The Club's Results

Wow what an exciting afternoon on the river.

We didn't have the best of starts but soon started to eat into Pembroke 3, unfortunately pembroke 3 were eating into Kings 2 at a slightly faster rate. By 1st post corner we all had overlap on each other but the King's cox acknowledged before any contact was made. We came to a virtual standstill as we attempted to plough through the carnage ahead and got it back together to go for an overbump as we went into plough reach. Our hearts sank as we rowed past yet more carnage of the next boats up and were left trying to catch St. Edmunds at the head of division. We took quite a lot out of them but unfortunately it wasn't enough and we finished about 10 lengths behind them after a really solid "row over".

Now just stop and think for a moment, we started in position 9. Therefore there should have been an even number of crews ahead of us as we went to the finish. However there was just the one - St. Eds! We hadn't noticed (cos we were concentrating on our wonderful rowing) that we had passed a crashed Jesus 4 that was in the bank next to the boats that had bumped out ahead of it. Hence to our utmost delight we had an achieved an overbump without even knowing it. Why our bank party didn't notice and made us row the whole course (instead of to the plough) I don't know - we will deal with them later. For now though we set our sights on the falling Churchill 3 - easy pickings for day 2.

Best spot for viewing us do more damage tomorrow - I predict the top of 1st post reach. (Hogley)

As predicted we bumped Churchill 3 at first post corner, the gun is very loud when you are next to it. We were much more settled and together than yesterday. Tomorrow even we can't muck up a row past an empty station. Queens 3 forgot to turn up again. (Hogley)

Most of the action for us today was before we got to the start. We had been expecting that Queen's 3 wouldn't turn up today - they hadn't yesterday (Lucky Clare). But as we went to boat we saw them coming down the river. Then we started to get a bit flustered - the boat was full of big blokes, 2 or 3 of them wearing university kit. By we got to marshall we had begun to question if they were a legal crew or not, but we were reassured that they had no university colours to put in the boat. They were having to wear that kit because the rowers had no queens kit to wear - bless. As they followed us down to the start it became obvious that it wasn't going to be an issue that they had turned up today as they struggled to get more than 5 or 6 blades in the water at any one time.

We successfully channelled all our emotions into getting the boat to move and were unphased by having a crew to chase, we wound to a really solid 40 and did our most controlled stride yet down to 37, hooters came quickly and it was all over bar the greenery collecting by 1st post corner.

Tomorrow we get to chase Pembroke 3 (again) we had got overlap on them on the 1st day when they bumped the falling Kings 3 on the way into the gut, and now thanks to some overbumping and double overbumping we get to chase them again. Today they were hit by the inform Clare 3. We hope to finish them off by the plough at the latest tomorrow - come and watch - we want to be parading a flag down the reach! (Hogley)

Well as I predicted we caught the Pembroke 3 crew in the plough reach, eating away at them from the gun with no major stresses. Behind us the Queen's crew had not managed to turn up again so there was no one to chase us. So we ended our terms rowing drinking Champagne on the bank opposite the Plough, up six celebrating our blades.and watching the rest of the division row past.

We had had overlap on Pembroke on the first day if you recall, so we knew that the bump would not be a problem if we rowed well. But thoughts of blades were running through the minds of some of the crew (poor things chose not to row in the Lents Gents VIII) and the row was not the best of the week. Our "not best" rowing though was the best in the division with only a couple of other crews matching us for speed or technique despite the less than large stature of 7 of the crew (General concensus had it that 5 was a bit too heavy - my view is that the rest all need to eat more pies).

The crew would like to extend our gratitude to our coaches (especially those of CUWBC) and the lower boats captains for their hard work and support this term. The unnecessary rowover on the first day has still to be atoned for - I'm sure that if our bank party manages to provide us with suitable refreshment all could be forgotten. I now just need to find the money to pay for the second blade of the year. (Hogley)