The Club's Results

Two and a half years I've been waiting for this, now they've finally got what they deserve.

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We were a bit unsettled at the start, when I heard a count of 5 I wasn't sure if it was for the start or the one minute gun. Fool. After about 5 strokes it was fine, but perhaps we didn't attack the first minute hard enough. Settled onto a good rhythm at 34, but not as tidy as we're used to in the rough water. The gossip was that Downing were faster than Queens ahead of them, but that didn't seem to be the case, and all three were about on station coming into first post.

Downing weren't cornering well, so we gained a bit, pushed hard down the gut, and closed to within half a length on Plough Reach. With burning legs, we nailed Ditton, and had overlap at the start of the reach. They weren't gonna give us an inch, so we lifted it to 36 and put in back to back pushes until they finally broke at the railings. Churchill never threatened, and were 3 or 4 lengths behind, much like when we were out paddling on Tuesday.

The first day's never a great race, but we got the result and know what to do better. We've got another serious score to settle with Queens, so keep all pets indoors. (Tom C)

We knew that Hall were slow, so we powered off the start much better than yesterday, holding 39 through to the stride. Within a length by first post, and 3/4 when Queens bumped out just before the Plough. Churchill bumped Downing remarkably quickly, so it looked like an easy rowover.

Jesus then ominously rose out of the debris, and looked like they were having a shot at an overbump. We found a nice rhythm at about 5k pace, had to put a bit of work in to leave them a length down at the finish. Impressive commitment from them.

Obviously disappointing that we won't get our blades, but I reckon we've got a chance of bumping Hall tomorrow if raise our level as much again. (Tom C)

We really wanted to get them back for messing us around yesterday. The start was aggressive, and the boat didn't feel especially keen to stride to the really solid rhythm of yesterday. Hall managed to put up a fight for the first minute and half, but by the time we rounded grassy we were taking a foot a stroke, and made the bump at the Plough. I was hoping to get them rather sooner than that, but we hit them so hard that I'm happy.

Tomorrow we've got a great chance to sort Queens out, as they narrowly failed to bump LMBC. Guns. (Tom C)

Of course it was emotional, and I was really dreading the start. But the cannon pulled me back together and only the heat made the rowing harder than previous days. We went off hard as ever, at 39 through 50 seconds, and settling onto a better rhythm than yesterday. Our pushes through the gut and grassy were rewarded with a length call at the Plough. Coming round Ditton I really thought we were gonna do it.

Why not? Queens were resilient, no doubt. For me it was rough water than beat us, the three crews ahead all got closer (apparently Catz had been on the piss), and it's very hard to keep control of the boat. By the railway bridge the doors were falling off, and a modest increase in rate didn't give us any extra speed. Jesus were presumably going for the overbump again, and this time were about 4 lengths back.

It would've been nice to go up more than two, and in particular I reckon we could've bumped LMBC given the chance. Still, we were faster than all the crews around us, and certainly in the top four with Caius, Catz and Jesus. Our training through the term was disjointed, but in some of the racing we did realise the potential we'd been having glimpses of all along. (Tom C)