Merton College Boat Club - Recently Updated Pages

Alumni

alexlinsley — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:29:49 CDT

MCBC are keen to build strong links with alumni. Please get in touch with the Alumni/PR Officer Alex Linsley (alexander.linsley@merton.ox.ac.uk) to introduce yourself or just keep up with what's going on.

The best way to keep up with MCBC is through our website. We also publish news through official college publications, such as Postmaster. We are hoping to start sending a less formal newsletter to alumni soon - please email Alex Linsley to register interest and make sure you receive a copy.

MCBC Alumni Day
MCBC were proud to hold our inaugural dinner for alumni on Saturday of 6th, Trinity Term 2009 (6th June). The day started with a barbeque at the boat house and races between the M1/M2 Eights crews and a boat made up of alumni. This preceeded the christening of the DC Winfield MBE and Charles Target. Despite the atrocious weather it was a great afternoon. After a chance to dry off about 50 current and past members of the boat club (plus friends), met for drinks in college before dining in the Saville Room. The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic and there has been plenty of postive feedback from the college development office, current members and alumni alike.

*** MCBC Update ***
The Development Office and MCBC Committee have agreed that the MCBC Alumni Day was a great success and intend to hold the event again next year.
The date has been provisionally agreed for Saturday of 6th, Trinity 2010 (5th June 2010).

Club Sponsorship

alexlinsley — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:28:30 CDT

Merton College Boat Club has been very thankful for the support of Herbalife during the 2008-2009 season.

www.herbalife.com

A company that focuses mainly on nutrition for triathletes, Herbalife has broadened its reach to the rowing community through its sponsorship of MCBC.

As well as financial support of the Club, they also provided access to the full range of Herbalife products at low cost, allowing the Merton crews to prepare well for the Bumps season. In return, the Herbalife stall at the Merton Boathouse during Torpids and Eights received a lot of traffic from interested sportsmen and women from across the University and was a great success.

We look forward to continuing this relationship over the coming years.

For more information please contact alexander.linsley@merton.ox.ac.uk (MCBC PR and Alumni Officer)

Contact Information

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:53:07 CDT

Please write to the club at:

Merton College Boat Club
Merton College
Oxford
OX1 4JD

Please feel free to email the relevant Boat Club Committee Member with questions, comments etc:

General/rowing:
Men's Captain: James McMillan
Women's Captain: Kate Summers

Finances/donations:
Treasurer: Mike Eager

General/administrative:
Secretary: Patrick Butlin

Alumni/sponsorship:
PR/Alumni Officer: Alex Linsley

Coxing:
Captain of Coxes: Sam Hannaford

Social Secretaries:
Men's Social Sec: Kyle Martin
Women's Social Sec: Amy Smith

Safety:
Water Safety Officer: Alistair Hodgson

MCBC Committee

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:32:20 CDT

Below are the current MCBC committee along with contact information.

From the MCBC committee page you can also link to information on:
MCBC Constitution
Committee Business
Captains' Reports

Men's Captain: James McMillan
james.mcmillan@merton.ox.ac.uk

Women's Captain: Kate Summers
katherine.summers@merton.ox.ac.uk

Men's Vice-captain: Richard Millar
richard.millar@merton.ox.ac.uk

Boat Club Secretary: Patrick Butlin

patrick.butlin@merton.ox.ac.uk

Social Secretary: Kyle Martin
kyle.martin@merton.ox.ac.uk

Social Secretary: Amy Smith
amy.smith@merton.ox.ac.uk

Boat Club Treasurer: Mike Eager
michael.eager@merton.ox.ac.uk

Public Relations Officer: Alex Linsley
alexander.linsley@merton.ox.ac.uk

Safety Officer: Alistair "Hobo" Hodgson
alistair.hodgson@merton.ox.ac.uk

Roll of Honour: Former Men's Captains

2008-9: John Allen
2007-8: Martin Michalski/Nikolai Hartley/
John Allen
2006-7: Rob Sinclair
2005-6: Owain Loft
2004-5: Nat Mason
2003-4: Russell Ewings
2002-3: Jim Squires
2001-2: Alex Street

Gallery of Videos

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:30:05 CDT

Torpids 2008: Saturday	ABOUT THIS VIDEO
	Who: M1 What: Div. 2 Where: Isis When: Saturday Why: Torpids 2008 Comments: M1 almost bump Wolfson M1 (1.29) - "Bollocks"

Rowing Technique by Flip Luisi	ABOUT THIS VIDEO

Cracknell versus Pinsent	ABOUT THIS VIDEO

VIDEO TITLE	ABOUT THIS VIDEO
	Who: Our esteemed Boat Club Captain Where: ITL When: 6:30 every morning Why: Because John likes bananas

ERG TECHNIQUE

ABOUT THIS VIDEO

How to use proper technique on the Concept2 rowing machine.

