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All race reports for Harriet Booker

Event: Novice Fairbairn Cup 2005 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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This was the best rowing I've seen from our novices all term. A strong start meant the girls were gaining on Fitz from the beginning. As soon as their bank party told them to concede the racing line to let us through their 7 rower came off her seat causing stroke to crab and the boat to move out of FaT's way so no time was lost at all:) Taking Chesterton tight in Dom's usual style meant that they also gained on LMBC II. And then under the railway bridge awaited nm1 and nm2 to cheer the girls into the finish.

The way back saw Sorcha gain a few pounds of Dom's clothes - a very attractive look - and Dom do his best to break Peter Brant from the 6 seat but she came home unbroken for the last time this term which made Iain very happy.

Congratulations girls - FaT are never out of the top 10 and you didn't let us down. I'm looking forward to rowing with you next term.

xxx

Event: Novice Fairbairn Cup 2005 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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The weather was against us this afternoon. The wind picked up which made starting hard as the boat was constantly being pushed into the bank. But this did not dampen anyone's spirits and all VIII put in a gutsy row which paid off in a good time which you should all be proud of. Sadly beyond the finish was crowded which made spinning and returning stressful - sorry for shouting! Hope you all enjoyed your time as novices.

Event: Fairbairn Cup 2005 - Lower VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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YAY! Not a bad paddle for a first outing! hehe.

Event: Newnham Short Course 2006 - Lower VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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Nice work for such a jumbled up crew. Due to the 1sts being at Peterborough and general sickness we were short of stroke and cox so a bit of a reshuffle was needed. Special thanks to Amy for subbing in and to Dami for coxing us there and back.

We started off well, but then the rate change didn't go as planned due to a cox box failure just before. We got it back together and managed a convincing few pushes. Noone slacked off at all, despite Charlie telling us that he could see the finish while we were still in sight of the motorway bridge!

Good work girls, see you all tomorrow. xxx

Event: Lent Bumps 2006 - Wednesday
Posted as: Harriet
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YAY! This has been a long time coming...

Event: Champion of the Thames Eights Head 2006 - Women's 3rd Div. Mays
Posted as: Harriet
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Disappointing. Tit Hall II beat us. Not sure what happenned. The extreme cold and wet didn't help but in the end it was just too comfortable. We'll have to do better than this.

Event: May Bumps 2006 - Wednesday
Posted as: Harriet
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wow! its a long way to the railway bridge. even though their bank party had decided to whistle continuously once they were 3/4 of a length off we didn't ever give them a chance to close on us. after all the bumps ahead of us this was realistically the best result we could have hoped for. tomorrow, lets do it in 5 strokes please.

Event: May Bumps 2006 - Saturday
Posted as: Harriet
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A good way to end the week. This was Zoe's last bumps race, and Jenny's second to last. Satisfyingly it was all over very quickly - they were almost easier than Churchill II. Sadly no blades but a week to be proud of.

Event: Queens' Novice Ergo Competition 2005 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Well done girls! This was a really good row - 5th in the heat. Had hopes for the final, but it was not to be. There must have been beasts in the other heat! Still, everyone beat their time and you all made us feel so proud.

Event: May Bumps 2007 - Thursday
Posted as: Harriet
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Can't work out who I felt more sorry for - Maggie III as we followed them to the start or Catz II as we followed them home. We're too fast to be in this division. Let's keep moving up.

Event: May Bumps 2007 - Saturday
Posted as: Harriet
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Time for me to actually write a useful race report. Here goes...

This term the only problem we were facing was could we bump quickly enough every day to avoid cornering. We started off over-confident, after our succesful lents, and won everything we entered in the first few weeks of term. It all seemed to fall to pieces around crew selection, with some people feeling severly disheartened due to rowing in scratch crews. This was not helped by a week of IVs during exams, and a massive thank you is due to Jenny for keeping us positive and on the right track.

Finally getting back in the VIII we suddenly realised that we could do it, that we are in fact the fittest 2nd VIII, and that the feeling of winning is worth everything else - all those long outings, missed revision sessions, sober post-exam celebrations. Rowing with you girls has been amazing, we deserve those two blades. I can't wait to start training with you next term. Lets show M2 that this year hasn't been a fluke.

I'd like to say thank you to all our subs, particularly Erica, Amelia and Clair, and of course to Jenny - we really couldn't have done it without you. Don't forget to collect your present from my room!

Event: May Bumps 2007 - Friday
Posted as: Harriet
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As well as (not-over)bumping, we proved that we are the fittest 2nd VIII by winning an impromptu wet T-shirt contest, judged by the creepy man who wanted a photo taken with us. All in a day's work.

Event: LMBC erg champs 2007 - Women's Lower
Posted as: Harriet
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Lining up at the start we felt confident, but sadly so did the other crews. We didn't let them continue with that for long. By the 3rd rower we were ahead and we weren't going to be caught. We finished 120m ahead of Maggie - basically a walkover. Many thanks to Clair for subbing, and a special congratulations to Jiske for winning her first ever FaT race.

