Photo Gallery
Women's 1st Boat (and some experiences with the Men)By Guy Rudman, W1 Coxswain, M1 Sub
Originally for the SHIP magazine Summer Eights is the college rowing event of the year. Crews from every college line up on the river, and when the starting gun (think artillery rather than pistol) is fired, they chase each other down until a bump occurs: either there is contact between the two boats, or one boat concedes to another. The W1 knew what we had to do going into Wednesday of Eights – as ‘sandwich boat’ for Division 1 (each division has 13 boats), we had to row the course as the first boat in Division 2, and then chase down a Division 1 crew in the next race to secure our place in the top division of college rowing. After a training camp at the beginning of Trinity term—organised by our fabulous captain Kate McLoughlin—and welcoming the OUWBC blue boat stroke-seat Esther Austin to our crew, we felt like we could bring the heat this year, and continue our steady climb up the divisions. The row-over went just as planned, with Balliol mercilessly bumping St Catherine’s behind us allowing us to row the course in peace at our own pace, although a rampant St John’s crew-who were trying to close the enormous gap-meant that we kept our wits about us. Next it was our task to hunt down Hertford – our lightning start combined with some tight steering meant that we were right in their wash within 200 metres, and they conceded soon enough, helped on by our bow seat screaming the Hertford cox’s name, ordering them to concede! Our day’s work left us elated in the summer sunshine to officially be a Division 1 crew for the first time since 1995. Day one, job done. We knew Thursday would be tough, but we didn’t know it would go quite the way it did! With the hungry Balliol crew behind us bumping Hertford to be the sandwich boat chasing us, our mission was to hold them off long enough to catch the New College crew in front of us. Another quick getaway and some tactical steering meant that we were on New’s stern in a flash, but their pace once they settled meant that we sat in their wash, metres away but not quite closing the gap… Meanwhile, Balliol had made the best of the bend in the river and were putting down watts in our own wash. As the three crews, separated by almost nothing, headed into the gut, the tightest turn of the course, we knew it was now or never. Putting in a mammoth push, we risked it all and steered as tightly as possible round the bend, clipping a tree with our blades. Props to the crew for keeping their cool for that one! The push paid off, and we ploughed into the side of New’s stern, just as Balliol put in a push of their own. Bump secured. However, we couldn’t stop to celebrate – the tangle that ensued from our bump meant that we could not clear the racing line for Balliol, who hadn’t seen our bump on New, and they hit our stern hard. We managed to free ourselves, and Balliol rowed off, still technically a racing crew at that point. Dinner that evening with the rowers was certainly quieter than the previous day – but our women had put a shift in and it had paid off. Friday saw us chasing Jesus, our best friends and fiercest rivals on the river. After some friendly, competition-fuelled banter on the start lines, it was up to us to do the talking on the water. Our huge, now perfected, start saw us close to a length, but we couldn’t keep up with their pace in the settle, and followed them all the way down the course to the coxing stone (the finishing post). Any differences were settled at a massive crewdate (dinner with lots of drinks and games) two weeks later; nothing but love for those guys! Saturday of Eights is perhaps the biggest event of the Oxford calendar. Well over 10,000 people are estimated to line the banks and fill boathouse island, making it almost impossible to get a boat out! At this point it is definitely worth mentioning the fiasco that our men’s boat faced that day… Having unfortunately been bumped earlier in the day we celebrated in the usual way with Prosecco, beer, and Pimm's, and some of our rowers left to get changed or buy more supplies. However, a last-minute appeal involving St Antony’s re-promoted us to sandwich boat! Flabbergasted, we grabbed everyone and anyone who could hold a blade and who wasn’t rowing in a different boat, virtually threw our boat on the water, and set off, being the only boat not downstream of the gut when the five-minute warning gun had gone off! As it turned out, we wouldn’t even make it that far – the steering line, having been hit hard by Antony’s earlier in the day, snapped in two as we rowed down the Greenbanks stretch. Our fantastic (last-minute substitute!) cox Amy managed to pressure-steer us and land at Longbridges, where we fixed the steering with a shoelace! Sitting at Longbridges with members of OURCs racedesk rushing around trying to find a way to fix our poor boat, we discovered that the appeal was overturned, and had we actually rowed to the starting line, there wouldn’t have been space for us anyway. Once we eventually returned to the Anne's boathouse thoroughly annoyed and amused, and running off pure adrenaline, I (as both M1 rower and W1 cox) hopped out the boat and went to cox the W1 warmup. Rowing past boathouse island on Saturday of Eights is a feeling like no other – the noise and the energy is inspiring and intoxicating. As it turned out, Balliol’s charge was not to be stopped. While we hoped that the staggeringly strong St John’s crew behind them might pose a threat, the John’s crew didn’t even try to chase Balliol down. Balliol got their well-deserved bump after all, but both of us had made it into solid Division 1 territory! Rowing back to boathouse island, even after being bumped, is something I will never forget – all the celebrations that came after, being chucked in the river, the lovely evening with my friends, was the cherry on top of a fantastic week for the Anne’s W1. |
Women's 2nd Boat "Saints"
By Amy Jenkins, Saints Coxswain, 2023/24 Captain of Coxes
Wednesday
The weather was perfect as the Saints arrived at Longbridges Boathouse for the first day of a week of high splits and higher spirits.
