatta. Stroked by two-time U23 medallist Katie Bartlett with fellow U23 silver medallist Ruth Whyman in the six seat.

Ohio State University

Winners of the Elite 8’s at Henley Women’s Regatta in a new course record. The Ohio State Buckeyes finished 7th at the NCAA Championships. They’ve made just one change from their NCAA crew with Morgan Hummel moving up from the 2V. As is the way with both men’s and women’s US Varsity crews, the Buckeyes have a strong foreign contingent in the boat. In the bow pair are Anne Dietrich from Germany and Alice Riley from New Zealand. Dietrich represented Germany at the 2012 and 2013 U23 World Championships winning a silver and bronze respectively. In the stern pair are two Australians from last year’s U23 BW8 – Rachel Engel and Stephanie Williams.

University of London & Imperial College

This is the Great Britain U23 BW8 for the World Championships in mid-July. This crew has three of the team that won silver at last year’s World Championships – Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne, Heidi Long and cox Sasha Adwani. Alos in the crew are Cambridge Blue Thea Zabell and University of Virginia Varsity rower Ellie Stewart (although for obscure technical reasons she’s listed as a member of the University of London). This crew had their first run out at Henley Women’s regatta where they lost to Ohio State. Hopefully the draw brings these two crews back together for a rematch.

Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand

The Kiwi national team. In their first outing of 2017 they took gold at the Poznan World Cup 1 second ahead of the British. The Kiwis have 5 of the crew that finished 4th in Rio along with Lucy Spoors and Georgia Perry from the W4x that missed qualification for Rio and the final member of the crew is Ashlee Rowe an U23 bronze medallist from 2014. They will start as favourites for the title but it’ll be a really good battle between them, the British and Dutch.

My picks….I’m going for a Dutch victory by about half a length over the British.