Results and reports by Event

A very encouraging, though slightly frustrating race: off the start we may not have been 100% tidy, but sure as hell we had pressure and rate; taking a seat of those reds within the first 200m. Through the next 300m we held a slight lead, plenty of power going into the water; some really nice high rate rowing. As the anaerobic/aerobic transition set in, cracks started to show and a few strokes dragged down to bowside lost us boat speed and our lead. LMBC stayed strong and started cruising through us. Our response was not without intent, yet scrappy and we struggled to regain a convincing rhythm; strokes became shorter and slide more rushed. The crews marshalled beyond the railway bridge added some extra motivation with their anti-LMBC encouragement for Clare, and the boat speed lifted somewhat. We held on proudly to defend the 2 length verdict to the finish. Overall, eye-opening; if we had stayed strong through the transition, who knows what may have happened. We definitely have the power, ability and boat speed, all we need now is the belief that we can maintain it when it gets tough. We are sure to do scare some crews off the start in bumps, and I'm looking forward to getting round grassy, getting that second wind and doing some real damage to the crews ahead of us in the charts!

Uploaded Saturday 19th February, 18:42

1st Round: Our start was a little less than perfect, which allowed Catz to go up on us initially. However, we recovered well, and soon began to come back up on them. Despite the somewhat dodgy line taken by the Catz cox, and the resulting blade clash (someone really needs to tell their bow girl to man up and keep rowing), we made good use of our corners, and particularly in the last hundred metres managed to hit a really nice rhythm and pull out another length on them.

2nd Round: Unfortunately another messy start meant that Downing were up on us immediately. Yet again we made a really good recovery and hit our rhythm well, but Downing were a much stronger crew than Catz, and it wasn't enough to pull ourselves back. That said, apparently we managed to hold them for some time after the dodgy start, and to push back into them before the end – I don't think we had anything to be ashamed of in this race, particularly as Downing went on to win the regatta.

In general, I was very encouraged by today – we've learnt that we can hit that good race rhythm, and that we can stay cool and come back even when another crew are up on us. I think some neatening up and working on our starts will put us in good stead for bumps. Very well done to everyone.

Uploaded Saturday 19th February, 18:47

Despite what was probably our shabbiest start in a while we held level with Christ's for the first half of the race. After this the slight rushing and high rate took their toll on our fitness and the power dropped off, letting them slowly pull away. Things to work on:

- Our start. This is crucial in bumps, if we can gain half a length from the start sequence that makes our job much easier.

- The transition from the wind strokes into the lengthen strokes, bringing the rate back down to something a little more sustainable while still pushing flat out.

- RELAX THE RECOVERY! :)

Uploaded Monday 21st February, 13:51

First off, I can only comment on the races that I coxed (i.e. the first three) since Jamie very kindly offered to cox the last one in my absence (CCMS).

It was, all in all, a really good first three races. Our first race was against Jesus M3, and we were all a bit nervous as this was our first time racing together (although a fair few of the crew had been together for CNR). Thankfully, we put those nerves to bed with a strong start, after our 'STAMP!' calls really came into play. We moved away from the off, and held our lead going into the first corner, which favoured them (on towpath side). A final push for ten over the last couple of hundred metres led to a comfortable win by 3 lengths (and a reminder from me not to wind it down until the whole boat had crossed the finish line).

We had time to hop out of the boat and go for a quick jog before our next race: this was, I think, a rather good idea since our feet were like blocks of ice. We then (after some very tight spinning) came back down the reach for our second opponent: Selywn. This race was altogether tougher: our start was not quite together as it had been before, and we stayed level for the first 15 strokes or so. However, a push off the railway bridge and a call of 'YELLOW FIRE!' (quite glad that came into my head, actually...) saw us push ahead for an eventual win by two lengths. This was made all the more satisfying by the fact that Selywn were a really big crew, meaning that technique had made the difference.

Before the racing started, I had said to the crew that, as an incentive, if they won one race I would do a 500m erg test. Two, and they'd get to point and laugh as I did a 1k. Three, and they'd split their sides laughing as I forced myself through a 2k. So it was that, with a mounting sense of trepidation, we lined up against our third opponent: Magdalene. For the third time that day we were drawn on the meadow side of the river, which was rapidly becoming our lucky side. And oh, how lucky it would be.

Magdalene moved away from us from the start. Technically competent and extremely powerful, they began to pull away after calling for a power ten straight off the back of their start routine. We held our nerve, though, pinning them down at no more than half a length ahead of us. But distance between hulls wasn't the important thing in this race - it was the distance between blades that was to really count. As they came round the second corner, Magdalene took a very wide line, straying across the middle of the river and leading to several blade clashes. Yi in bow responded admirably, recovering so quickly from his crab that I didn't even notice it, and we held our nerve to keep to our line. Magdalene crossed the line about half a length ahead of us, but we rowed home proud, safe in the knowledge that we had pride despite our defeat.

Or, as it turned out, pride in our victory! Magdalene's river-straddling antics had, somewhat unfairly in the opinion of many, led to their complete disqualification. Back at the boathouse, Alice broke the news to us, which led to a mixture of cheers (from those of us who weren't too busy) and groans (from everyone else who had work to do / wanted to sleep).

At that point I had to leave for a concert rehearsal, so this is as far as my report (621 words so far) will go. Thanks again to Anton and Alice for bank-partying / giving us tea, to Jamie for subbing in at extremely short notice, and to all you incredible, muscle-bound rowers. We did ourselves proud. Just <a href='http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~am759/regatta/times.php'>look at this</a>.

I've just added our crew onto the Getting-On Race pages on this website. I think that says it all.

Uploaded Saturday 19th February, 16:19