As J14 novices both A and B VIIIs had shown quite fair technical ability and willingness, but the A crew in particular, promising though they appeared in practice, never seemed to produce the vigour and determination to race; and the B crew lacked the physique to be speedy enough. After a prolorged series of early season trial shuffling, both crews re-emerged more or less unchanged except for the orders of rowing. It was immediately apparent that the crews had progressed, the A crew more lively and the B's looking quite good too. Hopes for the Regatta season ran high after the Head Haces - a long, stolid but technically well-maintained row at Worcester, a similar but stronger effort at Saltford (fastest J15, though there wasn't much serious opposition) and a more lively row at Putney, where, in the most perfect conditions, the A crew came 7th out of 27 J15 crews, demonstrating that we should be 'in the hunt' during the Summer season.

So it turned out and, but for a highly disrupted couple of weeks early on - floods and injuries - and with a bit more luck of the draw, more events might have been won: as it was the A crew looked very competent at Avon Schools though lacking sufficient fitness to keep pace and the B crew in their first open regatta ever rowed with great flair and determination to prove that they were very worthy entrants. Hereford Schools' Regatta showed the crews to be more lively, but messy in the effort; over the long half term, an A crew IV won lots of heats, just f ailing in the finals at Worcester and Monmouth. So to Nottingham, where in not too easy conditions the A crew's length and solidity proved their worth: form suggested we should win and with this knowledge the crew were more determined and had the confidence to go out and fulfil their promise at last.

Likewise, the B crew had little difficulty in being the fastest crew at Shearwater, encouraging reward for their efforts in training. At Tewkesbury, the following week, the A crew were rather 'off the boil' perhaps and seemed a bit feeble in losing their final to Canford whom they had beaten in an earlier heat; and at Heading Town, where the B crew rowed extremely well, though ultimately unsuccessfully in their event, they were lacking confidence again in their first real 'A' event. However, at Bedford in narrowly losing their heat to St. Paul's, possibly the fastestLondon-based J15 this year (better steering might have made the difference on this difficult course) the crew really did race, possibly better than they had ever done before, tempering disappointment with encouraging signs of racing ability yet to be developed.

A most pleasing season from both representative eights.