The Club's Results

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

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

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)

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)

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)

After a term of fire and flood the Ladies 1st VIII were prepared for battle today, albeit minus our college chaplain Ruth who is unfortunately too ill to row (many thanks to Cass Chideock for subbing at bow). Despite some pre-race nerves (50% of the crew have never rowed in the bumps before) the row down was focused. Our start was good, though not as fast as the neat Catz crew behind who gained on us. However we pushed away from them into Clare, unhindered by 7 catching a crab under the motorway bridge. Clare bumped out leaving us clear water to continue our fight with Catz, themselves pursued by Girton who bumped them in the gut. Thus alone, aside from a sizeable bank party, we proceeded to the railway bridge. The row was powerful and determined, yet again the crew made it clear that we will not be beaten. We look forward to an exciting race tommorow. (Rosie)

As expected a very exciting day for the 1st Ladies! Coming under the motorway bridge we closed up on Churchill, and by first post had 6 to 8 foot of overlap. Unfortunately the fast Girton crew behind also had overlap on us. The Churchill cox took evasive action, going very wide round the corner, and refused to acknowledge. Meanwhile Girton made a final push for us and Will had no choice but to raise his hand. An immediate re-row was decided upon, so First and Third birds achieved their aim of rowing in M1 (well at least down to the start). Various delays followed during which the crew became increasingly wound up - not aided by some rather unsporting behaviour from Girton and Churchill - and also cold as it had started to snow. We were not as tense as Girton though, as one of their crew suffered a panic attack and the re-row was cancelled (if anyone fron Girton reads this we hope your 2(?) girl is OK now). We are now waiting to hear what the outcome will be...watch this space. (Rosie)

This was a great race to watch. The boys had a very neat start, but Jesus did well to hold them roughly on distance up First Post Reach from the start at Little Bridge. From the Head station onwards 1st and 3rd very gradually reeled them in and enjoyed their neat but hard earned bump rounding Ditton. Meanwhile the four or five crews directly ahead were all rowing long races too..... (Martin)

The start was exciting. Despite (or perhaps because of) Jon specifically telling me not to do it, I found myself watching the chain as it went taut and I felt the boat swing around. But there was nothing I could do about that, so I waited for the gun. First stroke was dodgy - boat not very balanced - but after that it seemed to go well. The first horn didn't come soon enough, but once it was there, and the one minute pain barrier had been breached, the race seemed to fly by, and we were on three horns after grassy. Powering down Plough Reach, I was surprised not to be able to hear Jesus II splashing around, but this was probably down to the noise our significant bank party was making. In a classic Ditton manoevre, we sneaked into the inside and got them on the corner. Hoorah. Celebration occured a little early and we should have cleared faster. I learnt how to make a hat out of foliage. Neil had trouble breathing so he threw my water bottle in the river. No matter. Bring on Thursday. (Guy)

It had been decided that the row against Jesus II, whilst producing the goods, had been a little too unsustainable; therefore we decided to go for a longer race strategy, as we knew we were faster than them. This was probally done a little too well....
We had a good start, closed *reasonably* consistently to about half a length off at Ditton. Christ's then put in a good push, pulling away slightly (to ~3/4 l). We then decided to take as long as possible rowing them down, eventually hitting them at the Railway bridge. (Will Thorne)

Despite closing to within 3/4 of a length of Downing III by First Post Corner they bumped a shockingly bad Peterhouse II. We rowed over reasonably comfortably, closing down to within 3 lengths of Darwin I who started 6 1/2 lengths ahead of us before they bumped Girton. We finished at least 8 lengths ahead of Corpus II - the boat directly behind us. Roll on Wednesday!!! (Dan)

We set off again from station 13, winding it up to about 36 and no sooner had we reached our 'surge' than we got the first horn. As a result the rate change didn't really happen and we kept it going at a pretty high rating that felt powerful and pretty controlled. Two horns, three and then continuous followed in very quick succession and we had to hold it hard under the Motorway Bridge after bow's bladed ended up between Peterhouse's cox and stroke man! It could have been quite nasty but everything was OK (except Andy's rigger).
We were very chuffed on the way home with just one question in our minds: why did it take Downing III till first post to catch them yesterday? Friday will be an interesting day... (Dan)

