For the past few years, oarsmen who hope to gain places in the 1st VIII have trained during the Michaelmas Term: this season started in the same way; some improved their watermanship by rowing in small boats, while others toughened themselves by playing serious Rugby. All did weight training to a higher standard than ever before. Trials started early in the Lent Term. For the first time for several years, there were enough oarsmen to fill three boats, with some spare men as well. There was an excellent intake of newcomers at Lower Sixth level and these learned fast, mostly gaining places in the 3rd VIII, which will be a good training ground for those wishing to progress higher next year. The split between 1st and 2nd VIII was an easier one than usual because the oarsmen keenest to get to the top were ahead of the others in selection tests such as ergometer trials. (Incidentally, ergo times for all the 1st VIII and many of the 2nd VIII are markedly better than those obtained by their predecessors of two or three years ago - the benefits of weight training are plain to see.)

Once the crew had been chosen late in January, it was split into two fours so that watermanship could be improved. It also gave time to put the finishing touches to the new eight, designed and built by BSM and MG, and named Neomorph 91 by Mrs Elizabeth McClune in a ceremony held at the river on 2nd February. The hull shape of the boat is very different from any other; it is about three feet longer, considerably narrower and deeper than a modern eight. The crew liked the boat and the new Power Blades that go with it, but they found it difficult to sit for several outings. The wish was to 'break all conceivable records on home waters' (to quote a well-known coach). Instead, the crew floundered, failing to balance the boat, and doing only enough work to make slow forward speed. There were ten days of little progress, while all succumbed to the temptation of blaming the boat, other oarsmen and the weather for all the problems. Bath University were useful company at this stage, and our crew was not pleased to be a class lower than their friends from Claverton. This would not do, and action had to be taken= The oarsmen who rowed in the boat last year had to realise that the ability to work effectively does not carry over from year to year with the Colours tie, and newcomers had to understand that senior rowing involves a constant searching for the very best standards of watermanship and power. When one of them asked if he was expected to work as hard in the boat as in the gym, he was surprised to get a firm answer - 'yes'

It was in a matter of just a handful of strokes during a training session a few days before Henley Head Race that the crew began to aim in the right direction. Average times for the head race course tumbled from an appallingly slow 6.58 via 6.43 to a respectable 6.32. At last the crew had the will to strive for better things on every outing, and good progress was maintained for two or three weeks.

At Henley, the weather was unkind. A cross head wind blew down the Royal Regatta course and all the racing crews had to fight hard to clock reasonable times. Our rate was about 311/2, which was as high as the crew could manage, but lower than most of the other 1st VIIIs racing. Not surprisingly, we were one of the slowest 1st VIlla; it always takes time for us to catch up with others who get more training early in the year, and our result was not unsatisfactory.

The week after Henley was a busy one (Field Day, etc.), so we unloaded the boat on Sunday in order to have a quiet outing on Monday on a clear river. Tuesday was a useful day with individual coaching in the tank, as well as the weekly weights session. Those who were available went out in small boats on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, we took the eight to Saltford, and were glad to welcome an Old Colour (J.M.LeRoy, the stroke of Oriel), who gave excellent technical advice to the crew during a long outing. More small boat training was done on home waters on the two days before Bristol City Head Race.

The weather in Bristol was blustery. The sheltered first half of the course gave good conditions, but the wider part of the dock was choppy and unpleasant. The crew went off slightly higher than at Henley, but still lacking the raciness which gives real speed. This is not a criticism of the stroke, who set a good rhythm and rate, but more a comment on the progress made at that stage. The crew soon gained ground on City of Bristol, but Bradford-on-Avon (starting two places in front) looked strong, and eventually beat us into second place by a few seconds. We had to be satisfied with the Senior II prize. In the afternoon, the crew split into two fours. The stem four were the fastest in their division, and seemed set to win the event outright, but wind conditions changed for the third division; the bow four put in an even faster time, and Bath University beat both.

