Since the Bluefriars Head the senior boys have trained in a quad preparing for the fours head. Along with the �Gappy� Jonathan Garrow, Ben Stockley, Toby Johnson and Steff Horner have come on leaps and bounds.

I decided that Monkton should compete at this year�s fours head for experience as much as anything else. The crew had to race in Senior 2 which was a very difficult standard to compete in but it did have its pluses. We had a starting position of 50 which meant we didn�t have to wait too long at the start. It was very gratifying watching crews still racing past Emanuel Boat Club even when we had our boat de-rigged and back on the trailer.

Training had gone well in recent weeks and the crew had a good turn of speed and had found a solid rhythm. However the crew did seem to fall apart when the rating came up past 30. We had decided to rate at 28 down the course as the crew felt that it was the best option in keeping long and technical over a long distance. I set the challenge of being in the top 300 crews.

We knew that starting in such a high position would mean that the crew would be overtaken by several crews but the plan was to stick to our pace and not panic.

The race plan worked well and as the crew past me under Barnes Bridge they had been swallowed up by three other crews and were swarming all over them. Monkton didn�t panic and just stuck to their race pace which was 3-4 pips lower than everyone else. I wasn�t displeased with this, as they were sticking to what I had asked them to.

All in all the crew were happy with their row and the experience was a positive one. We ended in 293rd position, just within my top 300 challenge. It was a worthwhile experience for the guys and this will help them grow and learn for future races.

Gordon Reay

November 2005

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