Having experienced a distustingly greasy and lukewarm fry-up in St.John's cafeteria along with our cox, followed by some unneccessarily dull maths lectures, I strolled down to the boathouse, meeting our six man Peter Skorov along the way. As we walked along the bank past the boathouses, we were inspired by the sight of Ian (the boatman) hoisting the flag, which somehow waved resplendently in the grey miserableness of the afternoon weather.
We progressed up the stairs to be informed by Guy (somewhat less than resplendent in his lemon jumper) that we were exactly 8 minutes late, but since this meant we were 27 minutes early, it didn't really matter. The changing room was alive with the smell of mouldy kit, but more importantly, with the pre-race atmosphere of "we're going to win".
After a comprehensive warm-up/stretching session, and a crew chat with our coach Kirsten, and also Guy and Neil the lower boats captains, we concluded that although we would probably bump them fairly early, we should focus and make sure we could respond to any outcome.
So we got the boat out, and did a nice little fours warm up
(the traditional call of "next stroke, stern four out, bow four in" was as unsuccessful as always). The row down felt very nice (the boat was well sat) and also the practise start we did was very smooth and fast. We continued on, looking as hard as possible to scare the other crews past the "little" bridge, spinning, and banking at our station.
The four minute gun was surprisingly loud, but at least their timing was accurate, and we prepared ourselves, keeping calm, and making sure all equipment was working. On the one-minute gun we removed our excess kit, and with ten seconds left we were assembled nicely at frontstops looking efficient and organised.
GUN!
Our start was pretty good, probably about 9/10 (where 10 is the best one we've done) and we felt that we'd really gotten good value out of it. Christ's III (who were chasing us) started well also, but there was still a noticeable shift away from them. Queen's III (who were our target) were as diabolical as expected, and it didn't take long before the whistle's could be heard from the bank. In total, we took about 35 strokes to catch them (more than John Earl's prediction of "between 6 and 10"). However, the most interesting part came when there was a little confusion about what to do after the bump. The cox-box was quiet, and the first bow four knew about it was when Queens shouted "oi! stop! you've bumped us already!!".
We knew we had to hold it up, but Christ's III were not particularly far behind (we had increased the distance on them, but post-bump, they cam up pretty fast) and all sorts of calls were being shouted, which resulted in us rowing on to early and too fast. Queen's III did a similar manoeuvre (or at least, couldn't get out of the way of ours) and suddenly there was a mighty cracking sound, as the bow of our newest boat Peter Brandt had a hearty meeting with the bank. The damage was quite substantial, but Queen's III's predicament was by far the funnier: their bow had rammed clean through a rotten tree stump, and their boat was sitting bow-up, stern in the water, with the bow jammed through a hefty looking piece of wood. A real Kodak moment.
The damage turned out to be quite bad, and bow pair had to walk back carrying their blades, while stern six, complete with greenery-based-wreaths, rowed home.
Final verdict:
Rowing wise, very very good. But I think we may have to use a different boat tomorrow.... (Neil Morrison)

