St Catharine's College Boat Club

Bumped Hughes Hall I

This was it. After the overbump on the first day and the following swift bumps after that, we were going into the final day +5. Now was a chance to go racing with a first VIII, and show that we were worth a place in the second division. We knew it would be a tough ask, and so set the race plan up accordingly - row a long race, make sure that they could see that we weren't going anywhere, and seeing if they would crack under the pressure.

After everyone overcame their fear of getting their feet wet putting the boat in, the row up to the start was very relaxed, given the circumstances. After a small delay at the start of the division to fix an ARU bowball that was never in danger of needing to be used, we were off on possibly the most relaxed start of the week. We moved slightly inside station on Hughes, and the stride was the most composed we'd pulled off all week, but Hughes pulled back out to station coming into Grassy.

The plan started to kick into action. No panic that we weren't getting whistles or closing lengths on an overbump like earlier in the week, just sit there at our steady 35-36 and grind them down. We moved inside station coming around Ditton, and it was fantastic to feel the lack of headwind that had been ever-present earlier in the term. Belinda called for the push for the whistle out of the corner and we got it at the end of the spinning zone. This was the time to go.

With the bank party screaming that we were moving with every stroke we started to close in. Two whistles came at the kink, and we got three under the bridge, but we knew we were rapidly running out of time. Hughes put in a big push and took six feet back out of us, prompting a cry of "they're getting away!", which in turn brought a rate increase and the final push. Three years ago we let them escape from overlap, and it wasn't happening today - the push worked and we made contact at Morley's Holt, less than 200m from the finish.

It was a fantastic row, and the best bumps race that I've been involved in, a real duel over the course rather than being finished in two minutes. Huge credit to Hughes for a fantastic race.

This victory gave us a chance to row as the sandwich boat at the bottom of the second division. Alas there's no happy ending here, as while we were inside a length of Pembroke II and closing just past the motorway bridge, the Christ's II cox decided that their spoons were enough and Pembroke didn't need some as well, clearing in "the most ridiculous manner ever" (Scales 2014). After the technical rowover was awarded, a long row back with the flag and a trip into the river rounded off the day well.

Up 6 is an incredible result, and testament to the crew in what has been a fairly frustrating term with a lack of water time. The adherence to the land training regime really showed in the latter stages of the overbump and the final bump. Many thanks to Dr Ivan Scales for his time trying to make us be effective in the little training we actually got to do on the river.

Well done to Pieter and Tom (thrown in at the deep end on the wrong side of the boat!) in only their second term of rowing, Alex and Belinda in their first set of bumps, and the second-year stalwarts Scott, Dan, Anthony and Stephan who got to enjoy their revenge for last year and then some! Onwards and upwards to division 2 next year!