More small boat training has been done this year than in the past. All members of the VIII went out in sculls, pairs or the double, and they split into two fours occasionally. To improve watermanship and have the bonus of avoiding incessant loading and unloading of the VIII. In the week before the race at Bristol Ariel, we mixed this small boat work and an adventurous outing with the Colts at Saltford. The stream was flowing very fast, the launch broke down and a hired longboat got jammed across an arch of the railway bridge just before our crews raced downstream. No damage was done, but the training was disrupted. The race on Saturday was one of the best of the season, and the crew was beaten only by a crew from Wallingford (3 seconds), and the rest of the field was left some way behind. The Schools Head followed three days later; the result was disappointing, but the crew made a good effort to keep ahead of boats that started just behind. As in most years, this race confirmed that Monkton crews are slow at that stage of the year, and that they have to work hard for the rest of the season to catch up with other crews that are themselves also improving steadily. Some members of the crew were not available for Avon County Head, so we entered a four and a pair. The four raced very well, failing to win by just 2 seconds against good opposition; the pair won very easily. Our performance at Gloucester the following day was impaired by the rushed journey; we arrived at Gloucester with ten minutes to spare.

By this stage, the crew and coach were becoming worried about progress - it was not as good a its potential, and positive action had to be taken: the rowing order was changed and the crew resolved to make greater and more cooperative efforts; a special training outing at Saltford was a good opportunity to make a new start, but it was frustrated because coaching launches were not allowed. (Our rubber boats are not welcome on the Saltford reach.) So much for new resolution= We took the next day off as everyone was over-tired. The following day was the end of term, and we went to London for the Head of the River. Once again, the training outing was disrupted because of a launch breakdown. In the race itself, the amplifier broke down (not for the first or last time in the season), and the crew was involved in a collision after which the rhythm and work became unsatisfactory. Not a happy end to a term during which many outings had been wasted not through the fault of the crew.

The customary training trip to France was enjoyed by everyone. We were fortunate that Brasenose College Oxford (Captain; Peter Askew (MCSBC Captain 1987)) came with us; they gave us excellent competition and company during long training outings and both crews benefited from each other's company. The Colts VIII came as well, and all the oarsmen rowed many miles. Our hosts were Nantes University Boat Club who could not have been kinder to us; they gave us two parties, and put two small cottages at our disposal. The reduced accommodation bill allowed us to have better meals than in most years, and everyone was more than satisfied with good French food throughout our visit. There was no suitable regatta during our stay this year, so we made do with a series of races involving both Monkton crews, Brasenose and Nantes University I and II. We won both 1500m and 500m races convincingly. The first week of the Summer Term was used mainly for small boat training as well as an introduction to the Henley course on our river - it always seems a long way compared with the mile which we are more used to= House racing followed, so that after two weeks of term the crew had not been out in the VIII more than three or four times.

Morale problems came to a head; crew members were happier in fours or small boats, and fitness training was tackled with less enthusiasm than usual. Discussion and persuasion propped the enterprise up, but the background feeling was all too often one of depression at lack of speed and lack of what can best be described as crew spirit. This problem was to remain with the crew for the rest of the season; they never grew to like training and only performed at their best at regattas. Race performances were good, but they were not based on sufficiently dedicated training, so disappointments outnumbered successes. At Wallingford, the eight went out to Oundle, having got left behind at the start; they also raced in two fours where they rowed rather more effectively. A crew change was made in the following week; the speed of the eight was improved, and there was a feeling that a new beginning had been made; the result at Avon was correspondingly better. We won the first race, which impressed spectators but left the coach to tell the crew that their row was 'absolute rubbish'. The crew agreed, and this was a good sign= The second round was won as well, and in the final, which was one of the best rows of this season, we came 2nd to St. Edward's by a length. This performance led to much more constructive training in the following week so preparation for the National Schools Regatta was on the right lines. The first round there gave us a kinder draw than usual, so the row was relaxed and at a low rating. The following round was more difficult and the crew did not row at their best. It is by no means unusual for Monkton crews to under-perform when meeting tough opposition; the small size of our rowing pyramid is a handicap, and lack of good company throughout the period of training is a problem to which there is no easy solution. (What a pity that it was not possible to train this year with the Henley Prize winners, Bristol University, who row only a few miles from our water.) After NSR, the crew had a day off, then went to Hereford and won Senior III Eights in a time which was only two seconds slower than Open Eights. We expected this high point of the term to be followed by steadily improving performances for the following weeks. On the whole, this was not to be, and the crew stumbled on: exams were not too disruptive, and they were almost over by the time we went to Marlow, where we were knocked out of one event by a very fast Edinburgh University crew and out of the other by Southampton.