Event: Cambridge Head-2-Head 2007 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Fresh from beating Maggie W2 at their own erg game, we were happy to see that we were starting behind them so could look forward to the inevitable overtaking. We started off well and found the rhythm that we have been looking for since about Lents. There were good, solid pushes into, round and out of Ditton which closed the gap on Maggie, and we passed them on Grassy, giving us the much needed boost to take us to the finish.

The way back started well, this time chasing Darwin. The rhythm was there again, and the power in the water, but Darwin were not going to give in easily. After some blade clashing (surely they are supposed to concede the racing line?!) we eventually passed them after the railway bridge and managed to finish despite panicking and rushing. We knew we deserved to win, so it was nice to be rewarded with pots. However, there is still lots to work on if we want to keep Bumps as short as possible...

Event: Women's Head of the River Race 2007 - Elite VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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Good race. We found our rhythm and stuck to it for the first half, until Tera lost her blade dramatically. Full marks to her for keeping hold of it. By then we had overtaken four crews, and were feeling pleased with ourselves, but that last 500m felt very long.

I checked in the novice division and we would have come 6th, so I think we can be proud of ourselves. More importantly, we beat my sister's crew by 2 mins, and we were less than a minute behind out 1sts. Seems like we can row longer distances than to first post corner after all...

Event: Lent Bumps 2007 - Saturday
Posted as: Harriet
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Blades!!!!!!!

Quotes of the day by Dami:

"Blades 1, blades 2, blades 3..."

After 2 bottles of champagne:
"Arrgh, there's a boat coming. I'm scared."

Event: Lent Bumps 2007 - Wednesday
Posted as: Harriet
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Our start was good given the head wind, but coming under the motorway bridge we hit a massive gust that caused us to completely lose rhythm. At the same time, Clare were busy aiming for the bank, their bow girl having 'defended her ears' rather than take the first stroke. Girton were a quarter of a length off them when they managed to pull away, which left us feeling quite nervous. We seemed to be a length off for ages, but then pulled it back together and closed quickly just before First Post.

After we held it up there was lots of confusion about what had happenned, as New Hall II were still spacking around in front of Girton, their bow completely covered in mud. A few of the less obedient crew members refused to row until Jenny and John told us the good news - New Hall had in fact been bumped by Clare ages before but were having trouble clearing. Can't wait to chase them on Friday...

And in case anyone was worried, Dami and I got C6 :)

Event: Lent Bumps 2007 - Tuesday
Posted as: Harriet
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All bumps races should be like this.

On the wind, Iain called one length. We had overlap by the power call. Clare Hall finally conceded just after the motorway bridge.

Special mention goes to Clair for last minute subbing in, and to Ulrike who we hope is recovering well.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2007 - 2nd division
Posted as: Harriet
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Ironically, this was the best row of the day. Our start was together, and the "power" call actually produced a rate change. Sadly, Emma took half a length off the start and we never managed to get it back. Their fresh legs just wouldn't let us catch up, despite the pressure that was being put down all through the boat. A disappointment for today then, but much to look forward to on Friday and next week. Watch this space...

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2007 - 2nd division
Posted as: Harriet
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We'd beaten them before the race even started, thanks to their annoying-beyond-belief bank party who incensed us so much that the poor girls actually in the boat never stood a chance. (Though it would have helped them if they'd actually learnt to row at some point.)

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2007 - 2nd division
Posted as: Harriet
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Despite the worst start we have ever done (and possibly the worst rhythm as well) we never really had any trouble. Good to get the nerves out of the way before we meet any tougher crews this afternoon.

Event: Robinson Head 2007 - Lower VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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We rowed fast! I'm ready and I still have 20 minutes before my date arrives. Thank you all, much appreciated.

p.s. We are fit.

Event: Lent Bumps 2007 - Friday
Posted as: Harriet
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Wow those cannons are loud!

Luckily Dami didn't need to call much, just "wind 1, wind 2... and thats a quarter of a length, keep winding... and stop rowing!"

Event: May Bumps 2008 - Saturday
Posted as: Harriet
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Our race plan was start, 30 stroke piece then 10 stroke pushes until we die. We knew it was going to be tough, but we went out there and gave it our all. Every stroke I took, I could feel the other seven pushing with me. However much my legs and lungs burned I knew that all eight of you were right there with me, and that made it so much easier. This was the best race we've rowed all term. It was my last bumps race and it's exactly the kind of race I wanted to end on - one where we can say that we found those extra inches when it mattered. No regrets.

Event: May Bumps 2008 - Wednesday
Posted as: Harriet
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Not the result we'd worked for, sadly, but we've got some good points to take into tomorrow's race. Our start wasn't the best one we've done but the push after it was good enough to get us our first whistle on Girton coming into Grassy. From there we didn't manage to find the solid rhythm we've had in training, and the pushes didn't come together. We kept the pressure on them the whole way to the finish, but it just wasn't enough.

