![[Amy Banham-Hall]](../../rsarchives/mt05/rsmt052b.jpg)
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This term has seen St Catz women successes both in College bumps racing and in nationally acclaimed regattas.
Two weeks before Eights, St Catz hit Bedford Regatta in force. The women teamed up with Pembroke to enter several composite events. Those without points from each college entered the Women's Novice Eights races, performing extremely well to beat Worcester W1 (to be chasing Catz in Eights) in the Semi final. In the final they fought bravely, though lost out to Balliol W1 - no mean feat, considering Balliol were Torpids blade winners, and this was a scratch composite of our less experienced crew members!
The other girls entered a Senior 3 Eight, again winning all their races (including beating the crew at the head of the river in Cambridge bumps). Apparently, our performance was so awesome that our opposition (another Cambridge college crew) decided not to show up to the final race, meaning we went home with pots and points - though feeling slightly cheated out of the opportunity to fight out a final!
A combination of the training camp at the end of Easter, race experience gained through Bedford, and the grit and determination of all involved - from novice to senior - ensured the women's squad all reached their peak in time for Eights week.
The racing got off to a perfect start - quite literally, as we managed to bump Oriel W1 (who had bumped their way to the headship in Torpids) before hitting our stride.
The next day we were chasing Keble. Again, we got a flying start which brought us to within half a length of them by the end of the gut. However, their crew (probably about twice the size of our girls) deserve credit for their guts, and managing to remain composed as they held us off through the rest of the course and we rowed over the finish line.
On the third day, we were faced with seeing through the previous day's task. Once more, we moved up on Keble, this time to within a quarter of a length - though as Keble hit their stride they just managed to pull away to safety and we rowed over again. Being sandwich boat, Keble went on to race again in the first division and bumped Merton down to be chased by us on the last day.
The final day brought bitter disappointment to our crew, as once again we moved up rapidly to have overlap on Merton. We were just moving in for the bump, when the claxon was sounded and the division stopped. Though there was some controversy as the Merton cox raised his hand (whether before or after the claxon, we shall never know), the bump was not awarded. We shall have to wait until next year for the joy of bumping back into division one!
This year, though we have no blade to show for our efforts, we have achieved more than our bump shows. Not only have we managed to stop the fall of successive Catz W1 crews over the last few years, but we have proven to be one of the fastest W1 crews on the water. I think, if Summer Eights were side by side races, the results would have been a lot different!
Throughout the term, Bianca Rautenbach (next year's Captain) put in an enormous amount of time and effort running the novice training programme for the women. Despite the fact the second eight which raced in Summer Eights consisted more or less of complete novices, the girls showed an enormous amount of spirit and managed to keep Catz W2 in the fixed divisions, meaning next year's second eight will not have to Row On.
In eight years of rowing, I have never had such fun, or experienced such a strong sense of team spirit as I have since coming to Catz. I have learnt a huge amount over this year being Captain, and wish Bianca all the best for next year, when, I am sure, Catz girls will continue to go up!
![[Peter Goult]](../../rsarchives/mt05/rsmt052c.jpg)
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The rowing term started in -1th week at Eton College, where 17 Catz rowers and a coach spent 6 days training under the spires of Windsor Castle. Having secured an exceptional deal in regards to facilities, we spent a week training in Men's and Women's VIIIs, IVs, doubling and sculling, being coached from a launch and enjoying the local tourism. Much progress was made in the run up to term and we have hopefully secured the ability to go training again there next year. Thanks to the rowing society for their support.
Having settled back into life in College, M2 and W1 began training regularly under the coaching of Matthew Elliott, and Amy and I began to hand over the captaincy to next year's victims, Mal and Bianca. They set up a novice training programme, and with the help of some other individuals were able to create a beer VIII and a W2.
The next big fixture was Bedford Regatta, in which Catz men entered two competitions with M1, a novice VIII and a IV. The results are included but it was excellent race experience for all concerned despite not winning anything. Catz also purchased an excellent new Sims Evo heavy weight four for the men to replace the unraceable training IVs previously available. A grand addition to the fleet that gave rise to W1 training at Wallingford for a weekend in an exchange the weekend before VIIIs.
Summer VIIIs went very well, with the Beer VIII qualifying and adding a considerable atmosphere to the boathouse, M2 bumping 3 out of four days, very narrowly missing out on blades due to the two boats ahead of them bumping out at the top of the division, meaning they had no one to overbump. The produced a hugely impressive crew speed given teh diversity of rowers in the boat and the quality bodes well for next year.
M1 were a little more difficult. With 4 Blues, 6 National Standard rowers and the cox of the Isis boat, it was set to be interesting. After design faults with the Sims meant we only received Hostile Intent back 1 week before the races, and with crew members disappearing to Denmark, Germany, France and Croatia, we only got about 4 outings in before the first day of VIIIs.
Despite this, we had quick starts and lots of horse power and bumped Teddy Hall, New College, Exeter and Oriel, (giving the last one spoons - yes!), all in the gut or by Donny Bridge, winning us blades, and reacing the highest position in Torpids and VIIIs in St. Catherine's Boat Club history. M1 is the only Catz crew ever to get double blades, and the last time M1 did so was in 1982 when Anu was rowing, moving from Div 3 to Div 2. We now lie 6th on the river in Torpids and 5th in VIIIs.
I have handed over Captaincy to Mal, now becoming President of the boat club, and I am confident he will do an excellent job. The college has invited us to chalk our blades up in the new quad and is throwing us a double bumps supper in 8th week. It has been a tempestuous but rewarding year and St. Catz is looking bright for the future, moving towards its rightful position in the top few rowing colleges in the university.