Category: W2

It was the final day of lent bumps and we were feeling optimistic. We had soon forgotten about the disaster that was Friday and were sure that we would be able to catch Sidney Sussex w2. We had a strong row up, a great practise start on the reach, and we were looking forward to having the foliage in our hair as we triumphantly rowed home.

Unfortunately this was not to be.

As the gun went off and Iila called the draws, we pushed as hard as we could and began gaining on Sidney. Soon enough we heard the sound of one whistle and we carried on pushing. Queens, in front of Sidney, had bumped as Pete predicted, so we had the whole course to catch up with Sidney. However, today would not be our day. Wolfson crashed their boat, meaning that as Sidney overtook them, closely followed by us, they had effectively over-bumped so we had to settle for a row over.

Though disappointed by the result, we were able to row home proudly knowing that there was nothing more we could have done, and that had luck been on our side we may well have bumped. Despite not being presented with foliage, we have had a great time in Lent Bumps and come out of it feeling confident and ready to bump in the summer!

 

Rosanna Gregory, 6

Today we pushed off planning on cold revenge on Queens’ W2 who bumped us on Thursday. We did a good practice start and we were ready to give it all to try and catch a really fast Queens’. However, despite a powerful start, we were soon bumped by Sidney Sussex W2 as a loose gate cause a blade to fall out. Despite the heroic effort to put it back, we couldn’t compete with the other crew and had to concede a bump. But fear not – after a warming crew hug, W2 is ready to bump back tomorrow! Stay tuned!

 

Olimpia Onelli, 7

Today, none of our speakers worked during the race, they worked again after the race. At the start, we got one empty stroke and one crab, but managed to get closer up to Wolfson than yesterday. We were bumped by Queens at Grassy before we turned the corner. My tight cutting of the corner gave no space to Queens, who were poking their bowball to my left.

Our rowers worked hard today. Tomorrow, we should aim for less panic at the start with just the right amount of pressure. We had awesome practice starts today, and we should translate them into more confidence and control over the boat during the actual race. All of us value the chance to race in Bumps after all the hard work we have put in this term!

 

Iila Li, cox

On a cloudy and chilly Valentine’s Day morning, the mash-up boat of W2 and W3 gave a calm and strong row-down to the start of Pembroke Regatta. Parking at our marshalling station was humorous and we all learnt that boats do not parallel park easily but luckily a helpful marshal managed to save us and land us neatly in our niche to begin our wait to race.

We saw crews start and disappear into the distance with great splashes and shouting, eagerly and nervous anticipating our own race.

We were up against the ladies of Pembroke W2, and as we lined up next to each other we knew we were in for a tough one. As the race started we pushed off hard but the Pembroke gals pushed ahead harder and within minutes had a commanding lead. The Murray Edward’s W2.5 gave it their all and put up a fight before the beasts *ahem* beauts of Pembroke pushed away into the distance. Moral decreased as they pushed away but we rowed it through like pros and cheered the Pembroke champions on their well earned success.

I think we learnt that not all battles have to be won and we were all glad to have been able to make a crew to compete. No-one regretted signing up for the race and it was a wonderful experience as a first regatta. Such bonding and teamwork within a crew which had only ever had 2 outings together is highly indicative of MECBC spirit and determination. You win some, you lose some. But you always come back fighting. MECBC #wellhard

 

Heather Dudley, 6

The weather was good – not too sunny so that you could see whilst rowing! It also wasn’t raining which was nice, but it was quite cold. The row down was good – the boat felt sat more of the time than usual and it was calming to row ‘normally’ pre race – to get rid of any nerves.

We managed not to crash on grassy, when we nearly had in a practice so that was good. The start was a rolling start, which was nice, as it felt less stressful. The rate was good, as it was sustainable.

We got on!!!

 In the next race I would like to bump.

Georgina Benson, 2

This was W2’s first race of term, and for two of its rowers, their first race ever! We were keen to see how much we had learnt so far this term and to get some much needed race practice before Fairbairns. It had been a difficult week leading up to the race, with one rower injured, a change in crew and Christina stepping in to cox for us. However, thanks to Reana we had 8 rowers and were ready to race.

By the time our division was marshalling, it became clear that the event was running quite behind leading to a very congested river. However, this gave us lots of time to check out the crews that had come from around the country to race on the Cam, especially some rather good looking men from the University of London! After the men had set off, we had just enough time to get our focus together and pull out towards the start line. The racing conditions were ideal, with very little wind and no rain. We got off to a good start, settling into a steady rhythm. Christina’s calls for power seemed to be working as she told us we were keeping pace with Robinson’s W1 boat in front of us. However, by the time we reached The Plough, it became clear that we were struggling to find the power required to keep up the same pace and we started to lose our togetherness. As we were overtaken by the University of London’s women on The Reach we pushed harder trying to make it difficult for them, but we didn’t have the stamina to keep going. We crossed the finish line a respectable 6th in our event out of 14 boats, showing that we have potential but still have lots to work on both technically in the boat and in fitness training before Fairbairns.