Event: Champion of the Thames Eights Head 2008 - Women's 1st Div. Mays
Posted as: Harriet
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A simple start which effectively brought us up to racing speed and a 'tight' line around the first half of Ditton mean that we probably haven't won any prizes today. But we're not worried about that as the row was solid, the focus was there throughout the race and we never lost the rhythm for more than a few strokes. We put into practice what we've been working on this week and from here it's just going to keep getting better.

Edit: We did win a prize! Congratulations Mark, I'm sorry I doubted you.

Event: Cambridge Head-2-Head 2008 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Came in 9s behind Girton. That means we need to find 9s this week.

Event: Radegund Mile Head Race 2008 - College VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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We decided to enter this race as the VIII that had done the most rowing in the pre-term training week (except for Sarah who we all missed). After one outing of high rate work we were feeling strangely confident, despite the lack of matching kit, and we had a strong, confident row to show for it. The start was controlled and Mark took an amazing line around Ditton which set us up well for the rest of the race.

The main panic came in around the railway bridge when the balance was off and Fiona screamed in pain (bad knee) and bow side had trouble connecting with the water, but pleasingly we picked it up again and pushed through to the finish.

No time as yet, but the beer and bbq are good ;)

Event: Lent Bumps 2008 - Friday
Posted as: Harriet
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Bad luck. Remember, good crews go up three. Make it a decisive bump tomorrow to end a week to be proud of.

Event: Lent Bumps Getting-on Race 2008 -
Posted as: Harriet
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I was so shocked by the results. It seems like there were a lot of crews of a similar pace, so the competition was tougher than we were expecting. The row was strong and committed, particularly the pushes out of the corners that forced the bank party to cycle a lot faster into that head wind. Overall you've come on extremely far this term, and it's sad you don't get to finish it off with bumps, but make sure you stay involved - bank partying or supporting, and then it won't be long until we start training for Mays...

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2008 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Ah, the tactic of actually rowing. Seems to work...

Event: Pembroke Regatta 2008 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Very bad rowing. Spacktastic, spacktacular. We still won.

Event: Robinson Head 2008 - Lower VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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Well done! You looked fit crossing the finish, and you definitely deserve this. Make the next week count, and hopefully there'll be more prizes on Saturday.

Event: Robinson Head 2008 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Well we weren't expecting to be 18s behind Emma. The attitude and the row were both confident throughout the race. There were good parts where it clicked, we had cover and were moving well. We lost it a bit coming past the boys crew, but that doesn't explain away 18s. So disappointing, but it'll give us some motivation to keep the pressure on and build up to Pembroke regatta.

Event: Head of the Nene 2008 - Novice VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
Event Link

5s faster than Jesus.

Massive thank you to Sonya for joining us last minute and coxing so well after only one outing.

Practically perfect in every way...

Event: Cambridge Head-2-Head 2008 - 2nd division
Posted as: Harriet
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The first leg was impressive for such an inexperienced, scratch crew. The rowing was committed ('chunky' in Emma's opinion), and we held it together for the whole piece. Coming back, however, we were nearly overtaken on First Post Reach (by a men's VIII) and the attitude in our boat suffered. Luckily we were saved by their cox failing to notice the corner, and we picked it up again enough to overtake the crew ahead. All in all, a good experience, and as Jenny said the important thing is that we have a second VIII good enough to enter races at this stage of term.

Event: Fairbairn Cup - IVs 2007 - Senior IVs
Posted as: Harriet
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30s faster than Maggie I. Awesome.

Event: Fairbairn Cup 2007 - Senior VIIIs
Posted as: Harriet
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Not bad, but not brilliant either. The rate wouldn't settle so there wasn't a chance to put in the good solid row we'd planned. According to Iain we kept up with Jesus until after the Plough, where we lost the rhythm/focus and dropped some time. Still, we were 15s behind them at Winter Head and only 20s over this longer course, and we never ever have to row this far again!

Event: Fairbairn Cup - IVs 2007 - Senior IVs
Posted as: Harriet
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Best row of term. Two seconds is nothing, how can it be the difference between winning and losing?

Event: University IVs 2007 - 1st division
Posted as: Harriet
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Disappointing result for today, but we didn't give it to them easily, and they are probably the best IV I've seen on the river this week. After a blade clash at the start they pulled away slowly for the first half of the reach, and we just couldn't get it back. We knew they were going to go off hard, and they stopped gaining any more after that, but the damage was done and we couldn't come back.

In the grand scheme of things, this was a chance to check that we're in the same ballpark as the other crews rather than the be-all-and-end-all, and what we have to take away from it is the fact that yesterday we were faster than everyone else, and today we rowed hard and made Emma work for it. So we're not the best IV? Doesn't mean we can't be the best VIII by Lents. We've just got to keep on working.