After a happy Michaelmas term of sculling for the privileged few, an excellent time to build up new skills or build on those of last season, the Junior Colts age group started into the Lent term with modest numbers, sufficient to crew for a quad four on a regular basis and to scull six or seven competitively. Much of the early part of term consisted of cross training of various descriptions - sculling on the canal, tubbing, cross country running, fitness circuits, swimming and football - anything, that is, other than row on the river, which was unrowable for this age group for almost half the term.
As the water level went down, so a relatively regular crew began to form, though viruses being what they are, we rarely rowed with the same personnel twice running!
Brendan St. John established himself as a lively and reliable stroke. Nat Backhouse, though a total novice, fitted in very quickly and began to put his considerable horse power to good use. Peter Baker, likewise, uncomplainingly developed into a Trojan worker, and Gary Wong, wiry and fit, made an excellent bow man. Gene Bunyaraksh, as he slowly woke up, began to manifest some signs, not only of skill, but enthusiasm and drive!
Several major Head races were cancelled because of the weather, but in early March we showed reasonably promisingly at Avon HOR, coming third out of four; the videos showed that we had much to do, but we were encouraged. Losing our stroke, Brendan, because of flu for the Schools HOR was a blow but Gene came up trumps, stroked consistently, if a little stolidly, and the crew did very creditably in their class - a great performance and also a big pat on the back for cox Edmund Chambers, who handled the conditions and the Thames extremely professionally!
Excitement and enthusiasm is infectious and at the beginning of the Summer Term, to our delight, two athletes, Edward Stevens, and Philip Aldred joined the crew, with Matthew Bone a little later. Suddenly we had an eight, an eight of substantial physical proportions and strength more excitement! However, experience, technique and skill, as well as accrued long-term fitness and stamina are also required, and our term, though fun, was not without setbacks. Illness played its part again, and on several occasions, our very long suffering Alex Wong kindly subbed at short notice for the sick and dying. We only actually raced as a whole crew for one regatta!
Avon County Regatta in early May was a tremendous experience, for although we missed a race after losing a slide wheel (all since replaced!), we won the 'little final very effectively what a boost!
Later in May, we won at Bewdley, beating Clifton As easily, and hence becoming, rather to our disadvantage, an A crew.
With our translation to A status, given the fierce competition and very high national standards, we decided against going to the National Schools at Nottingham. However, at our very next regatta at Bridgnorth, again blighted by illness, we met and were firmly beaten by the Cheltenham A crew, whom we discovered subsequently had won the National School event by over two lengths in the final! So we had a taste of the real thing in the end!
It was our good fortune to meet them again the following weekend at Tewkesbury - and thanks to some expert help from GWB, and a revamped start the crew lost by a far smaller margin than the previous week. This, coupled to our performance in the little final where, having suffered a couple of boat stopping crabs, caused undoubtedly by lapses of concentration due to our hour wait at the start, we were just beaten by Monmouth As, gave us a lot of encouragement. Our final race in the classy atmosphere of pre-Henley Reading Town Regatta gave us no surprises Abingdon and Pangbourne A crews outclassed us, but we went down fighting to the last stroke, with no regrets.
There is no doubt that, should this group of young men choose to row together next year, and row for the season, with the sort of verve and commitment seen this summer, they have the makings of a very good crew, and a fine basis for a future first eight. To see this requires farsightedness and resolve, however, and that is not fashionable I will keep my fingers crossed! What an interesting year!
A final mention too, of our faithful supporter and novice sculler, Tomos Hillman, who has always been encouraging and helpful; and of Ralph Mann, who in the face of repeated setbacks in health, has struggled and fought to improve his sculling, and will undoubtedly do so, if he continues next year. A brave performance.