After three days off, the crew met at Burton for a short camp and two day regatta. We camped on the lawn of Trent Rowing Club, who very kindly allowed us to use facilities in the boathouse. The lawn was only a few yards from the main road which connects the M42 to the Ml, so we had to put up with noisy traffic all night every night except the Saturday. The river is excellent for training, and on the Thursday we paded up some four miles past the power station before turning for home. This long, steady and unhurried paddling is a form of training which neither the school time-table nor our own river allows us to undertake during term time, so it should have been enjoyed by all. As it was, the crew did not perform well, and more or less wrote themselves off. It was natural that the strain of Henley followed by four days off the river would lead to a bad outing, and the coach was confident that form would return the following day. We went to the Bass brewing museum in the afternoon, and highly recommend it to any visitor to the town. There was one shorter training session on the Friday, and sure enough, everybody enjoyed it and knew they were back on form again. A practice full course was rowed in about 3.15 in a tail wind and with some stream. Then the rain came down, and we took shelter and light lunch at the regatta site. A practice sprint finished the outing, and we retired to the cinema (where we formed a considerable proportion of the audience).

A stomach complaint kept one member of our crew up all night, and he looked distinctly grey when the Monkton crew launched. Others were feeling slightly off-colour as well, and the bug (from filthy river water?) attacked several others during the week-end.

After the Monkton crew had gone out looking neat, with a very good crisp catch to the stroke. The coach watched the Loughborough crew sorting out their boat. They had not got proper safety straps for their shoes, so were having the resort to hammer and nails (yes, hammer and nails!) to make their boat legal. It was at this stage that the coach predicted an easy win for Monkton! We went off at about 42, with Loughborough at 37 a few strokes later. Monkton dropped the rate to 36 very soon, and had clear water within a minute. They went on to win easily in 3.14 (equalling the Monkton record set up in 1985).

This was another easy race, where we got into a better stride. A rate of 36' after the first minute looked much lower, and it took us ahead quickly and effectively to 3 1/2 lengths by the commentary point. The verdict was 'easily' again, and the time (3.15) equalled the Senior 3 record.

These two wins increased the number of points earned by the crew to 30, so we had to move up to a new class on the Sunday. There was to be no Senior 2 event, so we arranged to join the Senior Open event.

This is the first year that Burton Regatta has taken place on two days. The first day had been over the traditional course, and the second was to be over a short sprint course down the last straight.

We were entered for Junior Eights, a new event, but the opposition withdrew. The regatta secretary was keen that we should row over the course to set a record, so that is what we did. the time-keers did not record the time, so they accepted the 1.10 recorded by the coach. The row was not our best, with the rate being kept artificially high at 39 all the way, after a start at 43. Lessons were learnt from this race, and we were to row better in Senior Open.

Despite our good start at about 43, Derby went up quickly by two or three men. We rowed well at a rate that was in fact higher than in the first race, but it felt and looked lower as the power was there. We gradually made up lost ground and came home just a canvas behind in a time of 1.08. This was the only exciting and worthwhile race of the week-end. The Monkton crew had ended its season on a good note, rowing well against an elite crew. The race gave the coach much to think about for next year, because the experienced, stronger and older Derby crew rowed in a beautiful and mature 'Rolls Royce' style which it is difficult for schoolboys to match. An aim for next year, when the Monkton VIII should have plenty of experience on board, must be this class of performance.