The season began as usual with much enthusiasm from all the new J14 oarsmen, keen and willing to learn more about the sport which was for most of them a completely new experience.

Before venturing onto the river we began some essential training on the rowing tank. All learned which was bow side and then much time was spent turning the tank around with both sides taking it in turns to 'back her down'.

There is no worse feeling for a coach than that which he gets when his VIII is sprawled across a flooding stream drifting helplessly onto another boat or towards a weir, when having bellowed at his crew who seem completely unaware of the danger they are in to 'hold her hard, and back her stroke side' to be stared back at by eight blank faces and a cox who has had his eyes shut throughout the entire incident and then to realise that he hasn't explained any of the instructions he is screami.lg at his crew. Having said this, the first time a raw novice crew is in this sort of position I usually find out that about half of them forget everything that has been drilled into them in an instant.

But at least it leaves some of them with a rough idea of what I am asking of them so a crisis can be averted. I have found from experience that it is best to stay downstream of the boat as it turns so if all else fails one can ram the VIII in the bows and shunt it around with a launch.

Our first Head was at Henley: conditions were foul with very strong and gusting wind. Both A and B crews entered, and to my wife's astonishment they made it to the start, probably aided by a strong tail wind. There was complete pandemonium at the start, with boats everywhere; our Colts boat was holed, and I'm told that Tallboys (the Novice A boat) would have been holed and probably sunk were it not for the prompt and courageous action of John Lockwood (an already sunken Colt), who threw himself back into the Thames and saved the day. The race that followed had in it the best J14 tussle I've ever seen, between Monkton and Shiplake. After a tremendous fight, Monkton clawed ahead to win by some ten seconds, only to be told later that they had been awarded 12 penalty seconds. This decision was later overturned, and the day was ours. Shiplake, however, had the final word, as they made off with our prizes which to this day we have had no sign of.

Our next event was at Bristol Arid, but it turned out to be rather a non-event. Both crews were scheduled to be first afloat and were instructed by a marshall to proceed upstream until they reached the start and await further instructions. As they went off, my final words were with James Hawkins (our Australian coach), The Novice 'B' VIII at Henley Schools' Head Race wishing him luck, as he was stroking the B crew, at reminding him to 'take it easy on the way up to the sta as it was further than either crew had rowed before Confident that they would be safe in his capable hand Lizzie (my wife) and I set out to cross the Avon an then to cycle to the start in order to give the crews solo hearty support as they raced. At about the half WO point, to our shock and horror, we met a very worric David Rowe who explained that he had cycled the fug length of the course and had seen no sign of them where are they? Swept out to sea, or sunk with al hands? Eventually, they re-appeared, long after racing had ceased, with tales of mistakenly rowing up ant over a flooded weir, without noticing it, and fortunately not ripping the bottom out of their craft, and then continuing on until they sighted the chocolate factory at Keynsham, some halfway between Bath and Bristol, a distance of over six miles, where they were confronted by yet another weir and danger signs advising powered craft to proceed no further. At this point, they thought it a good idea to make for home. As if to add insult to injury, as they paddled past the start, it was once again unmanned, so the poor things, after all they had been through, didn't even get timed for their pains. I was furious with the organisers of the event, and made my feelings known, but at least no harm was done nor lives lost, which could easily have been so if they had been holed crossing the weir. Fortunately, two good things came out of the day; the first, free entries next year (that should please the Bursar=), and the second, an experience which none of those involved in it will readily forget.

We entered two more heads, the Schools and Avon County where both crews gave good accounts of themselves, but neither really produced any distinguished results.

For the A crew (Captain: R.Douglas (cox)), the Summer began with some pre-season training on home water, the idea being that they might make up for their small stature by improving technique. This plan was short-lived, as a week or so into term, a crew member announced that he was going to play cricket and ruined any chance the crow had, with only two weeks before our first regatta. We were one man shod, and I wasn't prepared to remove a man 110111 the 11 crew (('aptain: T.Davies), as under It M V Rowe'n guidon'', and coaching, they wen, doing NO well. Fotttinately, the numbers were made up by a cticketei joining 114 wouldn't normally allow thin, but in view id the disruption caused by one of our numbel leaving ua vet v much in the lurch, he was welcomed with open mina Both crews went on to represent Mc school at Avon County, Thames Valley, with the A crew going to National Schools, Tewkesbury and Shearwater.

Well done all J14s - especially the 11 crew, who at times were without any coaching because of the low ratio of staff to pupils that can be found at the river these days. And my thanks must go to James Hawkins, David Rowe, LAAR and the Stear/Owles partnership for all their time and help.