The Club's Results

The light IVs division seems to be cursed for 1st & 3rd! As we have realised in training, the 4- we're borrowing from Aylings (until they finally finish building our new one) corners "as well as a Kings' VIII" in the words of Mr Thorne. However it does motor down the straights and it seemed to be a cat and mouse game of gaining during the reaches and losing ground around the corners.

The crew had a slightly manic start and it took a while to find our rhythm. We managed to put in some good lifts out of the corners and it was all extremely close until we clipped a barge around Peter's Posts which led to a slightly flustered wind to the finish. I think that even if we hadn't clipped the barge, it still would have been very close, but as it was, there was less than a second between us and it was called a dead-heat.

Needless to say, we were completely exhausted having given it all we had and now we were having to contemplate a re-row. Pembroke wanted to race the entire course, so we concentrated on just trying to relax and treat what was to come as a new race (as much as one can in that situation!)

We had a very good (if somewhat light) paddle back to the lock and lined up pretty quickly. Unfortunately our exhaustion really showed off the start and Pembroke just raced ahead, taking the lead to 4 or 5 lengths by the Gut. Will took a tight line round Grassy and we said a brief hello to the grey barge (although we avoided contact) and then had a rather awful Ditton. However coming into the reach, we managed to achieve more of that smooth Aussie rhythm and we started making up some of our lost ground pretty well down the reach. We had a fantastic lift to the finish and continued to close on Pembroke, however they just took too much of a lead in the first part of the course. All credit must go to Pembroke for their win, but i think we put in a pretty good show and should be proud of it.

Never again... (Rupert the Bear)

Due to the unlucky scenario as laid out so aptly by Danielle (aka the living proof that The Natural Strokesider does exist) we didn't approach the race as determined and relaxed as we should have to ensure a triumph over Tit Hall.

We mean to get even in the HorIVs. There, I said it. The pressure is on. (Pia)

Umm. difficult to say, all very painful and messy. we lost by.. dunno, few lengths maybe?
some pre-race difficulties probably didn't help: we arrived atbh to find that lilie was being erica for the day and so we were 3 stroke siders and one bow sider.. i thought it couldn't be that hard (!) but turns out on the row down i can't actually do anything coordinated with my left hand (so feathering was out) and for that matter couldn't get my blade in or out of the water..
and to be perfectly honest i'm far too fat to be sat in the bows.
so upon late arrival at the plough we had a bit of a hasty reshuffle: from pia (4), cath(3), lilie(2) and me... to lilie(4), cath(3), me(2) and pia.
interesting. so we took it off rating about 1 million, strode to a reasonabe amount but lost a bit on tit hall... caught them up again half way up the reach but then were all a bit knackered and they got away again.
could have been a lot worse i guess. better luck to the 2nd women!
Danielle x (Danielle)

This was a really impressive row, despite the result. The crew hasn't been rowing together for long and the most important thing is they put in a solid performance which can be built upon.

A good start by both crews meant that it was fairly level for the first half of the race, neither one taking a significant advantage over the other. However, Wolfson put in a huge push in Plough reach which just put them ahead. Unfortunately, we just couldn't quite pull it back. I think the crew should be proud of a very good row. (Rupert the Bear)

With a female cox who has the good sense to be able to criticise women drivers - a stroke who is, in many walks of life, a natural and gifted stroker - for want of a better name Chris 'the Muscles' Mycroft at 3 - and finally Matt and James at the back who talked non-stop in the marshalling because they were that relaxed, hyped and focused they didn't need to relax, hype or focus, this 4 should have flown.

And it did.

Unfortunately Wolfson secretly attached a rope underwater to the back of our boat and having dragged behind us the whole way they then put in a push with fresh legs at the finish to steal it by a few seconds.

They may have won the race but there are a number of positives the crew can take away from the experience...

We are by far the most aesthetically pleasing IV on the cam this term, including ladies crews. We row with a finesse and assurance more befitting crews who have had crazy extras like coaching and crew pastas together. And finally, now that we have been knocked out we have time to do other important things like wash our stinking lycra and sample a day or so without rowing.

Quote of the regatta: (Duan) 'Dan, you can stroke my boat anytime' Boy is my ego big now.

Please note - this is the unofficial race report and any likeness in any way to the bona fide article is purely coincidental and unintentional. (Dan Newton)

2nd Womens four had an excellent race today, won by 2 - 3 clear lengths.

Come on down and support tomorrow, they'll be facing either Clare II or Tit Hall II, not sure who yet. Probably the race will start around half two. (Chris)

The Second Women.

With a strong bank party of two (a good 100-200% above the competition), one of which was sporting a GB gilet, plenty of time to row up to the railway bridge and an exemplary wind in the practice start, things seemed to bode well for at least a repeat performance of the overwhelming and modestly unanticipated victory (Coach Charlie "How the f*** did that happen?") against Emma II.

A brilliant start saw the girls pull away from poxy Clare who rowed like girls, quiching from stroke three. Having wound to 42, they strode down to a comfortable mid-thirties rating and an equally comfortable clear-water lead on Clare... when...

GOOD HEAVENS!

Sarah's seat quasi-derailed diagonally, leaving her and Erica preoccupied with trying to first get the thing off entirely and then on again, and bow pair rowing on with the sheer determination and selfless sacrifice only ever witnessed in First and Third rowers.

After about 100 meters, Emma were level, a further 100 saw them pull ahead... and ahead...

As soon as Sarah was back on the slide, Chris called for a mighty restart and the girls absolutely went for it, pushing every stroke like it would be their last, even despite Jenny's Railway Bridge lung failure, closing from about 6 lengths to 3 by Top Finish.

All due respect for an amazingly gutsy row that left Clare ashamed of their victory and much to hope for the rest of the year!!!

WELL DONE girls. (Pia)

Like the 1st coxed IV, the crew had a really gutsy row against a very strong Downing crew. Due to a last minute injury, the crew hadn't rowed together before at all and all credit must go to them for putting in a great performance. They were moving together and kept giving their best even as Downing were drawing closer.

Again, this performance bodes well for the rest of this year, as we have a solid basis on which to improve. (Rupert the Bear)