Update

Tuesday’s results (27 February):

M2 – Rowover: 0 points

W1 – Bump: up 1

M1 – Bump: up 1

Marconi Cup Score: 8 points, joint 2^nd

CUCBC fines – nil

Today’s line up (28 February): 

Eddies M2 – Div 4 (mixed) – Race time 14:00

Starting in 5^th place again, chasing Caius IV pursued by Wolfson II

Eddies W1 – Div 3 (women) – Race time 14:40

Starting in 3^th place, chasing Corpus I pursued by Queens’ II

Eddies M1 – Div 2 (men) – Rest day

Weather forecast – very cold! A 40% chance of snow, with easterly gusts of up to 28mph which will make the temperature feel about -8 degrees.

A chilly start to the Lents with a brisk NE wind which felt well below freezing, but the sun shone for the first Bumps campaign of the year. Great to see Lucy and Hughes Hall now rowing under their own colours as both clubs have the strength and depth to field their own College crews – welcome back ladies!

Our M2 crew were first to go,  and we were off to a solid start and soon found our rhythm. Surrounding boats also stayed on station length as we raced towards First Post Corner, but Downing III never looked capable of making any ground and were caught by Wolfson II just past The Ditch. Caius IV were desperate to catch Caius III but the more senior boat bumped out Catz III just by Grassy. Despite our strong pushes, Caius were equal to the challenge and it was the long roll-over for both crews.

W1 had a much better start than FaT II behind and lost them just past the ditch as they were caught by Jesus 3. A microcrab slowed Queens’ a little but they recovered well and we could not make up significant ground at this point. A push at First Post Corner saw an early whistle but they fought us off. We coxed cleanly around Grassy and The Gut as Queens’ veered off the racing lines as boats ahead of them bumped out. We started to make ground again by The Plough and some tactical whistling by the BPs at Ditton gave added heart to the crew. The pressure was too much and Queens’ ran out of legs as we had the endurance to keep pushing. We gained an overlap but by this stage of the race, only ‘contact’ would give us the Bump. Some hopeful evasive coxing by Queens prolonged the inevitable as we drew level and finally bumped halfway down Long Reach.

The M1 had a very strong start and managed to bump the Clare M2 within about 50 strokes, even as the Clare M2 was bearing down on the Downing M2 ahead of them. Steady Eddy looks forward to continuing their upward trajectory for the rest of the week!

A very strong start to our Lents campaign and we can look forward to some more great results as the week progresses. My thanks to all for their kind wishes and emails of support, and to our hardy Bank Parties without whom we can’t race.

Photo: W1 Cox and Stroke.

Lily Bacon DL FRSA

Fellow Commoner & Boat Club Senior Captain