The Club's Results

beaten by Emmanuel and Caius 

This was the crew's first chance to open the throttle since the Head to Head at the beginning of term. A solid row and satisfactory result showed good promise after the disruptions of the last couple of weeks 

After a fairly ropey start, we settled into a more comfortable rhythm and strode away from HEC, winning by quite a long way in the end. 

The start improved in this race and our cruise pace saw us pull steadily away to a win of roughly three lengths. 

After moving on Caius off the start, we had an encounter with some undergrowth by the railings. The crew held together well and, having given Caius about a half a length, we moved back on terms through to the railway bridge and took full advantage of the bend in our favour to move almost a length in front through to Morley's Halt. The bend moved into Caius' favour, and they crept back slightly to perhaps two thirds of a length by the finish. 

Sat in the car park at the P&E before the race, we were aware that it would take something special to beat Caius... and it did.
On the meadow side, there is a bush that sticks out into the river a few metres upstream of the Pembroke start. Caius had pushed us wide on the start and as we tried to avoid a blade clash, Tom's blade clipped it. It really disrupted the boat at a crucial part of the race and Caius pulled ahead. We rallied and up the reach began to move back ever so slightly. It seemed like everything was going in slow motion though - I distinctly remember two swans in the calm water between the two eights, angrily avoiding the race churning up the water around them.
Under the railway bridge we were back to two seats down; two strokes later we were level, and as we had planned before the race Steph began calling their seats as she overtook them. As she reached their bows she asked us to kill them for clear water; we did.
Approaching the finish the last bend allowed Caius to pull back but by then it was academic. We had rowed through Caius, just weeks before they would start behind us in the Lents. At the line, Tom collapsed onto my ankles, I was left shouting gratitude at Steph. It was a massive high. (Simon)

Another reasonable start saw us take a seat or two early on. Cruising higher than in previous races, we were moving fast but tired limbs had little to give through the railway bridge. We lost composure allowing Emma to take a lead of around two thirds of a length by Morley's Halt, when a misjudgement of the corner in the failing light saw us hit the inside of the final bend. We paddled over the line to complete an exhausting day. (Jon)

The first eight had been expecting the weather to turn all day, and sure enough we pushed out as a gentle flurry of snow began to fall. After a slightly nervous row down, we found ourselves spinning on the four minute gun and pulled in with a couple of minutes to go. Starting strongly, we moved away from Caius before finding a rhythm down the gut and plough reach that took us out to about 2.5 lengths clear. After pushing into the reach the crew's attention drifted somewhat to the drama behind, as Emma closed on Caius to bump sometime after the railings. With Maggie just visible in the distance, we took it home comfortably to top finish. (Jon)

First eight looked good off the start, pulling away from Caius; however, I then lost track of them.... (Will Thorne)

Sweet. Really really sweet. One year after everyone else, and only thanks to a lot of physio at CUBC, I get to row over head. (Simon)

Wasn't that sweet, Simon. Caius were rather closer than 3 lengths behind when they got bumped. (Dubya)

With the first day butterflies laid to rest, we had a more comfortable row down and a solid practice start, again spinning on the four minute gun. The start was strong, we pulled away, and a good clean row through the Gut and around Grassy saw us a little outside distance coming past the Plough. Emma's plan from this point was clear; a series of pushes brought them gradually closer and although we responded well to each one, we failed to take back any distance. Their final move proved too much on the day - they achieved the bump at Morley's Halt. (Jon)

5th oxbridge college. It was disappointing to be beaten by Caius and LMBC - both of which we had outperformed in the bumps, but with a weakened crew we had been reasonably pleased with the row itself. (Martin)