The Club's Results
Mich Term 2023
1st men's VIII
Cambridge Autumn Head (M8+ 1st Coll)
2nd to Downing
Time: 10:08
After we’d gotten back into the boat, Csongi and I played some chess.
Time: 10:08
The paddle down was pleasant despite the Cam overflowing a tad onto the hard, and the plan was clear: stay around 1:40 splits, and learn what an appropriate level of pushing would be.
We got to marshalling before the race precisely on time. Naturally, this meant that we were the first crew there and that we had rather a long time to wait.
Lots of huddling was done, and photos of this may exist in some location.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nxe5 Nxe5 “Oh, you said c6.”
4. d4 Qh4 “Is that a legal move- can I do this?”
5. dxe5 Qxe4
6. Qe2 Qxe2
7. Bxe2 1/2-1/2.
Black proposed indefinite postponement due to his anticipation of imminent coxing commands, and it was accepted.
The race was fairly good, actually, despite the vast difference between our anticipated splits, and our actual splits (see: stream was heavy). Never before have I been so happy to hear 1:48 shouted with encouragement from the coxbox. We overtook an IV on the Long Reach, and had a massive push from the end of the towpath to top finish - not that I think I contributed very much to it by that point, as I was but hanging on for dear life by then, having overcooked it slightly earlier on.
0.3 seconds slower than last year hides a much more oppressive stream, and it really felt like we came together as a crew early on in the race.
Some nice 36 to begin settled down to 32, and Bella’s commands kept people sane during the pushes.
Cambridge Autumn Head (Time-only)
we won TimeOnly?
Time: 10:30
Time: 10:30
We rowed with a CLAM on. We did not row together. I caught 3 crabs and took 5 air strokes. It was a miracle that we still made it over the line in but 10:30.
The conclusion was that we'd successfully put enough power down in the first race to leave us running on empty. A win, of sorts.
Cambridge Winter Head (Student First VIIIs)
12th
Time: 9:22
Time: 9:22
Redacted
In the beginning, Worcester (Ox) randomly started in front of us, having moved from div 4, where they were meant to start behind us in our second race. This made many people very angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad move. What do you do when a crew new to the Cam refuses to concede the racing line at Grassy? In response to some calls, they eventually moved out to the outside once we'd made it a fair bit along the Reach.
We didn't go in expecting to have to row in such bad water for so long. That's our bad. We should have been ready for these circumstances (i.e. bumps in a head race), and we were not. Personally, I would call that the worst bit of rowing in a race I've done since Winter Head two years ago, when I was a novice and still had the breath to sing "Let It Go" during the race, as well as some synchronised grunting in the last 500m. My outside arm cramped hard after the railway bridge, and if that's not the best sign ever that you've been rowing like a muppet all race, I don't know what is.
Sometimes things don't go your way, and you have to adapt, improvise and overcome. We did the improvising part.
We didn't go in expecting to have to row in such bad water for so long. That's our bad. We should have been ready for these circumstances (i.e. bumps in a head race), and we were not. Personally, I would call that the worst bit of rowing in a race I've done since Winter Head two years ago, when I was a novice and still had the breath to sing "Let It Go" during the race, as well as some synchronised grunting in the last 500m. My outside arm cramped hard after the railway bridge, and if that's not the best sign ever that you've been rowing like a muppet all race, I don't know what is.
Sometimes things don't go your way, and you have to adapt, improvise and overcome. We did the improvising part.
Next time, we do it better.
At least we practised overtakes for Fairbairns?
At least we practised overtakes for Fairbairns?
Cambridge Winter Head (BR S2)
2nd
Time: 9:18
Time: 9:18
The second race of the day, and after the shenanigans with Worcester earlier in the day we were moved off head of div by request of some other crews.
Yet again, we had a crew in front (though this time they did concede some sort of racing line, admittedly).
Grr. At least I only started tensing my arm after the White House this race, and so avoided cramps this time. Better?
We changed the gearing, with the aim to rate high and test how it feels. We still died at the white house, when the overtake properly began. 8 lengths down by Ditton corner, and the remaining two lengths take us until just over the line.
Grr. At least I only started tensing my arm after the White House this race, and so avoided cramps this time. Better?
A very frustrating day for M1, that we don't feel accurately represents the strength of this crew. Coming second just reflects how less-entered the BR category is, though I suppose top 50% is still a feat. Time to eat a few sad bananas in the shower, ready to come back both hungrier and less hungry on Monday.
Fairbairn Cup (Senior VIIIs)
15th
Time: 15:37
Time: 15:37
We had 6 minutes of good rowing in us. We rowed well for those 6 minutes. It was claimed by some foolish 5-seat that we could get top 5 if we rowed down the course and didn’t mess up. Oops.
Not the end to the term that we had hoped for, but not an absolute shocker. Losing to Corpus despite them crashing was painful, and losing to Catz by the same margin that we beat them in senior QErgs was also a pain (0.4 seconds).
We held 33, as was the plan, the whole way. There was a slight rise towards the finish.
The finish marshalling was actually OK, and I wasn’t absolutely frozen and out of it like last year, though I fear that that says more about my ability to completely empty the tank from first post than warmth?
It was nice to see M2 and NM1’s finishes.
Links
Full 1st men's VIII results archive
