Although this was the fastest Colts VIII we have produced, it failed to realise winning form until the Season's last event, the Thames Valley Sprints (Reading Town). Our standards and times of Trials on home waters improve but as in all sports reflecting the pursuit of excellence so do those of our competitors....and it is the case that we could not by the end of June look back and say we had really dedicated ourselves to the task. Work out of the boat, (circuits, weights, ergos, the trot to and from the river, even the warm-up on land before an outing) was "all too much" and neglected; efforts in the boat were too often sleepy and moody. That records were broken, and races most frequently tackled with zest and determination, served to emphasise what might have been As it was, we had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit about how to move a boat, good bases for the two years in the Senior group: what do you want and how much do you want it?
The Season opened with the sound nuclei of the previous year's crews - true there had been some defectors even from the 'A'-crew, but at least these had exposed their lack of real enthusiasm and had already opted for other activities(?) and so wasted none of our time, whereas some of the "candidates" for re-emergent crews, although adding themselves to the rowing club list clearly had the intentions of only doing as little as possible as often as possible (unless this was disappearing into Bath for the afternoon) Not only was this depressing for the remaining B-crew members and their coaches, but, in spite of our repeated efforts to revamp the sows' ears, we were forced to admit defeat and we had had little or no opportunity to assess their potential vis-a-vis the inexperienced initial replacements for the A-crew. The B-crew folded, disconsolate and disillusioned: but I hope that some may yet feel it worthwhile to have another go in the Senior Group in the coming season.
So the A-crew almost selected itself, but proved responsive enough to extensive tanking sessions and the long outings at Saltford and Bristol, of great benefit though paradoxically occasioned by the several weeks of frustratingly impossible flooding on home waters rather than by design. Much was achieved technically although on the water they were still too immature to really get on with an outing unless directly supervised (whether or not the work had been detailed beforehand). The basics of the rowing stroke and of getting together were being established, enabling the less-experienced newcomers in particular to make rapid progress. Perhaps it was a mistake to hand over the initiative to the crew for arranging the work out of the boat, though I had indicated clearly enough what sort of thing should be going on, and indeed the rigorous regime of the previous year had given them a very adequate foretaste of what was likely to be needed if they were to aim for the top. Performance in the boat too depended very much on the experienced men overtly declaring their determination to 'rock' and this was not always apparent. The results in Head races were nonetheless respectable even promising, the crew at lower rates of striking being consistently only about a length a minute slower than the Senior A crew, including a well sustained effort over the Mortlake to Putney championship course, after being rested and refuelled so generously and delightfully by the White family at their Holloway Parish Hall, hospitality for which we were most grateful.
Meanwhile, the crew had showed no great enthusiasm for the projected training holiday based at Nantes in France, but at least did not dissent, and we went ahead with the arrangements On the first day, we had to race, tired after the journey, relatively unfit and geared mentally for Head Races, losing narrowly to a competent local crew but beating a number of others comfortably enough. After a week's training, some quite promising, rather too much somewhat feeble, they lost again narrowly and to good opposition, a Regional ensemble from Mayenne. This time with less excuse: but, frankly, they didn't look like a crew going out to win even before they put their boat on the water....reminiscent of that which had on different occasions during the week allowed themselves (admittedly "paddling light") to be overtaken by a coxless pair, virtually refused to help pace the first VIII for 3 minutes of a 6 minute burst, and as like as not only done some ergos for therapeutic drying out. More of the fairground bumper car driving spirit was needed. Abroad and early in term we aimed for "good A Class rates and standards in time trials" and notwithstanding the endemic intrusion of wimpish hiccups much of this was relatively positive and almost successful - the first round defeat by Radley at Wallingford proved these standards to be at least possibly within reach, though we were 1 to 2 seconds a minute slower than needed to win. Similarly, in coming in 5th overall from a strong field at Avon County, we so nearly brought off our first win, being 2nd in the B Class and beating many A Class entrants.
The days up to Nottingham brought their problems, with first one then another crew member transfering briefly to the off-games list and no reserve crew to draw on. We managed to maintain some form but made little progress. On the day, the crew was back together. We won the semi-final heat of the B event, and although appearing to tire rapidly in the last 300 or so metres were marginally faster than the other heat (and had been as fast as any of the competitors in the A Class event to the 500 metre mark). The final, on heat times, was likely to be close at 1100 metres we were marginally ahead or astern of Eton with whom we had been gamely battling for the lead for most of the race .... but the effort had proved too much and the crew faltered, suddenly finding themselves ¾ length down...the race was lost; in all our minds it had been one to win: second wouldn't do and the crew tottered in some 3 lengths slower than in their heat, almost all this deficit lost in the final 500 metres, a big disappointment.
The following weeks brought the exam period (a difficult time in any case, though it was pleasing to read later of all the crew members successes) on top of the need to regain form and positive aspirations: there were moments when wimpery re-emerged, but on the whole some momentum and interest was generated by experimental boat swapping with the 1st VIII, by joining in the latter's preparation for Henley, and boat-building.
