00:0026, the school boys open Division 1 at Coxport, Field of 5, pulling away from that fantastic staff facility here
00:09at Lake Wendaree.
00:10So Ballarat High School in lane number 2, that's the right of screen if you're watching on the live stream.
00:16Ballarat Clarendon in lane number 3, the red colours there who would be, you have to say, the favourites to
00:22take out this race again this year.
00:23The Damascus College centre of the course in lane number 4, Ballarat Grammar School lane 5 and St Patrick's Lane
00:316 who won this race in such memorable circumstances two years ago in that 2024 race with the small ups
00:39of margins between them and Ballarat Clarendon.
00:42But already in the early straight, certainly Ballarat Clarendon have got away well in lane number 3.
00:48Ballarat High School have really gone for a great start too from lane number 2.
00:53For the crew from Ballarat High, it's Will Hudson, Ari Williams, Rupert Tomic, Jed Murray and Xavier Popp, coached by
01:00Chris Nielsen.
01:02Ballarat Clarendon alongside them, Tully Lawler, Finn Russell, Tiger Williams, Jake Connolly and Reid Belcher, coached by Ian Peel.
01:10Damascus College, again the dark green boat there in the centre of the court, their crew is Declan Newman, Mason
01:17Furst, Sebastian Erwin, Oscar Henderson and Ray Clark, coached by Cooper Reid.
01:22Ballarat Grammar School in lane 5, Rex Brennan, Jack Howard, George McGee, Hugh Myers and Bella Jenkins, coached by Luke
01:30Puno and Paul Myers.
01:32And St Patrick's in lane number 6, Lachlan Cowell, Lachlan Cameron, Patrick Stewart, George Charles and Charlie Geddes, coached by
01:40David O'Doherty.
01:43But it is Ballarat Clarendon who have gone clear here in the early strokes this race.
01:49Ballarat High briefly threatened to do a Kieran Perkins there from the outside lane and really charged out early on.
01:55But it's dropped back now to probably third or fourth place there, the crew on the lane 2 side of
02:02Lake Wendaree.
02:02But it's Ballarat Clarendon in that race with the distinctive red canvases there, certainly showing out with a lead over.
02:09Still maybe Ballarat Brunner School just second ahead of St Patrick's College there.
02:14Certainly what we expect to be the two biggest challenges to this Clarendon combination.
02:18And then Damascus fourth at the head it would appear now of the crew from Ballarat High.
02:23In fifth position now over in lane 2 after that such very very strong start to the race.
02:30But possibly assisted Ballarat Clarendon too because they really had to work in the early strokes to go with the
02:34crew from Ballarat High
02:36who absolutely went for broke in the early strokes of this race.
02:40But now as they've settled into their mid-race pace it is the combination here from Ballarat Clarendon
02:46who looks to have a roundabout of boatlings lead on the crew from Ballarat Brammer and also St Patrick's
02:53as they head up towards the halfway stage of this race.
03:41So we're in the third 500 they go on this race now the head of the lake for 2026 and
03:46it certainly is the best
03:46this Ballarat Clarendon crew who continue to build a good lead here over Ballarat Brammer School now ahead of St
03:53Patrick's.
03:54So it's clearly Ballarat Brammer School second and by far the biggest challenges here.
03:58So there's crew from Ballarat Clarendon of Charlie Lawler, Finn Russell, Tiger Williams, Jake Connolly and Reece Belcher,
04:05coached by Ian Peel.
04:06So three-fifths of that crew are the reigning champions in the school boys Cox 4.
04:11And also of course the defending champions are from the head of the lake and I expect they'll go on
04:17to Lake Barrington too
04:18and try and maintain their schoolboy title there.
04:20But first of course the small matter of the head of the lake to win and Ballarat Brammer School
04:25are throwing in a strong college here, a challenge here in lane at number 5.
04:29Rex Brennan, Jack Howard, George McGee, Hugh Myers and Bella Jenkins, coached by Luke Pornow and Paul Myers.
04:36And then St Patrick's back in third who were the second place crew ahead of the school boys
04:40but certainly suspected in recent weeks Ballarat Brammer School have really proved a great deal
04:46and now sit at clear second.
04:48So St Patrick's there in third.
04:49Lachlan Cowell, Lachlan Cameron, Patrick's Duke, George Charles and Charlie Geddes.
04:54Coached by David O'Doherty in the middle of the course.
04:57Damascus in fact pretty much on terms with St Patrick's it seems in the race there for third place.
05:02It may in fact be Damascus narrowly third and then St Patrick's then Ballarat High School.
05:07So I'm not sure what may have happened there in that St Patrick's fight
05:10but regardless it's a racing 2 now for the head of the lake title here in 2026.
05:15Ballarat Clarendon in lane number 3 and Ballarat Brammer School in lane 5.
05:19Just a small drop on the water here too to make things very interesting
05:23and demand for strike rowing in the closing strokes of this race.
05:27So Ballarat Clarendon in the red colours up on about.
05:31St Patrick's is back over 40 strokes a minute now it seems.
05:33And the challenge certainly coming from Ballarat Brammer School on this side too
05:37who sit maybe a point or two lower than the crew from Clarendon.
05:41The boat there with the red canvas who's the defending champions from Ballarat Clarendon
05:45who have still had their boat narrowly in front here
05:48as they head inside the final 120 metres of the race.
05:51So it's Ballarat Clarendon on the southern side.
05:54Ballarat Brammer School on the finish tower side.
05:56What a great finish his prospect here once again in the header of the lake for 2026.
06:01The Masters might be third ahead of St Patrick but Ballarat Clarendon holding on here
06:05with three or four strokes to go.
06:07Ballarat Brammer School on the beach railing pushed them all the way
06:10but Ballarat Clarendon will go back to back in the header of the lake for 2026.
06:15Ballarat Clarendon win it by a boatman.
06:17Ballarat Brammer School on the great road for them in the second place.
06:21Third and fourth will indeed be tight for Greenboats of the Masters or the St Patrick's shell.
06:27Very, very tight together indeed.
06:29And then back to Ballarat High School who will be fifth.
06:31I reckon the Masters will be third and a great road from them to the head of St Patrick's.
06:36And then it will be Ballarat High.
06:39But it's Ballarat Clarendon for the second year in a row
06:42who's playing the school ball in the head of the lake title here.
06:46So well done to that crew, Charlie Warler, Finn Ruffles, Tiger Williams, Jake Connelly
06:53and Reece Belcher, coached by Ian Hill who saw us a very, very strong challenge
06:58over the second half of the race from the crew from Ballarat Brammer School
07:02and a couple of ones across there in lane five.
07:05The Masters College and now is third place St Patrick's 4
07:09and here comes the crew from Ballarat High School
07:11who concludes the head of the lake for 2026.
07:15They're across into fifth place
07:17and what a finish to the regatta it has been.
07:21Still celebrations underway in the Ballarat Clarendon boat.
07:26They've rode a great race there.
07:28The season will continue on I'm sure to the state championships
07:31and right for the national championships after that as well.
07:35So we'll see more of a couple of these crews I would reckon
07:39over the next few weeks.
07:41But for now it is all about Ballarat Clarendon
07:44and the Dowling Challenge Cup is in their possession
07:47for the second year in a row
07:49and in fact the third year of the past four.
07:52So it's been a successful year
07:54for Ballarat Clarendon College
07:57in the school boys' boards.
07:59They take the win here again at the Heatherlake for 2026.
08:03Ballarat Clarendon
08:06Music
08:06Ballarat Clarendon
08:13Ballarat ClarendonopingABih
Comments