Katharine, 6

When W2 gathered at the boathouse for the last day of bumps, everybody’s nerves were palpable: We had bumped every day so far, and blades were in our reach. We would be chasing Tit Hall II, and we were sure that we had it in us to bump them. The question was, would we catch Tit Hall before they would catch up with Caius II? Coach Alex reminded us that we had to make this race count, to stay calm and collected, if we wanted greenery. We thus put the “B” word out of our minds for the time being and concentrated on the row-up. We had a good practice start at the plough, pulled in at our station, and waited for the guns.

When the final gun released us into this last bumps race, I felt determined to give it my all, and I knew every single girl in the boat felt the same. However, Bekah’s seat came off half-way through the start sequence. We may have been slowed down by this, but Magdalen W2 behind us failed to gain on us considerably. What followed was a seriously impressive display of determination, as Bekah raced THE ENTIRE COURSE off her seat, managing to keep up as we took the rate up to 41 around Grassy Corner. Unfortunately, our bucket-rig meant that her and my blade frequently clashed; as a result, I caught more crabs during this race than in all the three years of rowing I did for MECBC together.

Were W2 in pain? Yes! Did this matter? No! We, a crew who hadn’t done much more than 50 strokes worth of racing in each of the days before, tried to grind down Tit Hall. And we did gain on them, sometimes getting as much as three whistles. Whenever cox Christina called for a “jump” sequence, somehow we managed to take the rating up – special mention must be given to stroke Emma for making us go faster even on the third jump. Whenever Christina called for pressure, we found more pressure, and we put it on the footplates.

We persevered, but it wasn’t enough. We rowed over, and needless to say, were heartbroken. To be so close to blades, especially for those of us for whom this was their last bumps campaign, and miss out, is simply sad. But what is more important, and what will, I hope, make a more lasting impression on all of us, is that we didn’t give up. This crew was a fantastic crew, and this term was a fantastic term for us. “Lucky crews get blades, good crews go up three” – W2, we rocked!

Henny Schulte to Buehne

After day 1 we’d been told that we couldn’t “always expect a race that lasts 80 seconds”…

Basking in the sunshine pre-race was soon replaced by sheltering in the shade to avoid heat stroke, as we waited to row up to the start. We were geared up to race for longer today, but why do so in this heat if you don’t have to?!

So when the final cannon fired we went off into our start sequence with powerful strokes and as the wind count increased the boat was racing. When the call came from Christina that someone in the St. Catharine’s boat ahead had caught a crab that was all we needed to tell ourselves that this race was ours.

Now.

There were so many whistles coming from the bank that I couldn’t make out how many whistles we were on, but then came the call that we would be jumping in 3…2…1… “It’s just you and your footplate” had been drilled to us and when we took that first jump stroke everyone in the boat must have crushed those footplates – clearly this time we really did hit warp-speed, because the very next call was to hold it up.

WE BUMPED! And no, we can’t always expect a race that lasts 80 seconds…but we’re pretty happy with 59 seconds too!

Emma Heydon

After a jubilant W3 had returned Owen to the boat house post-bump, W2 set off, keen to repeat the performance. Reports of the sirens having halted the earlier men’s divisions meant that we paused at various points along the river, with plenty of time to soak up the sun, load up on haribo and talentspot. We thus arrived at the start fairly relaxed…and were then slightly alarmed by the 4 minute cannon sounding before we’d pulled into our station.

Despite this slight stress, we were pulled in with time to spare, and collected ourselves…and then the minute cannon sounded, we pushed out again, rolled forward to frontstops, squared up and then began to race. The race itself was over swiftly: the whistles came quickly and the deal was sealed as Christina called to ‘jump’, our closing move. The victorious row home, resplendent in greenery, was made even better by the news that Christina had passed third year with a 2:1!

A thrilled crew then posed for several crew photos back at the boat house with varying degrees of swag, before tucking into some well earned race baking. All in all, the perfect bumps day. Same again tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day) please!

Nina Jones

After coming second in our division of Champs Head the weekend before, we were ready to test ourselves (and our new bucket-rig) out in regatta-style racing….

First in our sights was Clare W2. Nadia had her work cut out for her keeping us lined up in the windy conditions, but eventually the starting marshal was satisfied. “Attention go!” The wonderfully loud cheers from W3 (lining up behind us for their race) sent us off into our start sequence as we pushed away from the start. By the end of the power-10 we were half a boat length ahead. Clear water followed soon after and the winning margin was officially recorded as “easily”.

Through to the semis, we knew Wolfson W1 was going to be a much tougher test. They’d won the division above ours at Champs Head (beating our own W1) and their first opponent in this regatta had scratched. But if they thought we were going to rollover as easily as their coach was suggesting, they had a shock coming. Both crews pushed off hard, but after the start W2 crept slightly ahead and held that position. From here it was a real tooth and nail fight down the length of the Reach. As our bank party and cox competed over who could yell loudest at Wolfson to keep their line, they pushed in so close that it was inevitable that either bowside would hit the bank or strokeside would clash blades. With Nadia holding us off the bank, it was the latter. Wolfson were then in a position to pull free, take the inside corner and come out victors by half a length. A protest was formally lodged, but in the end the result held.

Though on paper we may not have won on this day, Murray Edwards W2 had proved that we are a crew not to be underestimated. So many thanks to Nadia, Reana and Jess for subbing in and bring on bumps!

Emma Heydon