All race reports for Luke Barratt
Event: Lent Bumps 2019 - Friday
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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With an even more technical and powerful start than the previous two days, this race ended in despair as even Clare Hall were found to be better than us. (In complete denial of the existence of Clare Hall, I personally think it's unfair that Clare gets two boat clubs. Having two boat clubs is surely a mark of shame on any college.) The race plan was simple: do exactly the same as on Wednesday. The fools! Although we did
achieve exactly the same as on Wednesday, we now knew the impossibility of a 2.6km row-over with such an unfit crew. Despite an incredible start, gaining somewhat on Tit Hall, looking for the revenge bump, we did not give it our all and Tit Hall soon gained some distance as we tired. Meanwhile, we were let down by Fitz who decided not to continue their blades-wards trajectory with some frankly abysmal rowing after an initial gain on Clare Hall on the start. As we tired, we could see Clare Hall gain on us. To the not at all deafening cheers of the largely apathetic audience (I assume there is no minimum number of people to constitute an audience), Clare Hall rowed further and for longer than they would have hoped before bumping us.
Event: May Bumps 2019 - Wednesday
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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With a fast start we both gained on Emma and pushed away from Clare, but by the tenth stroke Emma had pulled away, soon to bump Jesus. Moreover, in the wash under the Motorway Bridge, our inconceivably incompetent Two caught a feisty crustacean that slowed the boat much for a stroke. However, we recovered well, and (of course) that was always a technical crab, as it set up a good rhythm for the rest of the race.
Down Plough reach we passed every single crew from our division, who were surprisingly split in their cheering, providing us a needed boost. Nevertheless, by Ditton corner, Clare was within a quarter of a boat, and soon after overlapped. However much we complain about the weight of our cox, we will forever be grateful for his weighing down of the stern as Clare's bow passed over our stern multiple times. We knew we were going to be bumped, yet slowly we pulled away, never relenting: we never blew.
Clare would not give up. Again and again and again they would go on to gain on us down the Long Reach, for us to push back, with some magnificent steering of our boat by Bomber in our bank party. After the Railway Bridge we knew we were drawing towards Bottom Finish, and we were encouraged by the W1 Division's cheers, mostly for us, including from Clare W1. There were also some rather inhuman noises from FaT W1.
We pushed and pushed and pushed, and rowed over for an immediate celebration thereafter. And I thought exams were stressful. We pray only for us not to have to face that again.
Event: May Bumps 2019 - Thursday
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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Determined not to let Clare get so close again, and with a slight hope we might bump Jesus off our start, we had a strong start, getting within one length of Jesus. However, they began to pull away and were not our main concern, as we saw our old enemies, Clare, chase us. But we had resisted them before, and we knew we could again.
We took a rhythm call, bringing our rate from 39 to 40, rather miraculously. Our forever incompetent Two managed to avoid the crustaceans native to the Motorway Bridge, and we began to feel very proud of ourselves, as well as the great pain of rate-40 rowing.
Despite some rather optimistic three whistles from the Clare bank party, this time round we didn't let Clare get overlap, partially fuelled by a second day of cheering from our division's crews as well as the W1 division once more (this time, unfortunately, without FaT W1's animalism). After the Railway Bridge, Clare decided to wind it down, but our cox would not risk it, and we continued to push, making many lengths on Clare by the finish.
We truly do feel sorry for Clare, now having rowed over four times in two days, and we predict another two row-overs for them tomorrow. But that empathy will never supersede our determination to stay in Division Two.
Event: May Bumps 2019 - Friday
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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Encouraged by the previous day's results, we were determined not to be complacent. Again, we had a fast start, but with a couple of awkward lines round corners, including one incident of Seven's blade hitting the bank at Ditton, Clare gained on us. However, much like the first day, that was a technical crash, setting up a good rhythm for the rest of the race.
Clare soon got overlap once more down the Reach, but this was comfortable territory for us. Only 3 feet of overlap? They can't bump us with that, with our stern so low in the water. When we managed to pull away to around 3 feet of clear water, we knew we had won and so decided to take it a little easy. That was probably a mistake.
This repeated a few times before the Railway Bridge, after which we could hear from great distance the cheers of FaT W1 (easily recognisable: no other crew can make noises like that), encouraging us to push harder.
We did row over, but only after another stressful race, tiring us out for the following.
Event: Novice Fairbairn Cup 2019 - 1st division
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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A strong row throughout with barely a crab. Truly magnificent, showing FaT a strong club with the fastest NM3 on the river. NM3 also beat most NM1s, and were only a second slower than NM2. They couldn't have made their LBC more proud!
Event: Emma Sprints 2022 - NM1 Division
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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we were panicky
so we lost to emma 1
fuck the start umpire
Event: Emma Sprints 2022 - NM1 Division
Posted as: Luke Barratt
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we started slowly
but more calm against churchill
we won easily
