The Club's Results

The stern section of BP2 was returned to us this morning after the mishap in Lent Term thanks to the sterling efforts of MC Peck.
We rigged up and went for a short practice paddle around noon, to get the feel for the new boat before the river closure came into effect.

We were chasing a Pembroke boat which we didn't know much about, but whom we suspected could be bumpable over a course despite containing the blues president and chased by a Sidney boat containing a Lightweight Blue. Downing II, 2 ahead were suspected to be quite slow, we weren't sure about the overbumping possibilities on Peterhouse at the head of the division and LMBC II were 2 behind but thought to have a reasonable turn of speed.

Moving back to reality, the gun went off and we wound it up nicely off the start, marred only by 2, 4 and 6 having a simultaneous mini-shipwreck on stroke 7 and a couple of strokes later clipping some foliage on the outside of the bend just as we were coming into first post corner.
It was at this point that the initial cries of "Go Wide !!" from various people on the bank began to filter through the general hubbub. It became apparent that Pembroke (complete with CUBC President Wayne Pommen) had caught Downing II at the entry to the corner and then made a complete hash of clearing. A superb piece of coxwainship from Jenny, and an impressive amount of power from 2 and 4 saw us initially jink left around the Pembroke stern, which was at this point on the inside of the bend drifting at 45 degrees to the bank, and then sharply right so as to take the corner whilst avoiding the Downing crew which had cleared to the outside.
Meanwhile, the chasing Disney crew had remained roughly on station with us and seemed to have been slightly closed upon by Maggie II behind (if you were the type to trust the LMBC whistle brigade ...). Pembroke managed to clear fully by the time they came past the wreckage and the Sidney cox had a near-perfect line round the corner available. This was duly taken and the "Lord Protector 400" managed to close some significant distance on us, reducing the inter-boat distance to about a length.
We held them around Grassy, past the Plough and the cheers of our loyal suppoerters, and around Ditton where we came into the headwind. Sidney took advantage of our wind shadow and the reach became a game of push and counter-push. Through these Sidney slowly closed on us until they got to just under half a length off at the Pink House. A bumping ten followed which brought them within inches of our stern after about 15 strokes. Jenny had called a "Kill" push midway through their bumping push and this really started to kick in just under the Raliway Bridge. We started to increase the separation between the boats as we pushed together as a crew. After a further few strokes and an ever-widening gap, we felt we had broken their challenge and it seemed that both boats realised that a bump between the crews was unlikely to occur. Sidney continued to push all the way to Top Finish, but never threatened further.

Hopefully tomorrow we'll be more used to the boat and the rowing might be a little better. Chasing Downing II, chased by Sidney (Matt)

A powerful and gutsy but rather scrappy race resulted in us rowing over ahead of Sidney with Peterhouse somewhere in the distance ahead after Pembroke hit Downing II incredibly early.

Having only got BP2 back from Janousek this morning the patches of bad balance were understandable and hopefully we can extend some of the rather good bits of rowing we had today to cover the course.

Downing II are ahead tomorrow, no doubt desperate not to get hit by us, and Sidney will be looking for that killer edge behind. (Dan)

Today, the balance felt better than yesterday and the crew was fired up by the knowlegde that a bump would be definitely possible.
Our start was clean, controlled and powerful, and we took half a length off Downing II in the first ten strokes. We wound it up to 44 and settled nicely into a sustainable rhythm, and inexorably closed the gap around First Post Corner and Grassy until we were well within half a length of our prey as we came into the Plough Reach.
At this point, the bumpy water unsettled us somewhat as Downing put in a series of last-ditch pushes to keep us at bay. The two boats tussled their way around Ditton corner, with the gap oscillating between half a length and a canvas.
Finally, coming onto the Long Reach, we managed to put in a concerted push together and break through the rough water to bump at the Railings.

Well done to Dan N and Bryn for their first ever Bump.

Tomorrow we're chasing Peterhouse, who today were bumped by Pembroke, and being chased by Downing II. (Matt)

We had a nice smooth start today but the rest of the row was pretty mediocre. Downing showed some tenacity but fortunately very little competence.
An inevitable but pleasing result. (Tom C)

Took a bit off Peterhouse off the start, but they pushed it back to distance through the gut. They got a canvas on Fitzwilliam at Ditton and converted at the Railway Bridge, leaving us to row over. Behind us, Disney bumped Downing II, leaving Wolfson chasing for the overbump a long way back.

Full report to come after crew pasta ...

... which ended up as Crew Pizza Hut. Four orders of "Feast For Four" surprised the waitress and only Mark decided to forego a Meat-laden delicacy, ordering a Vegetable Pizza instead. Bow four however, as a measure of compensation, went for the Stuffed Crust Cheese Feast option for one of the pizzas ...

Anyway, back to the race report ...
We wound it up nicely and settled to a more comfortable rhythm than yesterday's race
Pulled away from Downing II convincingly and watched Sidney slowly closing in for the Kill. Wolfson behind were closing on Sidney and it was unclear as to which of the two boats would bump out. Peterhouse ahead, after being closed down off the first ten strokes or so, reopened the gap to a length and a half and pushed up to within half a length of Fitzwilliam at Ditton. Despite taking until the Railway Bridge to finally bump, we were never close enough to challenge for a bump ourselves and after passing the bumped out crews, decided to wind it down for the finish and save ourselves for the next day. (Matt)

After two days of excitement we didn't do much today. We probably rowed better than we have done before, but it was all a bit too... relaxed, really. We'd planned to row slightly conservatively to the Plough and then push for Peterhouse up the reach, but by the time we got there it became apparent that nothing we could do could make Downing II bump us before they were themselves bumped, and that Peterhouse were about to bump Fitz anyway, so we just finished the course in our own time. (BJ)

Fitz lost their rudder in the gut and couldn't take grassy. We rowed past to get the bump. (Little Jenners)

An orgasmic row down to cries of 'Go FaT 2' and Go on Bryn!' was not dampened by a sudden downpour just before pushing off. We're wellard and all the first boats around us were obviously limp wooses who couldnt take the rain. A rip roaring start saw us closing, closing, closing and closing on Fitzbilly until at Grassy the pressure was too much for them. They started taking the corner wide and realised they had no chance of success against such a boat as ours and so pulled in to avoid the embarrassment of rowing past the Plough looking as bad as they did.

We kicked ass.

Our showpiece-start for the peeps at the Plough wowed the crowds and the Thunderbirds move for the Womens 1sts definitely made a few hearts skip a beat.

We bumped up 2 to 2 in the 2nd division in BP2 putting us as the 2nd best 2nd boat on the river with 2 ex-novices rowing and 2 oldies at stroke and seven. I could go on, but realise this - my prediction for the night is that as 2 is obviously a lucky number for us our 2 man - Tom Coker - will get 'lucky' tonight ... twice.

P.s Mark managed not to slip and land in a cow pat this time whilst marshalling. Hehe. (Dan Newton)

To Dan re his prediction: perhaps it will happen at 2am? (Dubya)

Good start and surge saw us close on Fitz.
They then proceeded to suffer a "spectacular failure to Grassy" and we rowed past and pulled in. Up 2 ! (Matt)

Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase... (Smiley Mark)

Hakuna matata, ain't no passing craze... (BJ)

It means no worries for the rest of your days... (Dan)

I'm afraid I wasn't lucky in any possible way last night, although I did obtain 2 bruises on my 2nd leg and am missing 2 shoes, and I managed to get out of bed (slowly) at 2pm. (Tom C)