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All race reports for Keith Noble-Nesbitt

Event: May Bumps 2002 - Saturday
Posted as: K. Noble-Nesbitt
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To put it simply, we were shocking. That doesn't just go for today, it goes for all four days. We really did earn our spoons.

There can be no excuses. It wasn't a case of being stuck in the middle of a bunch of huge crews. Clare III were big, and Magdalene II just looked awesome, but Emma III were tiny. Really, they all looked the same size as me (and if you don't know what that means, about 9 stones). Unfortunately they were together as a crew, and probably technically better than us.

That sums up our biggest failure. No time on the water led to a total lack of togetherness. We did our best start by far in the practice, but when it came to the race start we lost it. I'd put it down to a lack of trust in each other under race situations. If you think it'll be rushed, if you think it'll fall over at the finish, it will.

Hopefully next years 4th VIII can reverse the trend that we started.

Event: Lent Bumps 2002 - Thursday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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Today saw us chasing a Peterhouse II boat already in free fall, having been double overbumped by Homerton the previous day. Caius III did not trouble us, though apparently we should have hit Pt II far earlier. It was all over by first post, starting from 2nd station.

Thanks to the Caius' rowing avoidance this was my first "proper" bumps, but it was what followed that will forever be etched on my memory.

After the bump and in true 4th boat fashion we did not really know what to do. We pulled in on the inside of first post corner, while PtII went for the outside. Despite blades pulled in all round the narrowed river proved a task too far for Caius' cox, just as bringing a life jacket had the previous day. They pulled off a remarkable parallel parking move, to end up side by side with Peterhouse and interlocking riggers. It looked painful, but not as painful as what was to follow. Unsuprisingly, with the river narrowed even further boats had trouble getting through. After Kings II got their bump on the stranded Caius a further 2 or so boats made it, jarringly, before the fun really started.

Amidst various calls from the bank one suggestion was for Caius to push off and row on. Sadly only bow pair heard this. The resultant push off was just enough for the stream to catch the bows, with the end result that the bow came to rest against BP4 while the stern stayed in close company with PtII. River blocked.

I seem to recall that on two occasions crews who came around the corner failed to hold it up on time. Both the Peterhouse and Caius cox had to get friendly with their stroke men to avoid getting friendly with another boats bow ball as it invaded their personal space. A classic kodak moment, it seems a shame that no-one appears to have caught it on camera.

Event: Lent Bumps 2002 - Saturday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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We had several lengths on Pt II when they were bumped by Kings on grassy. The crew were a little too pumped up to take the rating down as quickly as we should have, but it turned into a nice relaxed row from Ditton, rating in the low 20's.

As we crossed the finish line Caius III could be made out in the distance, coming around Ditton. They were under pressure and planted themselves in the reeds. Bumped. Gotta love the style...

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2003 - 3rd division
Posted as: snowball
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Maggies coach was overheard on the bank beforehand saying that many crews would push too hard and then burn out, and not to worry about boats pulling away.

Sadly for maggie, they seemed to take this to mean that they didnt need a fast start. They were half a length down after our draw strokes, and even further once we'd wound.

They held us just short of having clear water up the long reach, with the slight bend to their advantage, but by the railway bridge the result was clear.

A big push near the end saw them closing, but never putting us under pressure. A nice row, and a satisfying result.

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2003 - 3rd division
Posted as: snowball
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Caius III start the bumps a little way down the 4th division, compared to Maggies 2nd in the 3rd division. You might have expected a walkover, but they certainly were not. Caius often promise to have a good 3rd Lent VIII, but have recently been off target. Last years comedy effort (no lifejacket on the first day of the bumps?) this certainly was not.

We had the towpath side, and so the initial advantage, but after we took a little off them on the start they held us. They tried to draw level just before the railway bridge with a big push, but we responded well and held them off. By the time the bend was well in their favour they were too tired to push us, and we were able to pull away with ease. Well done to Caius though-they pushed us a lot harder than Maggie.

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2003 - 3rd division
Posted as: snowball
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Another excellent start saw us steal the early initiative. All day we've consistently hit 38 to 40 on the wind, striding down to about 36, and this was the same. Once we'd settled we held onto a slim lead for about a minute. Then Clare pushed. We we're already flat out, but they had another gear. Lifting their cruising speed with ease, we were finished well before the bend came to our advantage under the railway bridge-they knew what they were doing.

Clare III have yet to get on, as do Clare IV, who made the final from the other half of the division. Sadly their 1st boat was not in action, and their 2nd VIII scratched this morning.

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2003 - 3rd division
Posted as: snowball
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A very good Clare IV was always going to be a toughie. Clare went on to make the final, beating Downing III and Catz III, before losing to Clare III.

Event: Lent Bumps 2003 - Tuesday
Posted as: keef
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This was the most exciting bumps race I've been in. It went as a bit of a blur-not because it was quick, but because so much happened!

We closed about half a length off our start, but some panicked rowing saw us loosing boat speed once past the motorway bridge, and selwyn were able to hold us. We slowly clawed into their lead, however, and were getting two whistles by the exit of 1st post. This is where it got really messy-a number of bumps meant that boats were all over the place, and although I could hear Iain screaming for us to go wide around grassy, Andy couldnt, steering a mean tight line. He got the idea in the end, but by this time the only way we could avoid the boats ahead was by shooting straight across the corner. We weren't able to bring the boat around properly in the space left, but fortunately there was no sickening crunch of the bows hitting the bank. Then again, we weren't in Peter Brandt...

