Home

Clare Novice Regatta 2011-12

user notice: The _viewfield_get_view_args() function called token replacement with an array rather than a string for $text in /home/www-soc/ccbc/html/sites/all/modules/token/token.module on line 263.
25th November 2011
Event: 
Clare Novice Regatta

Christ's have four novice crews entered into Clare Novice Regatta this year. Crews will be racing between Thursday 24th and Saturday 26th November. Details on how our crews are doing, along with times they are racing (so you can come and support) can be found here. Races start at Ditton Corner and finish at Peter's Post.
Men's Novice 2nd VIII Fairbairns 2011-12 , Day 1 , Race 1
Pembroke NM2
Won - easily

This was NM2's first proper race of term, and I'm sure the crew can all agree it was a memorable start to racing! Not least because on the marshals' first attempt to start it, Pembroke decided that the optimal racing line was aiming straight for us. A blade clash was swiftly followed by the boats becoming completely locked together and the race was restarted.

Our second start was better and we gained a few seats on the opposition. On settling onto our rhythm, however, Pembroke, who clearly had more power, began to push away, and our rowing became rushed, although the crew did well to keep the timing together and were clearly giving it their all in terms of power. The race was still very clearly ours to row out. This was a point Pembroke seemed overly eager to prove, as their 7-man caught a massive crab just after the railway bridge which crashed them into the inside of the corner near Morley's Holt, leaving NM2 a clear path to the finish, the verdict; easily.

jimmy.de.jonge


Men's Novice 2nd VIII Fairbairns 2011-12 , Day 2 , Race 2
Downing NM3
Won - 2 lengths

As Jesus NM4 (our opposition in the Quarter-Final) scratched NM2 ended up facing the Semi-Final with just one preliminary race under their belt. They made a good start however and quickly pulled in front of Downing, a lead Downing, despite a valiant effort, never managed to recover. Superior power meant that NM2 were able to increase their lead, despite a technically shaky section in the middle of the race that seemed the result of focus lapsing due to sheer excitement at realising they were in front! Yet they were far enough ahead that this lapse did not matter and with a final burst of power confidently beat Downing by 2 lengths.

Race report by Frances McDonnell

jimmy.de.jonge


Men's Novice 2nd VIII Fairbairns 2011-12 , Day 2 , Race 3
Anglia Ruskin NM2
Lost - easily

In the final, NM2 were faced with a dauntingly large crew from ARU, who quickly used their power to their advantage, making a good start and pulling in front. This was a lead that they were only able to increase, a combination of sheer physical power and some good technical rowing making them worthy winners of the competition. Despite this, NM2 gave their best performance so far, concentrating on their own rowing; they rowed a far calmer, more focused and technically better race than in the Semi-Final. Unfortunately this wasn’t enough to make up for ARU’s superior power and they lost easily, crossing the finish line as Christ’s rowed under the bridge. Yet despite this Christ’s NM2 have every reason to be proud of their performance at Clare Novices. Bring on Fairbairns.

Race report by Frances McDonnell

jimmy.de.jonge


Women's Novice 2nd VIII Fairbairns 2011-12

NW2 ("Christ's B") WON the 2011 Clare Novice Regatta Women's Plate!

They raced four times the 800m course and were given one race since the other crew scratched.

Thursday, November the 24th:

FIRST ROUND: vs. Caius C - won easily.
Very impressive start, all the more as it was their very first race with a standing start, hence their first standing start under pressure ever, not to mention in a head to head setting! They kept it really well together and by the end of the third draw (draws are the very first strokes of a start sequence), they'd already significantly come up on Caius. By the end of their start, Christ's stern was in line with Caius' bow, and within 20 seconds, the girls were more than a length ahead. Caius had to easy very early in the race as they half-crashed into the bank... not quite sure what happened there since I had my eyes on the girls — girls who were making their way smoothly towards the railway bridge. They rowed long and sat strong, with the timing as the main point of focus. The horn of the finish line allowed the girls to relax and experience the very rewarding feeling of victory for the very first time in their rowing career.
As they rowed pass the Marshall, the latter told them to row straight back home as they'd just found out that Sidney Sussex B had scratched. Thus double cries of joy!

SECOND ROUND: Given.

Thank you to Dara Hamill from NW1 who subbed in for Hanna Bates-Martens who'd gone home due to severe illness.

Saturday, November the 26th
The conditions were harder on that day, it was very windy, and had it not been a racing day, the flag would have most certainly been changed to yellow, i.e. novices are not allowed to row. Nakita, NW2's cox, did a fantastic job with the countless spinnings and parkings that the successive marshallings required. She kept calm despite the general disorganization and was here at all time to keep the girls focused and keen.

QUARTER-FINAL: vs. Pembroke B — won by 1 1/2 lengths
I'd warned the girls that Pembroke wouldn't be as easy as Caius to get rid of, but they'd gained confidence from their performance on Thursday, and hence did another smashing start, after a rather frantic line-up and double-start (crews hit blades within the first five seconds due to an irregular wind and very approximate positioning..). They managed to pull away from Pembroke; gradually, they consolidated their advantage and even had a chance to enhance their rowing, staying hard on the legs but neater and more relax in the technique.

SEMI-FINAL: vs. Emma C — won by 3 1/2 lengths
It took the girls a little bit longer to gain distance on Emma. Nevertheless, the jelly babies they'd snacked a few minutes before as well as a very determined "come on giiiirls" from Steph at stroke made the trick, and as Emma started getting tired, the girls zoomed on. One of Emma's girl caught a crab and we spotted them rowing with Bow 6 only for a couple of strokes, leaving Christ's even more time to pull away from them. The girls winded it down a little bit before the finish line, to save as much as possible for the final. The girls told me afterwards that the cox box had died half-way through the race.. so all the more respect for the slick rowing they performed!

FINAL: vs. Emma B — won by 2 1/2 lengths
What the crew had displayed in the previous rounds boded well for this final round, however, we didn't know how much power and energy the girls still had in reserve. Even though the marshalling and row-up were very hasty due to a technical issue with the cox box (which was thankfully sorted before the race thanks to Nick, our brilliant boatman), the girls were as focused, confident and determined as ever on the starting line. After a very ceremonial and everlasting "Clare Novice Regatta 2011, for the Plate, Christ's. Emma. Attention. GO!", the girls once again showed that they mastered their start, and the fact that they were a bit more efficient and powerful in their rowing didn't take long to show. It was a *beautiful* race, the girls gave it all as they knew it was their last one, but in the most graceful way.

Overall, the girls did a fantastic job! Even their paddling on the way back was very impressive, the best they'd ever rowed I suspect, regardless of the fact that they'd spent four hours in the wind and cold and raced three times!
From this wonderful adventure we will remember:
- powerful and slick starts
- responsive/ killer "push-for-ten" (Steph kept asking for more!)
- the regular beastly "come on guyyyys" from Steph at stroke for Stern 4 and Julia, at 2, for Bow 4!
- jelly babies - helped the girls to charge their batteries up in between races
- fantastic crew spirit
- ongoing improvements throughout the day
- an individual trophy for the nine queen rowers of the day - a crest that is standing proud in all of the girls' rooms the moment we speak, no doubt.
- a very proud coach.

elodie.broad