It’s that time again.

The usual forerunner: CRA Time Race. Results at http://www.rowclock.com/Results/Time?raceId=120&scrolling=False. W1 and M1 won the masters categories.

Summary for the week: M1 down 2; M2 up 3; M3 down 2 up 1. W1 down 3; W2 down 3; W3 down 2 up 1. Overall -8 on the week. And, since positions aren’t kept this time, we get to do it all again next year!

Thanks for Jo Crisall for the videos, and Ralph Percival for many of the pix.

Monday

This year is the “staggered” pattern, with M1 and W1 not rowing. So it was nice to see M2 rowing just for once. And… they went up! A solid row against a decent crew, but they were faster. Vidz: Jo, William. Alas, M3, W3 and W2 were less happy and went… down. Vidz: W2 William, Jo. Weather: calm and sunny. Pix: courtesy of various, esp Ralph P.

Tuesday

M3: up. Well done them, catching the Tabs 10 crew that caught them yesterday. W1 and M1: row overs.

M1: somewhat nervously listened to the (distant) thunder whilst marshalling at Stourbridge but all went off OK. A decent start, perhaps a little wobbly halfway down FP, ominously City two behind bumped Nines behind before FP and then we didn’t get those naughty Hills Road Returners ahead of us. Vid.

W1: sat in anticipation watching the lightning in the distance beyond Green Dragon Bridge (maybe the weather was setting the tone for the race). With St. Neots (an unknown entity) chasing us and Cantabs ahead we knew it was going to be a tough race. After a solid start, moving up on Cantabs, we settled into a steady rhythm and held station but with Champs pushing St. Neots up the “excitement” started to rattle us. Still on station around FP with Matthew steering round bumped out crews we pushed on. Round Grassy we could see that City was pushing up on to Champs and tried to remain cool. Champs bumped St. Neots leaving us to go the distance of the course in a solid row over.

W3: After a torrid first night on Monday, W3 rowed down to our station on Tuesday, determined to do business. This time we started strong and a quick glance after we settled showed that Nines 6 did not pose much of a risk. The whistles and cheers behind us that followed shortly after, told their own story. With all immediate danger gone, we settled down for a good strong rowover. The way the Divisions fell this year, meant that the second half of our “sandwich” was not till Wednesday, but Dave kept us rowing as though we had something to prove. We took the corners in style and finished with a lovely, strong, well-set row up an empty reach, powering past the White House with a great deal of satisfaction. A rowover was the best we could hope for at the top of the Division, and it was a great confidence boost that we had rowed over well. Many thanks to Dave and to our subs, Anne and Sam (rowing her second race in her first bumps) and, of course to Masha, who has stepped into the boat for the whole week.

Wednesday

M1: doooown to City 2 before Frist Post. But, we rowed faster than Tuesday. Vid. W1: dooooown to Champs 1. M2: up! Again. The little scoundrels. They had to chase all the way to the reach for it though. Vid. W2: doooown to Tabs 6.

Thursday

The usual blogging tailing off towards the end of the week… What happened on Thursday then? M1 rowed over: nothing head of us because City; behind us Tabs caught Nines before First Post and after that we were cruising. Vid. M2 were up, another short one. Vid; M3 lost a crabbing competition to Tabs 10. Vid. W1 went down, so the Prosecco competition with M1 looks promising. Vid. Ws 2 and 3 also down, boo.

Friday

M1 down, a death foretold: the Tabs crew that caught Nines last night got us tonight, though a little later. Vid. M2: row-over behind the Evil Aquaphobes. Tough luck boys no entry into M1 for you this year. Vid. M3: row over. Vid.

W1 down. Vid. W2: row over. Vid. W3: up.

Afterwards: drinks at the Spring until Really Quite Late, then for those whose bodies or wills had not failed then, the Hell that is City.