Sprint Ergs	ABOUT THIS VIDEO
	Who: Some of M1 What: Sprint Ergs Where: The Pav When: 05/05/08 Why: To get blades

CONCEPT2 MONTAGE	ABOUT THIS VIDEO
	Why: "Banter"

Crew Photos

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:46:07 CDT

HILARY TERM 2008

Who: M1 What: Div. 2 Where: Isis When: Saturday Why: Torpids 2008

Who: W1 What: Div 1 Where: Isis Why: Torpid 2008

Who: M1 What: HORR Where: Tideway When: Saturday 2008

The Isis

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:39:48 CDT

The Isis is the name for the stretch of the River Thames as it flows through Oxford. The majority of Merton rowers train on the Isis, based in the Boathouse. The Isis is also the site of all the Oxford regattas during the year, notably Torpids and Eights Bumps races.

Circulation and Rules

A detailed map of the Isis (opens in new window)

There are some important points that need to be emphasised to ensure that outings are safe for you and other crews. Most of the OURCs rules are there to ensure that crews act safely when out on the water, and don't cause inconvenience to other crews. Breaking these rules costs the club money – clubs can be fined for breaking them.
In general, rowing boats should stick to the right hand side of the river. Try and stick close to the bank: faster boats pull out towards the middle of the river to overtake slower boats. You should aim to have (quite a bit) less than a boat width between you and the bank, although with a very inexperienced crew the boat may not naturally stick to a straight line, so you may have to stay a bit further away than normal. You may also have to edge further out than this when coming up to landing stages.
If you start drifting to the middle of the river, STOP and head back to the bank. Always: if in doubt, stop.

Above the Gut

Launching: Point the boat upstream, and wait for any crews that are close by to go past the raft before pushing off. You will often start off rowing in fours, perhaps with hands only: the rudder is very slow to turn the boat going this slowly, so you must make sure that the boat starts off pointing in the right direction!
The Head (of the River). If you are moving, don't be afraid to overtake crews that have stopped by the bank, but crews waiting to turn at the head will queue up along Christ Church Meadow – no queue jumping! Crews normally spin one at a time, but a crew may spin with the crew in front if they ask permission – usually novice crews won't do this until they have gained experience. You should get away from the spinning area quickly, so that the next crews can spin – if you have to pull into the bank to talk with the coach, do so downstream a little way.
Univ (old OUBC boathouse). Crews boat downstream here, and you may not see them until late. Crews may also land upstream if the river is clear – so be aware of who is waiting there.
Long Bridges (Timms). The entrance to the Gut – the most difficult area.
Novice coxes may not go through the gut until they have been coxing for at least a month so will spin here and stay above the Gut, but experienced crews will go straight through. When spinning, you must keep to the right and leave a clear channel for crews coming downstream to the gut.
The stream going under the bridges to the right is strong, so it is important to easy before the rafts, and start spinning as soon as the area is clear – crews can end up getting pulled into the weir channel or pushed onto the bank, where it is difficult to get away. Always stop early rather than late here, as you will drift with the stream. Once you have spun, don't cross to the right unless you are sure that there are no crews coming downstream towards the Gut. Cross, and then stick to the right hand side up the Green Bank towards the Island.

Below the Gut

Coming down the Green Bank, come out from the bank slightly (you'll probably overtake crews waiting to spin) and start to turn in early. You need to turn right into the bend, aiming to skim close to the bank at a shallow angle well into the bend. The red arrows indicate a typical poor course with a crew turning too late and too sharply, so that the angle through the gut itself is too steep; the stream pushes the crew wide round the bend, so they end up in the bank. The purple arrows show an earlier turn in to the mouth of the Gut, so the angle is much narrower and the boat is already turning right into the bend when as they approach it. You must make sure that enough room is left for crews coming up through the Gut.

Once through the gut, normal navigation applies down to the spinning area.
Normal stream: spin once you're past the spinning post at Haystacks. You should not go beyond the Isis Tavern, ever, except if you are intending to go through Iffley Lock. Crews spinning late have been caught in the weir channel in the past (not recently) and been swept over the weir: the stream gets very fast and rowers have died, so spin early. Again, spin and move off immediately.
High stream (not novice coxes): spin after the early spinning post. You should be fully spun by the bottom of the straight and should never be below Haystacks Corner in high stream conditions.
Paddle back upstream.

Flags

The Isis (and all of the non–tidal Thames) is very prone to flooding in the winter months. As the river rises, the stream gets stronger, and the channel leading into the weir by Iffley lock acts as a funnel, meaning the speed of the stream can be very high – faster than an eight can row. In the past, eights have got jammed on the weir – a potentially life–threatening situation. The rules and flag system are intended to prevent this from happening again.
No flag spin immediately at the normal spinning post. If the area is congested, wait, back down, or even spin in front of a crew if that is safest – do not paddle down close to the lock. Any registered cox is allowed out.
Blue flag – spin between the early spinning post (just below Donnington Bridge) and Haystacks corner. DO NOT go below Hasystacks. Only Senior and Experienced coxes are allowed on the river.
Amber flag – spin as for blue flag, taking extra care to ensure that you spin well before Haystacks. Senior coxes and senior crews only are allowed out on the water.
Red flag – No rowing is allowed on the Isis.

