Twickenham Regatta - 2011

6 crews from the Veteran and the Women squads and a token Senior when to Twickenham for their first regatta of the year.

Despite the course being slightly longer than what we are used to (1.25k), the decided advantage of the Middlesex bend which only one of our crews benefitted from, and the plethora of big name London clubs to compete against; we got stuck in with elan.

The ladies had 3 races: an IM3 4x, a Vet 4x and a Novice 4+, and 6 rowers...  Lots of complicated doubling up and exhausted oarswomen.  Nary a heat was won, but I am told that the Novice 4+ was a close affair, and we now have a starting point for the squad which has come out of the doldrums.

The Vet D Eight, comprehensively beat Twickenham in the heat.  At the finish, they wished us luck in a very wry fashion for our final against Thames RC (as in: "you don't stand a chance").  The core of this crew came 6th out of 204 at the Head of the River (we came 61st).  So we were actually reasonably satisfied with our 1.25 length loss. holding them off for much of the race until we entered the unfamiliar territory of >1k, and their superior fitness/training/whatever kicked in.

The Vet C 4+ had a bye to the final, and met Itchen (yeah, I've never heard of them either), who had beaten Lea in the heat.  Itchen were Vet B, so our lads had a 6 second head start which was totally squandered as the stroke man crabbed on the the first draw.  It took many strokes to get back into rythmn, and the comment "this is a bl**dy disaster," was heard from somewhere near the bows.

Still, they are strong (if elderly) Vet C crew, the engine room of the Vet D 8 and have rowed together for 2 years.  It showed and they cruised to a 2 length victory. 

HOORAH

Well done to Graeme Hodgkinson, Gerraint Evans, Steve Bickers, Olly Barton, and cox, Daniella James (in her first ever Regatta).  Unfortunately, in all the hurly burly, no-one thought to take any pictures!

Finally, Lewin (our solitary Senior) took part in a 3 heat Novice 1x event, and found out how difficult it is.  He got through to final beating his opponents from Oxford Academicals and Auriol Kensington easily, before submitting easily to a sculler from... Tideway Scullers.  Well done, at least that oppo won't bother you no more!

Next Stop.  The Veteran Nat Champs in Nottingham.