All race reports for Stephan Christian Mertes
Event: Clare Novice Regatta 2006 - Plate
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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We pushed off with a magnificent start to be almost a length ahead by stroke 10. Seb's hardcore training with nm1 really paid off here. We caght a crab about a third of the way down which almost slowed the boat to a standstill but we managed to sort it out and row on.
About 100 m before the railway bridge there seemed to be a general consensus among the rowers to reduce the pressure and take it easy to the finish line. This meant we didn't gain any more ground on Clare B but as we were at least 5 lengths ahead this didn't matter too much.
Event: Christmas Head 2006 - Novice IV+
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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I think I should mention as well that I was the only rower in the boat that managed to not get completely soaked but clambered over the capsizing boat onto the bank. (Sarah had enough common sense to jump out of the boat as we parked).
Event: May Bumps 2007 - Friday
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(I know.. Christian shut up, and tap down!!)
Event: Cambridge Winter Head 2006 - Student Beginner VIIIs
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So guys as long as coach Pancratz keeps those stupid-amount-of-Ks-ergs coming and we (now with different blades) put that pressure down in time on the water we are going to be right up there for Fairbairns. Go NM1!!
Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Saturday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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on the men's side: up 15 out of 18 rows (that's including our head crew)
in comparison a randomly selected other college; Caius: down 11 out of 12 (and the only reason it isn't 12 is because we hit Wolfson).
ok race report: The division was delayed because Queens had snapped their rudder strings. A fair amount of pissing around on the bank made one or two of us worry about lack of focus, but things quietend down once the 4 minute gun went and we got in the boat.
A messy start as usual but it did take about 1/2 a length of Selwyn. We sat at 1 length for quite some time (well relatively seen anyway) with Davy refusing to whistle but yelling "that's one length" from the bank. At about station 4 we pulled it together and started moving up again. Maggie were about 2, possibly more, lengths behind by now and strangely enough got their first whistle??? Didn't really bother us though, they ended up about 3.5 lengths down when we bumped.
From that first whistle we went to overlap pretty swiftly. Looking right, then left I finally saw their stern. Over reaching massively on the next stroke put my blade within about 3 inches of their stern. A slight course correction from Emma and another massive overreaching from me slammed my blade onto their stern, YEAH!!! That's the first time I have had the priviledge of carrying out the bump.
Awesome....
Hats off to Selwyn, word had gotten out that we were fast off the start and they put up one hell of a fight. According to our bank party they were inside a length on Magdalene.
Event: May Bumps 2008 - Thursday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Event: Champion of the Thames Eights Head 2008 - Men's 3rd Div. Mays
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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The results reflect the shoddy row. The only M2 crew we managed to beat were Kings who are an entire division below us. If we want to go up in Bumps we need to get about 15 seconds faster.
Most of the crews around us in bumps were a little faster but not by much. Unfortunately the crews on either side of us didn't enter.
Queens M2 (5 in front): 4 sec
Churchill M2 (4 in front): 3 sec
Pembroke M2 (3 in front): 13 sec
Maddalene M2 (2 behind): 10 sec slower
Fitz M2 (3 behind): 18 sec
Christs M2 (4 behind): 13 sec
Clare M2 (5 behind): 15 sec
Event: Cambridge Head-2-Head 2008 - Novice 1x
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Event: Cambridge Head-2-Head 2008 - 3rd division
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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The second half was better. When the catches went in together we really moved some boat and it felt a lot more stable and relaxed. Unfortunately this only happend about 3 times for 10 strokes at a time. Especially on the reach with Maggie 3 bearing down on us having caught up about 3 to 4 lengths there were some very good patches where we moved away from them and some very bad patches where they were gaining massively.
So we know we can go fast. We just have some technique issues to tweak and then put some power down together.
Weather was awesome, I do however have a headache from the sun despite having had 4l of water to drink today.
Overall not a bad result, 4s faster would have gotten us pots though. We were 16s slower than Churchill 2 (4 ahead in Bumps) and 38s slower than Christs 2 (4 behind in Bumps). None of the other boats around us entered.
Event: Head of the Cam 2008 - College VIIIs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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However more than a minute behind Fitz 2 and Pembroke 2, who are around us in bumps. I am giving it 30 seconds for being a scratch crew and winding down too early so we still have a lot of work to do. Girton 2 (the crew in front of us in bumps) were entered by scratched I guess. We managed to beat Queens 2 by 47 seconds, they must be awful.