We had known from the beginning of the season that with an over-age oarsman on board, we would have to enter for the Henley Prize rather than the P.E. (Some would no doubt question this decision, but it was accepted from the outset by all concerned.) This higher event, intended mainly for college and polytechnic crews was way over-subscribed last year, and despite a doubling in its size to 32 crews this time, we had resigned ourselves to the ordeal of qualifying, which we and 16 other crews indeed had to do on the Friday before the regatta proper. Morale was not helped when we heard that only five of the 17 would get through. The crew arrived at Henley two days before the race, as soon as the last A-level was out of the way. The intention was to row a short piece from the start to the Barrier at full pressure on the Wednesday, followed by a half course on the Thursday. Wednesday's piece was rowed fairly well, but it lacked the fight and fire which would be needed to get through the very tough qualifier. Thursday's training was changed, to give the crew another chance to show some speed off the start. They did this convincingly, with a much more spirited row than on the previous day, and confidence was boosted just at the right time. The coaches felt that the crew had improved sufficiently to give themselves a fighting chance of getting through. The qualifying race was held at 7p.m.; coaching from the bank and through radios was allowed. We had decided to do a 'Head Race' start, and the crew moved up into a good racing rhythm past the Island. By the time they reached the Barrier, it was clear from the bank that they were making ground on Jesus, who were some half minute in front. All seemed well as they passed Fawley, Remenham Club and other familiar landmarks, but Jesus had slipped ahead again; they were one of the five qualifiers. Monkton came 6th in the list of 12 non- qualifiers; These first six were within three seconds of each other, and the following crews were spread out over a further half minute, so despite the disappointing result, there were some crumbs of comfort. After hanging about for an hour waiting for results, we went off for a meal at The Black Boy, as many Henley crews have done in recent years. Could we have got through that race on good day? Maybe, because we were only just over a length off success, and that was not a bad achievement; but chances would be have been improved by better training and more positive belief in our own ability.

Reading Town Regatta, on the following day, got the crew away from the Henley Reach; the first round of Senior III eights was a good row against Staines; the final was against against Abingdon; Monkton went off very fast from the start of the 1200m row, and gained half a length, which they held on to for over half the course. It was achieved at some cost, with a higher rating than Abingdon, who gradually clawed it back, to beat us by Vs length. Disappointing. The crew dispersed for a couple of days before meeting at Henley on the first day of the regatta for the traditional family picnic, and on the following day to watch some good racing after a practice row on the course during the luncheon interval.

Most members of the crew attended parties of one sort another during the next few days, and it was a somewhat jaded group that met at Bedford halfway through the following week. The first practice outing was bad (as expected), but improvement came in three more outings, including one which took place during a storm which produced dangerously knobbly hail stones as big as golf balls. On the Friday, after a brief morning outing, the crew went to the cinema. Saturday's race was against London Rowing Club, who gained ground quickly during the 600m race. All seemed lost as the crews came by the enclosure, but Monkton put in a few excellent strokes and managed to gain a dead-heat verdict. On the re-row, the story was much the same, except this time, the London crew were more composed, and they beat us by 3/4 length. On the Sunday, the first round was against Cantabrigians; we produced a fast time and beat them comfortably. The next round should have been against Staines (a crew we beat on the previous day), but because of a printing error we came up against New College Oxford instead. We were put off by the muddle, and did not row at our best, going down by '13 length.

Later in the evening, the Captain rowed his third and fourth sculling races of the day, and he won a thrilling final by just two feet at the end of a race during which the two opponents had never been more than a few feet apart.