We knew that it would be a Herculean task to bump, but nevertheless as we sat in our battered longboat, we felt as filled by the spirit of Mars as any son of Priam. And lo! as the mighty cannon roared, our flashing blades sliced through the water, reflecting the suns crepuscular rays. Behind us, Queens' III were splattering like frightened ducklings, but we paid no heed to their flounderings. We sped on in relentless pursuit of Caius III - the day would surely be ours!
But cruel Poseidon, capricious to the last, had placed a still more inviting prey avast of Gonville's barbarian horde. For there, marooned mid-stream were Kings second boat, a crew about as coordinated as an epileptic giraffe on an ice rink. Kings by name, but Knaves by nature. Caius played the Ace and the shipwrecked crew were bumped.
O tempora! O mores! Now the treacherous Fates had not only snatched victory from our grasp, but ambushed us with the Kings landlubbers - drifting perpendicular to the stream. Our dilemma was that of Scylla and Charybdis - should we risk ignominy by slicing Kings in twain, or face the humiliation of being bumped by our erstwhile victims. But the Queens' crew proved more hospitable than wretched Antinous, for they easied momentarily while Kings pulled in.
We rowed over and honour was satisfied - but how much greater honour would there have been, had the Marxists forsaken their doctrine of lethargy. Truly, never more than today did they demonstrate their belief that property is theft, for the victory we owned was stolen from us by the most inept display ever ventured on the Cam. We will be avenged. (P. Whiting)

For the Fourth VIII, the best news of the day was undoubtedly the restoration of our boat, Peter Brandt, after the bow trouble of the day before (for more information, read the report of Tuesday's events!). We set out relaxed and confident.
We were placed third in the division. Ahead were Kings II followed by Caius III. Behind were Queens III. Queens did not concern us because we had bumped them easily the previous day, although they did make a feeble attempt to look menacing. Kings II did concern us, not because they were fast but because they were slow. It was clear that although we were sure we would be able to catch Caius over the full course, they were more than able to catch Kings early on. If Caius bumped Kings before we could bump them, we would have to row over. Who would make the first bump, us on Caius or Caius on Kings? Determinations were bared.
The cannon fired and the race began. Draw, wind, surge...all strokes went cleanly. A good solid start followed by a big push. Sirens and whistles were going all around, but alas, this was down to the ineptitude of the erstwhile wooden-spoon-meisters Kings II. Sure enough, they had guffed up their start and Caius had hit them effortlessly. The good news was that we had closed significantly on Caius III (and would easily have hit them had Kings not been total dorkburgers) and the other good news was that we had advanced on Queens III. Chris the cox (who's blue-and-gold jester's hat was on the way to Davey Jones' locker by this stage) called for a new race and it was down to us to hold off Queen's for the remainder of the race. We did this fairly comfortably, and there was a good distance between the crews at the finish, although to be fair, Queen's comfortably avoided being bumped themselves.
Tomorrow it's our turn to take a shot on Kings. Unless we decide to back it down from the start, we should catch them within about 30 strokes. We therefore encourage them to heed the advice on the backs of our T-shirts... (Mark)

Lents 1:3
The course of the fourth boat is beset on all sides by the ineptitude of Queens' III behind and the travesty of King's II ahead. Blessed are we, who in the name of charity and good will put them out of their misery and cast them into everlasting darkness, for we are TRULY our college's keepers and the finders of lost hats. And we will bump down with GREAT VENGEANCE and FURIOUS ANGER those who would attempt to ROW OVER and DESTROY our chance of getting blades. And you will know our name is 1ST AND 3RD when we lay our vengeance upon thee!
<gunshot, rowing, bump>
'nuff said. (G. Harboe)

Gunnar's just disappointed because there are no whales in the Cam for him to hunt, and there isn't enough snow for him to go Nordic skiing on the toe-path. (Neil Morrison)

