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Fairbairn Cup 2011-12

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1st December 2011
Event: 
Fairbairn Cup

Fairbairn Cup 2011 is scheduled for Thursday 1st December (Novices) and Friday 2nd December (Seniors). This year Christ's have four novice crews entered into the novice division. Racing in the senior race will be M1, W1, NM1 (the novices M1 crew are doing both the novice and senior competition!) as well as three alumni crews: two Men's and one Women's. Race reports will be posted here shortly after the races.
Men's 1st Fairbairn Cup VIII Fairbairns 2011-12

After sitting in the chilly marshalling area for 45 minutes, we were a bit cold off the start. Luckily we’d engrained some really good draw strokes for our start sequence, so we were able to get the boat picked up nice and quickly. We wound up to just over rate 40, then settled it down to 37 with a rhythm call. We let the rate come down naturally through the first few corners, focussing on setting up a nice race rhythm, and eventually settled on a comfortable rate 34.

Coming out of Chesterton corner, we had a middle 4 lift to really pick the boat speed up for the straight section. This worked well and got us set up to really get the boat moving along the straight section. At this point FAT, who were racing ahead of us, came into view, which was a very good motivational tool, as I was able to assess our distance from them for the rest of the race, and relay it to the crew. We had a power 10 off the railway bridge, and a harden 5 in the middle of the long reach, and all along we had technical focuses, which changed every minute or two, so that everyone was thinking about the same thing at the same time, and no one had a chance to get bored of the focus before it changed.

A slightly wide line around Ditton corner slowed the boat down, and FAT were able to pull away from us slightly at this point. We had another middle 4 lift, and the boat really picked up some speed in front of the Plough. Some calls from Nick on the bank encouraging me to neaten up my lines meant that Grassy corner was a lot sharper, and we didn’t lose nearly as much boat speed as on the previous corner. Another push through the gut brought us closer to the crew ahead again.

Coming out of first post corner was where the boat really started moving. We began with a power 10, to lift the rate up a beat into first post reach. We followed that with a series of up 1’s and up 2’s. We had constant encouragement from our bank party, who were getting genuinely excited by the increasing boat speed. A final push off the motorway bridge brought us over the line in 15:05.9, which I was personally incredibly pleased with.

I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to support us on the bank, especially Inka, Nick and Kim, who coached us over the term. Without their work, we would never have done as well as we did today.

rose.mcneill


Men's Novice 1st VIII Fairbairns 2011-12
Men's Novice VIIIs
2
10:00.00

We had been in training for Novice Fairbairns for weeks: this competition was the most significant in the winter calendar for us. After establishing our prowess over the distance as fastest men's novice VIII from a Cambridge college (see our Winter Head race report), we went into the event with serious expectations. And we delivered.

Awkward marshalling didn't beak our focus as we paddled up to the start. Coming forward to frontstops we executed a standing start. Our timing was off as we built towards Jesus flagpole, and as the clock started running we still needed to get it together. It took us until the Cutter Ferry footbridge to settle, but calls to hold the knees and for the rhythm meant that we were moving strongly by Elizabeth Way. We were feeling the pattern of the 'lift and swing' and sitting the boat up nicely.

Off the roadbridge we pushed for ten: we united powerfully and really began to put the legs on. At racing pressure and steady at rate 30, we were controlled and the focus was 100% in the boat. Before Chesterton we put in the planned technical calls - 5 on the finsh, 10 on the catch - and we cut the corner, powering out of it on another big push.

At the P&E, with the Railway Bridge in sight, we pushed again to make the most of straight water before the Reach. Off the bridge we put it on firmly yet again, 'making a decision' to squeeze the most out of the straight. These were the strokes that won us our time: long, firm, battling through the pain. The commitment on the Reach was fantastic, but caring for technique we remained calm and determined. We gave it everything on the final 10 to push it home.

We knew it had been a great row. Most of all, once settled, it had been technical all the way. We hit a time 10.00.00 dead, gaining second place - the best result for a Christ's novice M1 in recent years. It was not just the result the boys wanted. After a term of top notch commitment and consistent improvement, it was the great result they justly deserved.

ross.kempsell