The first idea turned out to be a distinctly inconclusive exercise in which the Colts in the "Empacher" boat were much as one would expect - rather "off the boil" and a bit slower than in their own boat; perversely, the 1st VIII nearly broke the local 500m sprint record but on other occasions moved the Colts boat more slowly than the Colts crew! As members completed their academic ordeal they put in some excellent work in the Workshop preparing stringers and frames for the building of Cedar, a matching IV+ for R.A. Ireland, launched earlier in the term, while continuing in a lighter vein to share some of the rigours and aims of the 1st VIII, including, with the J14 crew as well (who probably came home from the trial with most to be pleased about and congratulated for) a useful and enjoyable Head Race over The Course at Henley.
At Marlow we were clearly up against it and a 'do-or-die' plan brought death but not before the crew had demonstrated their potential, well in contention till about half way, before fading and folding.
A good cheering evening followed in Reading at a typically expensive-for-what-it-is Pizza Parlour before a night's camping by the Thames....The crew were clearly both hopeful and determined to win the Sprints and duly did so without too much difficulty, albeit a B event and at only 500 metres, a consolatory finale to a season during which one had hoped, I think with genuine justification , for so much more. I had to reflect on and learn from the experience: perhaps the crew will have done so too.
(The original printed version has muddled paragraphs as reproduced here!)
more for victories over adversity than over opponents Nevertheless, the overall performance of both Junio Colts crews was encouraging and gave an enthusiasti and loyal group of parental supporters much to applaud The oarsmen have greatly widened their experience o the sport and have displayed improved watermanship good commitment and thorough enjoyment of racing We hope that we have in this group a keen nucleus fo success in the Colts and beyond.
the 'A' and 'B' crews provisionally selected wel before the end of the month. February proved to be we and windy and it was not long before the 'A' crew boa was holed badly in the teeth of a gale at Saltford whic hampered training until the eve of the City of Bristo Head on Sunday 4th March so that the event itself became a useful practice row before the Schools' Head on the following Wednesday. The 'A' crew was pleased to overtake Cheltenham 'A' and to catch up Bryanston 'A' at the Schools' Head, but it was clear that all West of England crews were severely handicapped as a consequence of the February floods and gales. At Avon County H.O.R. the crew finished third behind King's College School and Radley crews who had obviously covered many more miles on the water than Monkton. Finally, at Bristol Ariel the crew began the four mile course in powerful and promising form, holding off a stronger Abingdon 2nd VIII for the first two miles until a series of unfortunate steering errors ended any chance of recording a fast overall time.
As if to order, the weather then improved markedly, allowing us to bring in two new members to the crew (Rotter at cox and Dawson at 3), as well as to move over to laying the foundation for summer racing. At the back of the coach's mind, however, would be the knowledge that a month's distance training on the water had been lost and that this would not be easy to make up in such a short summer term's racing. The far-flung composition of the crew made an Easter training camp impossible, but after an initial week-end at Bristol Ariel where 28 miles were covered in three outings, the crew began to look more promising. However, short-cuts were being taken and despite the incredibly fast adaptation by Dawson to bowside, the technique of the crew generally still left much to be desired.
Wallingford Regatta produced the hottest weather of the season but perhaps the most disappointing race against a rather rough and ready St. Paul's crew who nevertheless won by two lengths. It was very beneficial to have had an early taste of high class competition so that the crew was much better prepared for Avon County, where they finished sixth out of twenty-six 315 crews, losing the 'petite final' to Shrewsbury 'A' by two feet. The improvement in the crew appeared to be coming at just the right moment as our minds turned towards the National Schools Regatta, but then disaster struck for the second year running when Hodgson was injured during a CCF exercise only ten days before Nottingham.
This knee injury went from bad to worse so that the Monday before NSR it became clear that the crew had to be reconstituted. In the event, both Cutmore (moving from 2 to 7) and Parsons (moving back to the crew at only eight and a half stone) performed miracles so that the effects of losing the fittest crew member were minimised. It was to the credit of everyone that the crew gave of its very best for the remainder of the season despite what was a major loss at a critical stage.
At National Schools the crew excelled expectations in the eliminator, recording the fastest time in the Junior Colts Cup by 2 seconds, but under the psychological pressure of being the fastest qualifying crew the row in the final was disappointing when, after leading to 500 metres in 1.33 the mid-race spurt by Tiffin proved too much of a challenge so that we had to be content with 4th position, being pipped at the post by Emanuel and Monmouth (who repeated the feat the next day at their own regatta by an even narrower margin than at Nottingham).
Birmingham Regatta was a disappointment weather-wise and also because there was very little competition on even less water on a drought-struck Edgbaston Reservoir. The defeat by Pangboume 'A' by half a length was to be the first of three similar encounters in June regattas. At Tewkesbury the crew mounted perhaps its best performance to avenge the previous narrow defeats by Monmouth, beating them by over a length and only losing by a similar distance to a successful Cheltenham 'A' crew in the final.
The final week-end's rowing took the crew to Marlow where, in very blustery conditions an early lead against Pangbourne was reduced when Monkton hit a bad wash and ended up defeated by both Canford and Pangbourne. The following day at Reading the crew rowed badly in the 'B' event after an awkward start against Bryanston but much better in the 'A' event to beat Radley but lose again to Pangbourne 'A' by the now familiar half a length.
I have no doubt that this crew can reverse many of its defeats in the next year provided they realise that dedication means training when others might be relaxing and determination means never giving away a lead in a race. We look forward to a successful and injury-free Colts season and remember some excellent lessons learned from 1990.