We did, however, find Catz II with our blades, and some nasty clashes saw us grind to a halt. Once we pushed off I thought Selwyn II would be miles ahead. Our rowing became a lot more relaxed, but it turned out to be very effective. We rapidly cut into Selwyn's lead, and hit them just after ditton.

A hard row, but very enjoyable.

Tomorrow we chase Girton II, who went past Clare II (who crashed) but were awarded a technical row over due to carnage.

Event: Lent Bumps 2003 - Friday
Posted as: keef
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We knew we would need a lot of luck to get a bump today. The Clare II boat infront of us (probably the fastest boat in our division) was after driftwood. We could have caught them if they'd started like the did on Wednesday, but they didnt, holding us at station and then pulling away. They bumped just before grassy, at about the same time the other two boats we could have overbumped or double overbumped.

We had pulled away from Girton from the start, who were being reeled in by Selwyn, but sadly our entertainment was cut short by Clare II. Possibly the best boat at spannering in our division (although binson II got the awards in the first few days) they pulled in on the inside of grassy. Or at least, they stopped on the inside of grassy and then drifted out to block the entire river. We scraped through, but they closed the small gap that was left before anyone else could take advantage of it. We were left to row out the course with no-one ahead of us, and without a single sighting of a boat behind. A rather eerie experience...

Event: Cambridge Autumn Head 2002 - Lower College IV+
Posted as: keef
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Quite low in the standings, but the time wasnt too far off the second IV, and pretty respectable for a scratch crew of rec squad rowers I think. The race did involve my first bump in a while-we caught an x-press VIII just after the railway bridge, and their cox thought he had the racing line. Well he didnt... Sorry if the crew order is wrong!

Event: May Bumps 2003 - Saturday
Posted as: keef
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We were out to do what we did yesterday, since at some point Downing would get in the way.

Fitz II were out sprint into us, before we could hit downing.

Fortunately Fitz dont know how to sprint, and despite our rowing being rather messy they were rapidly well outside distance.

Downing got in our way after about 2 minutes, and at long last... greenery.

Event: Lent Bumps 2004 - Wednesday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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A good start saw us close half a length on Caius III and leave the unknown quantity of Hughes Hall for dead. They held us until the motorway bridge, but we began to close in on them slowly after that. We were about 3/4 of a length away when carnage forced us to easy.

The re-row was promt, but not prompt enough to leave any feeling in my fingers whatsoever. The whole crew must have had a similar problem as a reltively poor start only saw us hold station, or perhaps even lose distance. The story after that was similar though, as we slowly began to reel them in. A few big pushes coming up to first post saw us close from a little over a length to about 1/4. A bump looked likely, until the Caius cox spotted a bumped out Homerton on the bank and steered for them at race pressure. Carnage ensued and for the second time we had to hold it up. All I can say is that I hope no-one was injured too badly. The verdict was a technical bump in our favour, and I think we earned it.

This has been the coldest day of my life.

Event: May Bumps 2004 - Saturday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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in 1'00"9.

Event: May Bumps 2004 - Friday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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Subbing in for an ill crew member, this was perhaps my last ever bumps race. Satisfyingly it ended with my first bump on The Red Scum and the 5th boat headship.

Event: May Bumps 2004 - Wednesday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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I subbed into this boat at late notice due to an illness. On the evidence of today, the grads should be disappointed to have not come out with a better result. They happened to start behind a crew that looked quite physically strong, but thats bumps.

The Grads have a fast start to work in their favour over the coming days. Distance calls from the coxes seat or the bank are often questionable, but I'd say we must have closed the gap on Corpus III to about half a length off the start. This was my 20th bumps race start in the bow seat, and I know that level of wash must have meant we were close! Unfortunately things got scrappy in the rough water, we lost boat speed and Corpus punished us, rapidly moving out to distance and beyond. They bumped Caius near first post, and with the two crews ahead of them bumped out as well we were left chasing a rather improbable double overbump on Wolfson II. Some good pushes at the bottom of the reach may have seen us close a little, but it was never really on the cards.

I expect these guys to do well over the next three days. Downing took a long time to hit Disney, so they shouldn't be an issue. The focus needs to be on Caius ahead, and they're there for the taking.

Event: Lent Bumps 2004 - Saturday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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Peterhouse II hit Girton II before the motorway bridge. True to form, it took us longer! Despite one of our most panicked starts (rating 37 AFTER the stride???) we moved quickly and got the bump a little way past the bridge. One of my last strokes of the bumps was either an air stroke or I hit their stern. Im not sure but either way they conceded.

Blades :o)

Event: Lent Bumps 2004 - Friday
Posted as: Keith Noble-Nesbitt
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Peterhouse II took longer to hit Sidney II than they did Caius III so we expected a harder row than Wednesdays trip to the gut. Having briefly flirted with the idea of an all out sprint, we settled on our tried and tested formula of striding to something sustainable and then putting in a lot of pushes, aiming to run them down before ditton.

That was the plan, except Simon at stroke forgot to stride.

After assesing first hand our ability to sprint another stride was called, and this one happened. We began began to move up on Disney appreaciably after the motorway brigde. Some big pushes before first post corner saw us close much of the gap, but they held us until the gut. Honey forced her way onto the inside before grassy, and when I saw their stern well to my left out of the corner of my eye I hoped we may pull a cheeky overtaking manouver at grassy. Sadly my blade then hit their stroke mans blade, their boat and their cox, so they conceded.

It was a tough row and we gave a lot to get the bump, but at least today was far warmer!

Event: May Bumps 2005 - Wednesday
Posted as: Keith
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Three years ago I was bumped by Emma III, rowing in the 4th VIII.

Two years ago I was bumped in a one on one re-row.

Ghosts put to rest.