21st June 2008

Senior Men Step Up at Marlow

The Senion men’s top boat went to Marlow Regatta this weekend as a last opportunity to prove their pedigree ahead of Henley Royal. Competing at Senior 2 in the coxless four, the crew of Ian Bell (str), Peter Crush, Adam Ellis & Michael Dowell looked forward to racing against prospective HRR Wyfold competition, although the preceding week’s training had been disrupted by illness in the crew.

The heat saw Twickenham line up against crews form Gloucester, Tyne, Nottingham and Kingston knowing that this was a real benchmark for HRR qualification. At the ‘go’ Twickenham crew executed a slick start, striking 42 and when Bell called the stride at forty seconds the boat was half a length up on the field.

Over the next 1000m the experienced Gloucester crew in Lane Two set a hard rhythm into the stiff headwind and clawed their way back to parity and ultimately the lead, with Twickenham neck and neck with Tyne for second. Into the last 500m Tyne had taken a canvas lead over Twickenham, who in turn were under considerable pressure from Nottingham in fourth. However the boys absorbed the Nottingham push and deployed their own sprint for the line to finish in third, with the sixth fastest time in the heats taking them into the repechage.

Twickenham were drawn in the far lane in the repechage. After a competitive start the boat began to lose ground on the opposition at 500m and no amount of effort and will power could make up the deficit. Twickenham rowed into sixth, in a time much poorer than that posted in the heats.

Disappointed, but realistic, the boys knew that the repechage was a step too far, with the prior week’s maladies taking their toll on the engine room of the boat. However, the day had been invaluable in showing that a fit and healthy crew were more than a match for many in the Wyfold. The boys are now looking forward to the next few weeks and the excitement that comes in the build up to Royal Henley.