The Club's Results

First race nerves and an inability to find length and rhythm left us half a length down at the start until the kink. We eventually settled and chipped away the inches until we put in a massive push just before the railway bridge. They broke and we opened up a quarter of a length lead which we held until the end. It was a close call. Let's row better than this in future... (Tsunami)

A fairly solid start, but sadly failed to make ground on them within the first few strokes. I think we settled into a solid rhythm a lot better than they did and chipped the seats away steadily down the reach.

Courtesy of our ex-Pembroke strokeman's advice, we decided we would do a "white house" push... since everyone pushes at the railway bridge, we should time our push earlier to break the bastards before they get there. We did this and opened out the clear water before washing them down and walking away comfortably clear. (Tsunami)

Same story as Fitz, we broke the buggers with our "White House Push". They just gave up. We had an awful start, but our cruising speed was much faster than theirs. (Tsunami)

I think these guys were amused to see our stroke man with a Pembroke splash top. I told him that if he mysteriously crabbed, I'd have a few words with him after the race ;).

Thankfully all was well. We had a pretty good start relative to our last race and had us two seats up by the time we'd lengthened out to a steady rhythm. The kink in their favour brought us back level. Unsurprisingly, we both did a "White House Push" and stayed level until the railway bridge.

A few strokes later, and "up two" was called. We hardened up on the legs and loosened up bringing us a few seats clear, a close margin that we held till the end.

It's a big result for us given all the trouble we've had this term with injuries and inconsistent coaching. We're still not quite as quick as we'd like to be given we are facing a lot of first crews in bumps but at least it gives us a foundation to build upon.

Many many thanks to Emma for her support and coaching for the past week and to Rich for writing our training plan. We made such enormous changes in the week we couldn't have imagined we'd make. As also a big thank you to Phil for bailing us out ;).

Bring on the bumps. (Tsunami)

We came round Ditton rowing a chunky, settled head race. They came round Ditton screaming for their lives. This caused them to bump us. (P. Parmar)

Good luck for today guys: get 'em back! (Anything to do with being short)

Apparently got within half a length of Selwyn when we got bumped. Gutted. (Tsunami)

Again, mortal terror was working its magic, and we had two whistles on Selwyn at the Plough. However, today Robinson decided against taking the scenic route round Ditton, and therefore were able to bump us before we could finish the job.

Later that evening it transpired that there had been a fair amount of drama at the stern. Allegedly, the Robinson bowman had hardly begun to viciously assault our darling Emma with his spoon, when the noble Simon valiantly avenged the damsel in distress by promptly ripping off their splashguard with his own long, strong stick. (P. Parmar)

Blimey! That was over quickly. I would like to say that we had two whistles on Robinson and were gaining fast at the moment when we were bumped by this fast Catz crew. Unfortunately I cannot, since I'm not at Downing.

The abnormally long top tube of my bike clearly had been angering Emma L, and at Chesterton she took it out on me by slighting my bumps beard. I consoled myself, reasoning that first-class coaches must be cruel to be kind, and that besides, excess facial hair was obviously the sole factor in our mediocre performance so far. That night I duly shaved it off.

The air at crew pasta was thick with fear and tension. No, not because bow four were cooking, but because the prospect of being chased by LMBC II the next day was looming. Spooning might not be completely disastrous, but losing the M2 headship to LMBC certainly would be. It was solemnly decided that the race plan would consist of carefully not being bumped. (P. Parmar)

Well we weren't too optimistic about this one, given that Catz fielded a GB rower, 4 lightweight triallists and a Belfast Uni rower. As ever our start was pimp, holding them off for a while whilst gaining on Robinson, but then their superior cruising speed took its toll. Once one whistle came the rest came quickly. Catz are really fast.
On the plus side, we didn't have to face the reach in a massive headwind. So we're fresh for tomorrow... (Alex)

A solid row. We knew Maggie would come at us hard so we went fairly hard off the start too. We seemed to open up off the start sequence and appeared to continue to open up on then until they got caught by Sidney just before the gut. The rest was academic. We wound it down to 32 coming onto the reach and paddled it home.

It's been a pleasure rowing with you guys. A really tough term with injuries and dropouts but I think we pulled together into something respectable in the end. We proved today and at Pembroke Regatta that we're still the quickest 2nd VIII.

Many thanks to Emma L for providing the continuity in coaching for the last two weeks and bankpartying us for every race. Thanks also to Rich for writing our training plans. We couldn't have pulled through without your endless support. (Tsunami)

Much like completing a 2000m ergometer test in 8:16.4, not spooning could be considered a somewhat dubious accomplishment, especially when everyone around is doing so well. Nevertheless, we are still the highest ranked 2nd VIII, and we were bumped only by first boats. By far the most amusing way to win a competition is to avoid all other competitors.

It is lamentable that we are not as fast as we would like to be. However, Pembroke Regatta was won not by speed but by sheer grit and determination. Crew spirit has been fabulous, despite half the crew changing every week, and I have really enjoyed this term. Thank you to anyone who has rowed for M2 at any point - there are at least 14! - especially to Charles and Andy for giving up their time to come back to a crew that hasn't always been fully rewarding.

Thanks also to Emma S, for excellent coxing that was sometimes scary, often crucial and always good-humoured, and to Rich, for never neglecting us and always being encouraging and helpful when we needed it.

Unimaginably huge thanks to Emma L, for taking us under her wing these last couple of weeks, coaching and organising us, and helping out in countless ways. Without her I'm not sure how we would have coped. (Preeyan)

A disappointing row, being thrashed by Pembroke M2 among others. We were overtaken 3 times.
We showed rare glimpses of what we might be able to do, but within a few minutes resorted to a 15 degree lean to bowside, and rather than fixing this by sitting up and rocking to riggers, we called for POWER, which did very little.

I still believe this crew could do well, but not when the default setting is 'row like we normally do', despite our coaches efforts, and then make excuses about crew changes causing all the problems. (Thomas)

Looked ok from where I was sitting. Seemed to push off the crew behind quite well ... (Matt)