SCCRS Newsletter#1, Trinity Term, 2002

Newsletter#1, Trinity Term, 2002 (27th April)
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The Boat Races

**Results of the 2002 Boat Races**
Event	Winner	Time	Dist.
Men's Blue Boat	OUBC	16:54	²/₃ L
Men's Reserves	Isis	17:27	2 ¹/₄ L
Women's Blue Boat	OUWBC	6:02	2 L
Women's Reserves	Osiris	6:09	1 ³/₄ L
Men's Lightweights	OULRC	5:21^*	2 L
Men's Lwt Reserves	Nephthys	5:33^*	2 L
Women's Lwt	OUWLRC	6:05	4 L
Event record^*

A satisfactory year for Oxford rowing, winning all 7 Boat Races against Cambridge. However, I note that some in the Light Blue camp are now counting the Veterans' Boat Race as part of the series so they can claim it was only 8-1 to Oxford (Cambridge veterans beat Oxford by 2/3 L, Tony Mitchell (M.78) was Catz' first ever representative in that event). Well, I suppose we'd better throw them something otherwise they might not want to play next year.

Members of University crews 1993-2002
1 Pembroke 47
2 Keble 41
3 Oriel 37
4 New College 35
5 Brasenose 26
6 Magdalen 24
7 St Catherine's 23
8= St Edmund Hall 22
8= Worcester 22
10= Lincoln 21
10= St Hilda's 21
Matt Smith stroked OUBC to perhaps the hardest victory the Boat Race has ever seen, Angus Warner had a slightly more comfortable race in the Isis stroke seat, Fiona Howarth rowed no.7 in Osiris, Mike Bull (bow) and Will Mulholland (no.4) both rowed for the record-breaking OULRC crew. With five representatives, Catz rowers formed the third largest contingent in this year's Oxford crews (Pembroke had 7 and Oriel had 6), and, counting the past 10 years, promotes us from 10th to 7th.

**Members of University crews 1993-2002**
1	Pembroke	47
2	Keble	41
3	Oriel	37
4	New College	35
5	Brasenose	26
6	Magdalen	24
7	St Catherine's	23
8=	St Edmund Hall	22
8=	Worcester	22
10=	Lincoln	21
10=	St Hilda's	21

Fiona Howarth, Osiris-Blondie Race

Training consisted of about 11 sessions a week during the winter through the cold and wet, as well as the slightly warm. It was a tough time to keep focused on the job in hand: beating Cambridge on the 24th March. The crew consisted of both experienced club rowers as well as the talented college oarswomen who had come up through the Oxford system. The main spark we had was that we all knew how to have a good time, as well as get down to work when we needed to.

[Fiona Howarth] Through Hilary Term we had a number of matches outside Oxford, including beating the Marlow 2nd VIII, tussles with an 'old girls' crew and another with Kingston. With 10 days to go, the whole squad moved down to Henley for the pre-race camp. We lived in beautiful houses as crews, and my stomach muscles hurt, not from the rowing but more from the never-ending laughter.

After a great week came the 'very serious day'. As much as we had prepared (with visualizations, videos and many psychology sessions), it was a very nerve-racking experience to go out and represent your university in front of at least 10,000 people, with their eyes completely on you. After all the training, and all the build up, I was ready to race. We took our position on the start, and (third time lucky, after stakeboat problems) we saw the flag drop. The first minute was the most painful, as nothing seemed to be making a difference, but by Upper Thames Rowing Club we began to lead.

The atmosphere and Oxford support was fantastic, and coming past the 500 m mark, it felt like a huge bubble of noise had just swallowed the boat. It was brilliant to know that most of those shouts were for us, and helped us to push on even harder. With 500 m to go, I could see our cox trying to suppress her smile as we led with clear water. We both knew that the win was in our hands; we just had to hold on tight. As we took it across the finish line, I couldn't believe it - we had trained almost 3 hours for each stroke of that race, and we had won! For the next week, I just couldn't stop smiling. The only sad bit is that it was over so quickly. I made some wonderful friends and had some amazing highs. I was very pleased to have been part of the Oxford Boat Race Success of 2002 and, hopefully, will be back again next year.

Michael Bull, Men's Lightweights' Race

We'd done the training - 7 months of it - we'd changed our crew order more times than I'd ever thought possible, we'd weighed in, we'd watched our reserves, we'd shaved our heads, there was nothing left to do before the race. And here we were, spinning onto the stakeboat, our race delayed by half an hour, with various 'self-important officials' yelling instructions to our cox. I'd been warned about this feeling, but never really understood it until I was there: 'Someone just say ''GO!'''. And then someone did.

The first thing I remember after that was about 2 minutes in, the call 'two man, KILL!' (meaning break to clear water - a lesson we learned when we nearly lost a match with Notts Co. for not doing so), looking across seeing Cambridge really were nearly a length behind, and the incredible feeling - we're going to win!

It's been said that this is true competition for its own sake - amateur sport, months of training, one race. Where the winner takes all and the loser leaves with nothing. Now I'm sitting in front of a pile of maths that should have been done a year ago, with my finals 6 weeks away, and I've given up all hope of leaving my desk before then. But I'm surrounded by memories of the day I left Henley with a winner's medal and a dark blue oar.

Special thanks to Tony, Sarah and Helen for all their moral support.

Summer Eights

**2002 St Catherine's Eights and race times**
Crew	Starting Posn.	Wed-Fri	Sat
Men's I	10th in Div I	6.45	5.45
Women's I	2nd in Div I	6.15	5.15
Women's II	11th in Div III	4.05	3.05
Men's II	4th in Div IV	3.30	2.30
Racing starts:		12.00	11.00

As mentioned in the last newsletter, there will not be the usual alumni buffet in Hall on the Saturday of Eights (25th May) this year. Instead, the Rowing Society is organising a buffet lunch in the boathouse. If you keep thinking that one day you'd like to bring the family down to show them just why you spent all that time on the river in Oxford, this might be the opportunity. Places are limited so please book early. After the lunch there will be a tea/Pimms bar open all afternoon. And bring some rowing kit! I'll be around the boathouse on Saturday afternoon trying to drum a scratch crew to go for a paddle after the end of racing (5.45) and still get back to College in time for the '70's Anniversary Dinner. Incidentally, if any of you attending the various Anniversary Dinners throughout the summer want to get together to take out a boat beforehand, please get in touch.