On Sunday a trailer load of boats went off to the first major regatta of the season. The weather Gods had decided that some wind was needed to add spice to this event, a straight head or tail was deemed too predictable so they went for the vicious gusting cross head. This proved to be an absolute winner all day, as will be seen. Click here for one of the seniors takes on this (Profanity warning).
First off was the club 4- of Jonnie, Blake, Tom and Phil, They had drawn lane 1, the calmest of the 6 and immediately got their bows ahead, regardless of the lane advantage the crew showed their superior pace over the 2k and qualified with style for the final. Next up were Aaron and Paddy racing IM1 2- in a straight final. A predictable blast out of the blocks did not immediately transfer to rhythm allowing Latymer and St Edwards to row through them, however Aaron and Paddy eventually found some race pace and held their position well putting them in a strong position with 300m to go eventually rowing through the Latymer pair but coming third overall behind Gloucester (lane 1) and St Edwards. A women's IM2 8 of juniors and seniors ( Cox Chizzle, Fred, Becky T, Amy, Clare, Grace, Debs, Frankie and Courtenay then had a straight final and earned a solid 3rd place, not bad for an essentially scratch crew, this was followed by Ruth racing in Elite 1x, she also managed 3rd racing as a lightweight into what was becoming an increasing head wind. The WJ16 4+ of cox Katie, Megan, Seren, Martha and Maddie then put in a very sound row to gain a 2nd position behind Henley, matching that crew for pace for over half of the track, a good start for 5 representatives of a squad eager to learn over this regatta season.
The last race of the morning session was the final of Senior 4-, UL proved a little too strong for the MBC boys on the day but definitely a strong start to the regatta season.
I should point out that by this point the race officials had totally failed to keep the regatta running on time and heats were being turned into time trials (but still in their original lanes thus ensuring a fairness last witnessed at show trials back in Uncle Joe's heyday).
The afternoon crew of cox Chizzle, Frankie, Becky, Grace and Courtenay had a heat that was turned into a time trial, and rowed through Maidenhead to win their heat by 10 seconds and the event by 4, very encouraging to see a crew of juniors with an average weight of 58kg beat a field of (considerably) heavier adults. An excellent demonstration of the fitness and toughness of this crew, congratulations for the well deserved pot.
Following this race the regatta officials then went into some sort of melt down culminating in racing being suspended (I believe 2 eights collided off the start, might have had something to do with the starters desire to leave the longest gap possible between 'Attention' and 'Go' during some of the strongest gusts available in Berkshire) and then cancellation of racing. A great shame that the boys 4- did not get to race again along with a senior women's quad a wj16 quad, a senior womens 4- and a wj18 4+.
With the weather being forcast exactly right it might have been possible to prepare some contingencies for the day, however this was not the case, the trailer was loaded and course set for the Prince of Wales. Molesey crews will next be featuring at Poplar regatta at the idillic rural setting of the London Regatta Centre on Sunday 15th May.
First off was the club 4- of Jonnie, Blake, Tom and Phil, They had drawn lane 1, the calmest of the 6 and immediately got their bows ahead, regardless of the lane advantage the crew showed their superior pace over the 2k and qualified with style for the final. Next up were Aaron and Paddy racing IM1 2- in a straight final. A predictable blast out of the blocks did not immediately transfer to rhythm allowing Latymer and St Edwards to row through them, however Aaron and Paddy eventually found some race pace and held their position well putting them in a strong position with 300m to go eventually rowing through the Latymer pair but coming third overall behind Gloucester (lane 1) and St Edwards. A women's IM2 8 of juniors and seniors ( Cox Chizzle, Fred, Becky T, Amy, Clare, Grace, Debs, Frankie and Courtenay then had a straight final and earned a solid 3rd place, not bad for an essentially scratch crew, this was followed by Ruth racing in Elite 1x, she also managed 3rd racing as a lightweight into what was becoming an increasing head wind. The WJ16 4+ of cox Katie, Megan, Seren, Martha and Maddie then put in a very sound row to gain a 2nd position behind Henley, matching that crew for pace for over half of the track, a good start for 5 representatives of a squad eager to learn over this regatta season.
The last race of the morning session was the final of Senior 4-, UL proved a little too strong for the MBC boys on the day but definitely a strong start to the regatta season.
I should point out that by this point the race officials had totally failed to keep the regatta running on time and heats were being turned into time trials (but still in their original lanes thus ensuring a fairness last witnessed at show trials back in Uncle Joe's heyday).
The afternoon crew of cox Chizzle, Frankie, Becky, Grace and Courtenay had a heat that was turned into a time trial, and rowed through Maidenhead to win their heat by 10 seconds and the event by 4, very encouraging to see a crew of juniors with an average weight of 58kg beat a field of (considerably) heavier adults. An excellent demonstration of the fitness and toughness of this crew, congratulations for the well deserved pot.
Following this race the regatta officials then went into some sort of melt down culminating in racing being suspended (I believe 2 eights collided off the start, might have had something to do with the starters desire to leave the longest gap possible between 'Attention' and 'Go' during some of the strongest gusts available in Berkshire) and then cancellation of racing. A great shame that the boys 4- did not get to race again along with a senior women's quad a wj16 quad, a senior womens 4- and a wj18 4+.
With the weather being forcast exactly right it might have been possible to prepare some contingencies for the day, however this was not the case, the trailer was loaded and course set for the Prince of Wales. Molesey crews will next be featuring at Poplar regatta at the idillic rural setting of the London Regatta Centre on Sunday 15th May.
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