Event: Head of the River Race 2008 - Senior3 VIIIs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Thanks to two crews in front of us blade locking before Hammersmith we caught up to both and raced right alongside one of them for about 1k. Then we had a massive boat stopping blade clash which put us 1/2 a length up on the restart. They caught this up again and we settled back into the rhythm of they push, then we push, then they push, ....
After about another 1.5 k we finally got past them and came into the finish with about 1/2 a length of clear water.
I reiterate, a very very long very very painful race
Event: Cardinal's Regatta 2008 - Fancy Dress
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Parking on the outflow on Plough Reach was "difficult" and involved us being diagonal in the river for about 5 minutes.
The race itself: good start. The first half of the first draw stroke was together and we held them. After that it fell apart.
Sonya crabbed about 150 m into the race. Sonya recovered about 300 m into the race (once we'd easied, well just generally stopped rowing) in full view of her parents.
Jij crabbed while trying to easy after the race and I guess the only productive thing we did today was delaying the rest of the division by about 10 minutes.
Oh and thanks to Aline for coxing.
From Sonya - I learned my lesson. I will never be angry with my rowers if they crab and can't recover for half the race. And I will never row again, especially not when my parents are watching.
Oh and thanks to George and Christian for subbing in last minute. And thanks Aline for coxing and picking up reallt quickly to call "shut up Christian!" for most of time.
Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Saturday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Seriously guys, you had some awesome races this week, you bumped a 2nd and a 3rd crew even if the Peterhouse race was "interesting" to say the least, you contributed to a Caius crew spooning, you are a whole division above the next 4th VIII and still went up, there are only 3 3rd crews above you (including our own M3).
You did really well, however I reckon you will still get bumpered at the dinner.
Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Saturday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Friday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Friday
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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FAT M2 laundrette washes out LMBC.
I should probably explain the whole laundrette thing at this point. The Clare coach described us as a "renegade washing machine hurtling down the reach" in our race against them at Pembroke Regatta. Since our boat has gotten faster and messier since then it's been upgraded to a laundrette.
The race plan was originally one to take us to Ditton unless LMBC were closing on Selwyn. A good start from both crews meant we couldn't just Blitzkrieg them as we had done with other crews up until now.
Coming out of the bend before the motorway bridge a "stride" to 38 cleaned up our rowing a little. It took us about 1 minute to get our first whistle. This was followed shortly by the second whistle. At around this time Gonzalo started yelling frantically from the bank as LMBC were at 1 length and gaining on Selwyn.
We managed to get overlap pretty quickly from there. The umpire on the bank was quietly saying to himself "that's a bump, that's a bump". Just as he was about to shout it out loud, a combination of a massive push from LMBC and some very dirty rowing in some very dirty water from us gave them almost a canvas of clear water again. Emma steered the bows onto the other side of their stern (now on the inside line for first post corner) for bump attempt no 2.
A (very) loud whack from 7s blade on the underside of our bows meant the race was over and we were finally in the first division. A lot of celebrating in the middle of the river ensued which would have gotten us fined anywhere else in the division for failure to clear.
1 more bump left to go.
Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Tuesday
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Thanks to Peter for jumping literally at the last minute. (He was on the bank in his boxers putting on tracksuit bottoms with about 90 seconds to the start gun.)
All went well in the end. We bumped, it was quick, Lorry and I have yet to make it completely out of First Post Corner in a Lents Race. Let's keep this coming; on thursday in complete FAT kit as it has finally arrived.
Event: Cambridge Autumn Head 2007 - College VIIIs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Anyway, the row wasn't great, the rate dropped halfway (not helped by a rate meter deficient cox box) and the boat got heavy. It did sit a little better though as we came onto the reach. There was a good pickup towards the finish but we still have a lot of work to do considering we were over 1 minute slower than the 1st 8.
I guess the whole thing wasn't helped by the constant crew changing. Thanks to Lilie and Lorry for subbing in at short and very short notice.
Event: University IVs 2007 - 2nd division
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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We wound to 40 off the start which was a lot more relaxed than the 38 on the practice start because we were more in time and not using our backs in the first few strokes. We gained on them continously until Grassy, where we had made up 3 lengths. Then they pushed and held us off for a bit. With Ming and our definitely over-sized bank party yelling we were on station and had to move it now we tried to lift it out of Ditton but didn't get any closer. The wind to the finish gave us our final 1 1/2 lengths gain
In general, a bit unbalanced (my technique going to pots not helping). We kept the rate at 32 which was good. On the plus side only FaT1 and Downing 1 have managed to get a better time over the course during the week, not bad for a 2nd (actually 3rd) four.
Event: University IVs 2007 - 2nd division
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Good race overall with Ming yelling at us most of the time to get the work on together. I wouldn't say that's exactly what happened but I think we got a lot closer to it than yesterday.
