St Catharine's College Boat Club

Despite the gloomy skies, W1 started Friday feeling determined. We were a little concerned by the presence of a traitor in the bank party of Homerton (we’re looking at you Will!), but with Rosie bringing fresh legs to the boat we were feeling optimistic. Given the weather conditions we felt it was practical to wear the hats forwards – a decision we would later come to regret! Seeing W2 in their foliage brought a welcome boost to an otherwise soggy marshalling session. We rowed down to our station at the head of division 2 with waves sloshing in the boat. After a scramble to remove our many layers of waterproofs we were ready for another fight. Will’s coaching had obviously paid off, as Homerton made steady gains on us up The Gut. Despite our best efforts, some classic Charlie coxing calls (“Jo, your blade *is* ok!”) and Brie’s impressive grunts, they managed to make contact just after Grassy corner. We will be back tomorrow with a strong game plan – a solid bank party, possibly a quick pre-race dip for Charlie (she may not be keen, but it worked for Darwin!) and hats returned to their correct orientation.

FTW!