If yesterday hadn’t gone quite to plan, then today went even better than planned. Everything today just felt right. Ok well, there was the moment when 4 numbered off and then realised that actually she hadn’t put her blade in her gate…Minor details, everything else was right! Rowing up to the Lock we engaged in some serious psychological sparring with our boathouse-mates, making it very clear that we had no intention of letting them catch us today.
Then came the cannons. Four-minute cannon, check gate and footplate. One-minute cannon, check again. And BANG! Nerves disappeared, because now we were racing. After a strong start we quickly settled into a smooth, solid rhythm. The first whistle came about half way down First Post Reach, roughly where we hoped to hear a whistle. From one whistle to two always feels like a long slog, but the calls of “3/4 length” then “2/3 length” from the bank provided encouragement. And then it all happened in a blur. Two whistles, became three whistles and then continuous whistles at such speed and rowing in the bow I could suddenly see purple out of the corner of my eye. And as Christina steered us around the start of First Post Corner we did it – MECBC W1 BUMPED KING’S W1!!
Rowing back with greenery in our hair and huge smiles on our faces even the sudden downpour on the Reach wasn’t going to dampen the spirits of W1. And tomorrow? Tomorrow we chase LMBC W1 again. And you know what? I quite like greenery in my hair…
Emma Heydon, Bow