The push in the Gut actually worked with a big change in boatspeed. Most of the time we weren't sure how we were doing with respect to Churchill when the bank party didn't mention anything. Emma just mentioned the odd "we're still moving on them", and that kept us calm for a while again. Looking back at the finish line I saw Churchill about 1 length away so all was good in the end. It's a shame Emma didn't get to yell "Churchill, we're coming by now!!"
Event: Cambridge Winter Head 2007 - Student Senior IVs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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got beaten by FAT A (38 sec) and FAT B (21 sec) and Downing (12 sec). Beat everyone else.
Event: Cambridge Winter Head 2007 - Student Senior VIIIs
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Held rate 32 which felt easy and looked relaxed till first post when things started to go a little. The push out of the corner on the legs really moved the boat and the speed came back up. Out of Grassy we did 10 suspension which also gave us another boost in speed.
The reach took forever with us consistently moving up on Imperial. The wind from the railway bridge felt like we were really bringing up the rate but actually only got 1 pip, ie we took it up on the slide, AGAIN... with no substantial change in boatspeed.
Overall not a bad base from which to get even faster till Fairbairns. From what I can get out of the results, we beat Jesus, Darwin, Christs, Girton and Queens 1st 8s and more importantly Caius 2nd 8 by 7 seconds.
Event: Novice Fairbairn Cup 2007 - 2nd division
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3rd third eight,
Beat 5 first eights (Sidney, Peterhouse, King's, Homerton and Tit Hall)
Beat 6 second eights (New hall, Peterhouse, Homerton, Tit Hall, Downing and St. catz)
I'd say that's a pretty solid result (although Disney 2 did beat Disney 1). Anyway as far as the race went:
The marshal said go we didn't. He looked perplexed Kristina sorted herself out with a little too much interference from my side I have to admit. Set off on Kristina's go, straight into the bank, the reasons being 3fold: me interfering , Kristina not being straight and half of strokeside airstroking on the first stroke (that was a mouthful).
We pushed off in front of Jesus boat house and wound it straight from there. As a result we weren't quite up to speed at the start line. Didn't matter to much though because the crew settled into a good rhythm coming out under Emma Footbridge. The push out of QE Bridge worked well bringing the boat back up to speed so that by the Willow tree we were only 10s down on NW2. We more or less held that till Chesterton FB where we were 15s down. A big lift on the legs once we were straight sent us off towards the railway B. This was the best push off the race with a massive change in boatspeed.
Having done pretty well until then, we lost a lot of time between the P&E and the railway B. Me staying on meadowside and almost falling off my bike in the mud probably didn't help. At the railway B we were suddenly almost 50s down on NW2. A last hard push out of the bridge sent us onto the reach where a motivational "I can see the boat in front (Homerton W2, who we beat)" came from Kristina. The wind to the finish was good, some solid power in the water as far as I could see from the bank. Only downside: we crossed the line 1 min slower than NW2 and with Kristina couting down strokes and getting to the number 6, oh well better luck next time.
All in all a good race and I think NW3 can be really proud of their time.
One last point: we did have a couple of minor crabs from Louise at stroke + 2 complete overheads from her, one just after QE bridge and one on the reach, funnily enough the two parts where we didn't actually loose that much time.
Event: Fairbairn Cup 2007 - Senior VIIIs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Anyway, pretty good race with some good unsustainable pushes. Let's carry this through to Lents and get the 2nd VIII headship back.
Event: Head of the Nene 2008 - Senior3 VIIIs
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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The rate more or less held 30 but we lost the length in our strokes.
We beat Wolfson by 1 min 11 sec and they looked pretty shit. Bumping by First Post as usual then in a couple of weeks.
Event: Robinson Head 2008 - 2nd division
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Still beat a lot of crews though including the ones around us in Bumps such as Caius M2 (by 12 seconds)
And CCAT M2 wasn't CCAT M2 considering they beat CCAT M1 by 36 seconds.
Slightly worrying is the fact that Christ's M1 (the crew behind us in Mays beat us by 35 seconds)
Event: Robinson Head 2008 - 2nd division
Posted as: S.C. Mertes
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Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Thursday
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Apparently we had overlap by first post but because our bows were outside their stern we didn't hit.
Down the gut the waves crashing over Justus' and my blade were huge. As we came up on their stern actually taking strokes in the water was getting to be a bit of a nightmare, especially as I was putting my blade exactly where Caius 7 man had just washed out.
