We are grateful to Jeremy Hepworth (Captain, MCSBC 1991) for this Article. He and Peter Alvis rowed in the Oxford Brookes University crew which won the Temple Prize at Henley in 1993.

The season started with a large contingent of last year's squad, providing a strong base with which to work with. Winter training was hard and not very pleasant, but vital in creating the base stamina and technique necessary to do as well as possible in the summer at regattas. Regular 3 hour run and weight sessions, combined with 20 or 30 mile rowing trips proved the nonn!

Early success at the Fours Head, winning the Senior 2 pennant gave us the indication that we were on the right lines. However, this success was short lived as our results in further head races were disappointing, culminating in coming 28th in the Head of the River Race- not ideal! In our side by side races we knew we were quick, beating Isis twice and only losing to Goldie by 2 lengths over 10 minute pieces.

Alongside our desire to win at Henley this year was the wish to do well at U23 GB level, and in the World Student Games. The results from three assessment weekends in pairs and fours led to the invitation of 4 heavyweights and 4 lightweights to final trials at Nottingham. However the weather was awash with near hurricane winds and waves that you could surf on! The weekend proved that we were not quick enough to go to the student games, but we experienced top student standard in the country, and we were not far off it.

The summer regattas up to Henley were all multi- lane events. Our main rivals to win the Temple Challenge Cup - Imperial College London - had beaten us to second place at three regattas by less than 3 feet each time! By Paris International Regatta in June, we had a set of the new cleaver blades and a refurbished boat, hopefully enough to beat Imperial. The results from the weekend however couldn't have been better, beating Imperial by between 5 and 9 seconds every race, and on the Sunday we came 5th in the main 'A' final. The winners of the race were Gennany, who won the Gold Medal in the World Championships this year, ourselves beating Encouragement - French club champions and Ladies Plate entrants at Henley.

By Henley Regatta we had learnt all the lessons hopefully necessary to execute our one aim... to finish the week with medals in our pockets. A favourable draw had us and our main rivals in the event - Trinity College Dublin - on either side of the draw. Our races up until Sunday caused minimal energy loss. We made sure that we would win each race from the moment the starter said "Go", not giving any crew a chance.

The final was as expected between us and Trinity. Our times during the week had us as the fastest crew in the event (On average the fastest crew on the first day will win the event). We came out of the blocks full pelt, expecting a race that would go to the line. Striking 51 off the start, we settled down into a relentless mid-course pace that blew Trinity away, and we had clear water by Remenham enclosures. Our final burst through the Stewards' Enclosure took another two lengths off Trinity to give a final verdict of a 31/4 length victory. The largest of the day.

It was the culmination of two years effort for most of the crew and the feeling of accomplishing what we'd set out to achieve was unforgettable.