The Colts Four
Bow: C.R.Atwell, T.Holmes, R.K.Edwards, Str: J.C.S.Houston, Cox: E.P.H.Brown* *F.V.Harries and D.P.L.Wiles also coxed in the Lent term.
It did not take long to work out that a coxed IV would be the flagship boat for the Colts this year, given that three J16 oarsmen would be rowing in the 1st VIII squad and the two other experienced 5th Form oarsmen were over age. Accordingly, a crew was formed which included two members who were new to sweep-oared rowing. From the outset there was good morale, a willingness to train hard and a readiness to learn technique.
The Lent term's first event was the Stourport Head where a still very inexperienced crew managed to come 3rd in a field of 6 Senior III IVs. The crew went on to win J16 IVs at Avon County by a decisive margin and then came second equal with Pangbourne at the Schools HOR, only 2 seconds behind Winchester, to whom they had to concede a representative place for the South West at the inter-regional championships. Clearly, the crew had tremendous potential and the fact that they were keen enough to train at Nantes at the end of the Easter holiday was going to lay the foundation for what promised to be a highly successful regatta season. The slight disappointment that the newly found cox, Ed Brown, would not be available for Nantes was compensated for by the magnanimity of David Wiles who volunteered to fill his place.
The crew thoroughly enjoyed the Nantes training camp which built both crewmanship and a racing mentality. The water was not particularly helpful and at times came close to sinking conditions, but despite this a lot of miles (sorry, kilometres) were covered and a regatta fitness and rate of striking achieved by the final weekend. Tom Holmes became an expert on French sanitation and used his three words of French to the full whilst David Wiles almost took up sailing at one point. Ed, Chris and James proved what sophisticates they really were when it came to getting through the menu at a French restaurant.
Coaches can appear very sadistic and this one would admit to a little apprehension at having entered the IV for both J16 IVs and Novice IVs at Wallingford: a gruelling 1500 metre debut to the regatta season on the Thames. The crew surpassed itself, reaching the Final of Novice IVs and beating Pangbourne convincingly in J16 IVs before going down to Eton in the Semi-Final. In the end, the crew raced 9,000 metres - probably the most any Monkton crew has raced there in a day and this was a J16 IV not a 1st VIII ! Worried about dehydration, the coach invested in an isotonic product called Go which unfortunately had more of an effect upon the bladder than the boat since not even a modern electrolyte replacement product could give the energy required to beat a crew of American students from New College, Oxford. At National Schools, the crew were wrong-footed by a reorganisation of their race after they had set out from the raft: from a heat where the last crew would be eliminated to a semi-final in which the first three only would reach the Final. For much of the race Monkton lay either second or third and stroke Rob Edwards was unaware of the danger posed by Aberdeen Schools RA who came through in the last 100 metres to edge them out of a place in the Final. The fact that Pangbourne, whom the crew had beaten by two lengths at Wallingford went through from the slower semi-final to win bronze medals added insult to injury.
It was decided to re-order the crew after National Schools with the boat resembling the 'Redgrave IV' by having 2 and 3 rowing on the same side. James Houston moved to the stroke seat and gave the crew a little extra pace off the start and at the finish. Indeed, the win in the Final of Novice IVs at Reading Amateur over Abingdon by 2 feet was a classic piece of racing. It was a fine and well-deserved win which will remain in my memory as a fitting tribute to a crew which never let me or themselves down. It was a shame that two further trophies were denied the crew by cancellations of Tewkesbury and Ironbridge regattas but nevertheless the crew can reflect on a successful season which recorded many more wins than defeats.
GWB
The Colts Four
Bow: C.R.Atwell, T.Holmes, R.K.Edwards, Str: J.C.S.Houston, Cox: E.P.H.Brown* *F.V.Harries and D.P.L.Wiles also coxed in the Lent term.
It did not take long to work out that a coxed IV would be the flagship boat for the Colts this year, given that three J16 oarsmen would be rowing in the 1st VIII squad and the two other experienced 5th Form oarsmen were over age. Accordingly, a crew was formed which included two members who were new to sweep-oared rowing. From the outset there was good morale, a willingness to train hard and a readiness to learn technique.
The Lent term's first event was the Stourport Head where a still very inexperienced crew managed to come 3rd in a field of 6 Senior III IVs. The crew went on to win J16 IVs at Avon County by a decisive margin and then came second equal with Pangbourne at the Schools HOR, only 2 seconds behind Winchester, to whom they had to concede a representative place for the South West at the inter-regional championships. Clearly, the crew had tremendous potential and the fact that they were keen enough to train at Nantes at the end of the Easter holiday was going to lay the foundation for what promised to be a highly successful regatta season. The slight disappointment that the newly found cox, Ed Brown, would not be available for Nantes was compensated for by the magnanimity of David Wiles who volunteered to fill his place.
The crew thoroughly enjoyed the Nantes training camp which built both crewmanship and a racing mentality. The water was not particularly helpful and at times came close to sinking conditions, but despite this a lot of miles (sorry, kilometres) were covered and a regatta fitness and rate of striking achieved by the final weekend. Tom Holmes became an expert on French sanitation and used his three words of French to the full whilst David Wiles almost took up sailing at one point. Ed, Chris and James proved what sophisticates they really were when it came to getting through the menu at a French restaurant.
Coaches can appear very sadistic and this one would admit to a little apprehension at having entered the IV for both J16 IVs and Novice IVs at Wallingford: a gruelling 1500 metre debut to the regatta season on the Thames. The crew surpassed itself, reaching the Final of Novice IVs and beating Pangbourne convincingly in J16 IVs before going down to Eton in the Semi-Final. In the end, the crew raced 9,000 metres - probably the most any Monkton crew has raced there in a day and this was a J16 IV not a 1st VIII ! Worried about dehydration, the coach invested in an isotonic product called Go which unfortunately had more of an effect upon the bladder than the boat since not even a modern electrolyte replacement product could give the energy required to beat a crew of American students from New College, Oxford. At National Schools, the crew were wrong-footed by a reorganisation of their race after they had set out from the raft: from a heat where the last crew would be eliminated to a semi-final in which the first three only would reach the Final. For much of the race Monkton lay either second or third and stroke Rob Edwards was unaware of the danger posed by Aberdeen Schools RA who came through in the last 100 metres to edge them out of a place in the Final. The fact that Pangbourne, whom the crew had beaten by two lengths at Wallingford went through from the slower semi-final to win bronze medals added insult to injury.
It was decided to re-order the crew after National Schools with the boat resembling the 'Redgrave IV' by having 2 and 3 rowing on the same side. James Houston moved to the stroke seat and gave the crew a little extra pace off the start and at the finish. Indeed, the win in the Final of Novice IVs at Reading Amateur over Abingdon by 2 feet was a classic piece of racing. It was a fine and well-deserved win which will remain in my memory as a fitting tribute to a crew which never let me or themselves down. It was a shame that two further trophies were denied the crew by cancellations of Tewkesbury and Ironbridge regattas but nevertheless the crew can reflect on a successful season which recorded many more wins than defeats.
GWB