A little worrying was the fact that at some point the continuous whistling from the bank subsided, possibly because Caius were putting in a do or die push, possibly because Davy had to catch his breath. When that ended the whistles came back and we just ploughed into them. I never actaully saw their stern but apparently our bow went into their coxes thigh, closely followed by my rigger. I hope we didn't do any damage to our bow as that must have gotten intimately acquainted with strokes rigger. It might have been an idea for their cox to concede a little earlier as this would have avoided us ramming them into the inside of grassy.
On another topic: Robinson had overlap on Maggie II just before the railway bridge with their bow on the outside of the corner. Consequently it was on the inside as both boats came past Morley's Halt. With about 2.5 feet of overlap the Robinson cox steers for the bump....
....And misses by about 6 inches as Maggie II's stern surges forward as they rock over. Maggie on the inside line with Robinson steering out left Maggie with a very hard row over.
So plan for tomorrow:
1. Hit Robsinson before Grassy, as they were on station with Caius when we hit them today(that'll be 2 dirty pints for Gonzo)
2. Hit Maggie II even harder.
Somebody should really warn them that the FAT M2 laundrette is hurtling towards them and it's going to get ugly...
Event: Lent Bumps 2009 - Friday
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Event: Champion of the Thames Eights Head 2009 - Men's 3rd Div. Mays
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Good points to take away:
1. A (fairly) stable boat with no water in it when we took it to heads
2. A lot better rowing than the last outing (apparently)
We were faster than the boats directly behind us in Mays (7s Churchill II, 17s Fitz II) however also 13s and 18s slower than the two boats behind them (Magdalene II and Christ's II). None of the boats within a sensible distance in front of us in Mays entered.
Event: May Bumps 2009 - Wednesday
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On the upside we were pretty much on station with Selwyn II when they had overlap on Grassy. We were still on station at Morleys Holt when they finally hit Pembroke II !?! I suggest we unpack some Seb style controlled aggression for 2 minutes tomorrow and wipe out Pembroke by Grassy. Christs behind us overbumped Churchill and I reckon they had closed a little on us so tomorrow really is going to be a bump or get bumped day. See you all at BA Dinner..
NB. Just realised its been a pretty crap day for Churchill men; two of their boats got overbumped...
Event: May Bumps 2009 - Thursday
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There are a number of things I wish to point out.
1. We are doing what all Gent's VIIIs do: row over with mediocre committment on day 1 thinking "must hold back a little" and "better not die by Grassy" and then go up 4 by sandwiching.
2. If anyone from Pembroke read Bryn's report it did it's trick. They thought we were going to push OUT of the corner whereas the plan (agreed at last minute, well 2 minutes before the gun anyway and only really between Charles and me) ended up being pushing INTO the corner.
3. We have now thoroughly established and proven beyond doubt that we go faster rowing VERY badly at rate 38 than rowing badly at rate 32. The clinching piece of evidence was Sarah's "whoopydoo" while bouncing out of the coxes seat at the boathouse like a haribo on crack.
In conclusion we should have done this yesterday but hey at least we're learning...
Event: May Bumps 2009 - Friday
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Mediocre splashy pushes came when we heard the whistles, the bits in between were just very bad. Once in a while an encouraging "you're still moving on them" came from Bullock on the bank but a little more information regarding the distance would have been appreciated. I don't think I was the only one who thought we were loosing them in the gaps between the whistles.
All in all probably the gutsiest row we have had but also by far the most ineffective in terms of putting our infinite power into finite strokes in the water.
Plan for tomorrow is Wednesday's technique + Thursday's motivation + today's infinite power. Hope I am not giving away too much. (Well I definitely am not as this is a retrospective race report written on Sunday morning).
Event: May Bumps 2009 - Saturday
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We were just inside station off the start and crossed the finish line at just over 1 length apart. We wanted to go off with controlled aggression to actually move some boat rather than air and water (or any combination of the two). This worked fairly well and we went off hard at the start. No whistles by Ditton meant we let it slide to rate 32. We still had a push out of the railway bridge and a wind to the finish but this term's focus on sprint training to the exclusion of all aerobic exercise started to show. Cats remained outside station until just before they got bumped under the railway bridge. Congratulations to Selwyn II who have made it into the 2nd division. Also I apologise for my previous race report stating our intention to go up 4 and get into division 2. In a very gentlemanly way we have left that one for next years M3 to sort out.
I think this was the best row we have had all week. I thoroughly enjoyed being in this crew even if I only made the boat because I organised it. I hope no-one is too emotionally scarred from putting up with me. And so my rowing career finally comes to a close. I have many happy memories of spending way too much time at the boathouse and I think I may just miss it.....
.....in 20 or 30 years time.....
.....maybe.