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SINGULAR CASE OF THE FORTY STROKE BUMP.
It had been a dull week in London, with only reports in the Times of First and Third Trinity's successes in the Lents staving off ennui at 221b Baker Street. During tea on the 28th I ventured to suggest to Holmes that a day trip to Cambridge would enliven our routine and enable us to observe our heroes in the flesh.
So it was that Thursday found us shivering on the banks of the Cam, eagerly awaiting the starting cannon. Snowflakes were floating down in the gentle breeze.
"I anticipate a thrilling race, Holmes," I commented, "one doesn't often see a fourth boat chase a second."
"Ah, but Watson - I see you haven't been observing as carefully as I - those are purple blades. That means Trinity are chasing Kings; I deduce therefore that - " he was cut short by the reverberating boom of the cannon.
Two was halfway through aligning the boat, and failed to participate in the first draw stoke. Despite this, Trinity were soon accelerating cleanly. But Kings seemed to be struggling. I asked my companion what could be the problem.
"You will no doubt have noticed the controlled way that First and Third took their draw strokes. Kings however panicked and ripped their blades through the water - contributing little to the boat speed. An elementary error, common amongst the less well drilled crews, my dear Watson."
But as we broke into a jog, I was not satisfied. Clutching my hat with one hand I pointed with the other:
"But Holmes! Why haven't Kings settled into a rhythm? Each man seems to be rowing as an individual."
Holmes did not answer at first. His brow was furrowed with concentration.
"I say! you're right, Watson. Even a Kings boat shouldn't be this bad. I detect a mystery waiting to be solved.... Just look at how short their strokes are - contrast with the technically strong rowing of their pursuers."
As the boats came into the first corner it was clear the a bump was imminent. Whilst I strained to note every catch, Holmes was engrossed in his bumps programme.
"Is the stoke length important Holmes?" I queried, "surely if they were taken more rapidly...?"
"Oh... ahm... yes, very. I wrote a short monograph on the subject in my younger days, which... erm... you may care to look up." replied my confederate. His thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. I was aghast that he should have lost interest in watching our favourite boat, fourth Trinity, as Kings finally acknowledged the bump, barely forty strokes from the start.
"Bump!" I exclaimed, my voice squeaking embarrasingly, "Ra Ra First and Third!"
"Ra indeed Watson, but I believe there may be more to this case than meets the eye. As you were cheering our blue and gold friends, it occurred to me that yesterday Caius III only escaped the Trinity juggernaught by virtue of Kings conscipuously poor rowing" countered Holmes, striding towards the birthed Kings boat. Then, bold as a barbary ape, he addressed the Kings cox:
"Weak coxing Mr. Taylor, yet I fancy you performed better today than yesterday. If I am not mistaken, your perpendicular antics were a purposeful rouse to thwart Trinity in their quest for blades. I deduce that you pretended to be abysmal all term in order to force Trinity to row over yesterday, and then intended to pick up the form today. Is this not so?"
"Curse you! Our duplicity is exposed at the final stroke." retorted the Kings cox.
"But you reckoned without Queens' gentlemanly conduct, and the fact that when a crew pretends to be dire for so long it soon becomes the thing it sought to mimic. Well done First and Third!"
"Brilliant!" cried I.
"Elementary" said he. (P. Whiting)

After a strong start, when we pulled to within half a length of Emma III, we were unable to hold off a strong CCAT crew, who bumped us before first post corner. (Andy)

The fifth VIII were starting off in front of Sidney III who had bumped St. Edmunds I yesterday as a result of the latter forgetting their life jacket and not being allowed to row. Thus it was anticipated that they would quickly bump back. However, this was not the focus of attention. The boys themselves had quite a good start and held distance. The stride failed to materialise, and it took alot of of cajoling from the cox and bank party to settle into a race rhythm. This was achieved by about First Post, but by then Sidney had moved up to about 2/3 length (St. Eds were nowhere to be seen). Once the good race rhythm was established, they bagan to pull away again, and were just outside distance going down Plough Reach. A little confusion as to where the finish was (from us) and a big push (by Sidney) saw them close to within a length, but we held on through both posts and on into the reach until some SUs persuaded them to take it down. A great row over, and Emma III had better watch out tomorrow (they were bumped by CCAT II in front). (Tom Rose)

We were starting of behind Emma III, who had been bumped by CCAT II yesterday, and in front of Sidney III who we rowed over with yesterday. We made a good start, settling in to a race rhythm much earlier than the day before. Sidney didn't manage to get as close to us as yesterday, and were bumped by Caius IV, close to the motorway bridge.
Emma made a better start that when we chased them on Tuesday. We gained on them slightly down first post reach, but they proved themselves the faster crew finishing about 4 lengths ahead of us. (Sam)