Race Reports
There's a first time for everything
Just for the record, no one from W2 has rowed bumps before. So,
unsurprisingly we were all rather (very) nervous and uncertain and not at all sure about what to expect. BOOM No.1 4mins to go and there's our signal to dekit. In the snow(!!!) Someone's having a laugh. BOOM No2. One minute left. Adrenaline's really pumping now. FINAL BOOOM!! The cannon sounds and we're off.
Excellent start, going strong, pulling away from Sidney II (who beat us in Pembroke) and gaining on Queens II (who suffered from equipment failure before the start of the race. You know, just to add a bit more drama to the whole thing).
M1 Start Positive
For the first time since 2005, Selwyn M1 bumped on the first day of Lents.
But it wasn't an easy ride (or a particularly tidy one!).
Monday morning, 05:20AM, and Iain Monro (Str) calls to tell me he's been throwing up. 05:25AM, last proper outing pre-bumps gets cancelled, sleep ensues. 13:13, text goes out to Mr Joseph Callaghan, sub extraordinare, telling him he is required at stroke. As usual, Joe can't resist yet another set of bumps, and we have a new stroke, just like that.
Tuesday morning, a more respectable 06:45AM and we meet for our pre-bumps outing... starts need explaining, and rhythms need settling into... everyone's trying to focus, but it just doesn't seem to click. The starts are okay, but just not great, and the high rate stuff feels all sluggish.
Off to Bedford we head
At 07:40 we were to meet. At 07:35 Chris left to go and pick up the rigger-jiggers from the boathouse that he had mistakenly left there. At 08:00, Chris arrived at the bus-stop, wondering where everyone else was... 08:01, and they arrived.
We got to Bedford with plenty of time, with Iain and Chris quickly remembering the way to the river. After a full inspection of the course (and pointing out the narrow bridge to Matt), we went off to the start to find our boat, discovering that if we do it efficiently, the boat can be put together in no time... amazing that!
Selwyn fall, but promising start
After the draw was eventually finalised, we had our opponent: Caius.
We knew it would never be easy, but we were in this race for one thing, and one thing only; we needed to get experience of racing with another crew right there beside us, when it really mattered if the technique fell apart and we couldn't pull it back together.
Great row - don't believe the results!
Newnham Short Course was M2's first race as a crew this term and their first chance for an extended piece around the corners in preparation for bumps. The race required a rolling start so we built over 5 strokes to race pace and settled to a good sustainable rhythm coming under the motorway bridge.
Unluckily we caught a crab just before first post corner and were required to hold it up and back it down out of the bank. We took it off again from front stops building back up over 5 and raced through to the end. Bow and three and two and four responded fantastically to get us round their respective corners and when called to take it up for the finish all eight contributed to a notable increase in boat speed.