Optimistic about our chances of bumping the crew ahead we paddled to the bunglines for a strong start that saw us gaining half a length on Queen’s W3. Enthused by the chance of a bump on the slowing Queens crew we failed to see what they were slowing for - a Worcester crew stuck in the trees - and cleared the line too early. Realising our mistake, we were bumped by a chasing Exeter W3 as we attempted to re-join the racing line…
Thursday
Thursday brought with it fresh legs for the Anne’s middle four and a crew hungry for a bump on the Exeter crew.
Unvanquished by the previous day’s events and determined to reclaim our place on the river, we settled into a rate that nearly but not quite brought us within bumping distance. Although we were never able to get close enough for a bump, the girls rowed gallantly keeping Exeter in our sights and maintaining a comfortable distance from a chasing Lincoln crew, finishing with clear water behind us!
Friday
With even more fresh legs in the middle four and a crew hungrier than ever to bump, Friday saw our strongest start of the week! As the Exeter crew before us began to succumb to our relentless charge, the crew before them slowed and we found ourselves the final boat in a three-boat sandwich. With both boats in front of us now stopped in the racing line the klaxon sounded just as we began to steer around saving us a long row to the finish line and winning us a technical bump!
Saturday
Carried by a tide of enthusiasm from Fridays bump we began our final race in a cheerful mood. Despite a strong start and the cheers from a large crowd of supporters on the bank we were chased down by and conceded (this time quite deliberately) to the Queens crew just after Donnington Bridge. Proud of our rowing and with our heads held high we paddled home, albite in a somewhat subdued mood. Unbeknownst to us however, a St Peter’s crew taking a pre-race swim in the river had led to the division being klaxoned moments before the fatal concession took place, meaning that the Saints had rowed over! And so, as the OURC’s tannoy proclaimed the good news to all and sundry, our week of hard fought and thoroughly enjoyable racing drew to a close on an unexpected high.
As we look forward to the new season and back on our week of highs, lows, and gruelling rows, I am so enormously proud of the Anne’s and Hilda’s women whose gallantry on the water never for a moment suggested that we had but a week’s training as a composite crew. And so, for the last time, YEAH SAINTS!
Wednesday
The weather was perfect as the Saints arrived at Longbridges Boathouse for the first day of a week of high splits and higher spirits.
Optimistic about our chances of bumping the crew ahead we paddled to the bunglines for a strong start that saw us gaining half a length on Queen’s W3. Enthused by the chance of a bump on the slowing Queens crew we failed to see what they were slowing for - a Worcester crew stuck in the trees - and cleared the line too early. Realising our mistake, we were bumped by a chasing Exeter W3 as we attempted to re-join the racing line…
Thursday
Thursday brought with it fresh legs for the Anne’s middle four and a crew hungry for a bump on the Exeter crew.
Unvanquished by the previous day’s events and determined to reclaim our place on the river, we settled into a rate that nearly but not quite brought us within bumping distance. Although we were never able to get close enough for a bump, the girls rowed gallantly keeping Exeter in our sights and maintaining a comfortable distance from a chasing Lincoln crew, finishing with clear water behind us!
Friday
With even more fresh legs in the middle four and a crew hungrier than ever to bump, Friday saw our strongest start of the week! As the Exeter crew before us began to succumb to our relentless charge, the crew before them slowed and we found ourselves the final boat in a three-boat sandwich. With both boats in front of us now stopped in the racing line the klaxon sounded just as we began to steer around saving us a long row to the finish line and winning us a technical bump!
Saturday
Carried by a tide of enthusiasm from Fridays bump we began our final race in a cheerful mood. Despite a strong start and the cheers from a large crowd of supporters on the bank we were chased down by and conceded (this time quite deliberately) to the Queens crew just after Donnington Bridge. Proud of our rowing and with our heads held high we paddled home, albite in a somewhat subdued mood. Unbeknownst to us however, a St Peter’s crew taking a pre-race swim in the river had led to the division being klaxoned moments before the fatal concession took place, meaning that the Saints had rowed over! And so, as the OURC’s tannoy proclaimed the good news to all and sundry, our week of hard fought and thoroughly enjoyable racing drew to a close on an unexpected high.
As we look forward to the new season and back on our week of highs, lows, and gruelling rows, I am so enormously proud of the Anne’s and Hilda’s women whose gallantry on the water never for a moment suggested that we had but a week’s training as a composite crew. And so, for the last time, YEAH SAINTS!