River Restrictions (imposed by OURCs)

No member of OURCs may row without permission from the OURCs Secretary between the following times:

Earlier than 1 hour before sunrise, or later than 1 hour after sunset.
Between 8.30am and 1.00pm on weekdays during 1st-8th week of each term (graduate colleges exempt, Proctors' Ruling).
On the Isis between 8.00am and 1.00pm on Sundays (out of courtesy to other river users).
On the Isis after 7.00pm on Wednesdays (out of courtesy to other river users).
On the Godstow stretch on Sundays between 2.00pm and 6.00pm, between March and November inclusive (out of courtesy to the Medley Yacht Club).
On the Godstow stretch on Wednesdays after 7.00pm during Trinity Term (out of courtesy to the Medley Yacht Club).

OURCs members must observe the following restrictions:

Weekdays before 8.00am, from Sunday of 1st week to Saturday of 8th week, no more than 1 crew out on a weekday morning without the written permission of the OURCs committee (to prevent congestion).
Sundays, only one crew from each College is allowed on the Isis at any one time (to prevent congestion).
Weekdays 5.00pm-7.00pm from Monday of 0th Week to Tuesday of 5th Week of Trinity Term, only University crews or those entered for the Senior Divisions in Eights (as defined in B2.7) plus the top crew of the next division and all College 1st VIIIs, may row in IIs, IVs or VIIIs. There is no restriction on smaller boats (as requested by Captains).
During OURCs competitions, or other competitions sanctioned by the OURCs, no crew is allowed on the river except those permitted by the competition rules.
Any University or College Boat Club organising a regatta on the Isis must request a river closure from the OURCs Secretary, such a request to be made at least two weeks in advance.

Other Rules

Rules of the River from OURCs (opens in new window)
The most important ruless that you should be aware of are:

All coxes must wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid
Lights – All boats should have a white light on the bow and stern when going out in poor visibility (dark or fog)
EA licences – there are big fines available, although all our boats are currently licensed, so don't worry too much!
All boats must have a bow ball – find out what one is.
All shoes must have heel restraints fitted – the crew should check these.
Crews should spin in turn and leave the spinning area once they have turned
Crews should not obstruct the Gut by going slower than whole crew paddling
Crews should not normally overtake in the Gut
Crews should not go out if visibility is less than 100m, or ice has formed on the water
Foul or abusive language is prohibited – be polite!

There are some restrictions on novice coxes:

Novice coxes may not go through the Gut until 4th week of their first term
Novice coxes should always be accompanied by a coach
Novice coxes may not go out under high stream conditions (blue flag or higher).

Godstow

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:38:15 CDT

Godstow is an alternative stretch of the Thames, which is used primarily by the training of Merton's Top Boats. The traffic on the Isis is not always conducive to training at high intensities for long periods but Godstow offers a far longer and more open stretch for better quality outings. It is centred around the St Edward's School Boat House (http://pininthemap.com/ppc5e2b71826a4737cf), which is approximately a 20 minute cycle north of Oxford.

Godstow Restrictions

BOATING TIMES FROM SESBC 2009-10

SESBC rafts and site are closed to ALL College crews at the following times.

Mon: 1630 - 1830
Tues: 1330 - 1830
Wed: 1600 - All Evening (Sailing Club)
Thurs: 1330 - 1800
Fri: 1630 - 1830
Sat: 0800 - 0845 and 1330 - 1730
Sun: 1330 - 1800

Crews

alexlinsley — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:30:54 CDT

Eights 2009

Merton M1

Bow: Richard Millar
2: Josh Monahan
3: Alfred Artley
4: John Lee Allen
5: Albert Sampson
6: Patrick Butlin
7: Kyle Martin
Stroke: Mike Eager
Cox: Sam Hannaford

Merton M2

Bow: Jim Armshaw
2: Ben Kett
3: Alistair Hodgson
4: Tom Gillam
5: Alex Linsley
6: Dan Awrey
7: Tim Sherwin
Stroke: Leo Romanenko
Cox: Esther Drabkin-Reiter

Torpids 2009

Merton M1

Bow: John Allen
2: Josh Monahan
3: Richard Millar
4: Mike Eager
5: Kyle Martin
6: Greg Betts
7: James Mcmillan/Leo Romanenko
Stroke: Patrick Butlin
Cox: Sam Hannaford/James Tanner/Lara Ehrenhofer/Lamorna Newcombe

Merton M2

Bow: Marc Jaffre
2: Lee Collins
3: Alec Maynard
4: Peter Chater-Lea
5: Alex Linsley
6: Dan Awrey
7: Jim Armshaw
Stroke: Albert Sampson
Cox: Esther Drabkin-Reiter/James Tanner/Lara Ehrenhofer

Summer Eights 2008

Merton M1

Bow: John Allen
2: Alfred Artley
3: Joshua Monahan
4: James Mcmillan
5: Timothy Sherwin
6: Adam Caines
7: Gregory Betts
Stroke: Timo Idema
Cox: Lamorna Newcombe

Merton M2

Bow: Alistair Haggerty
2: Tim Williams
3: Peter Eccles
4: Chris Colgate
5: Krishna Omkar/Amun Sachdev
6: Peter Chater-Lea
7: Phil Aherne
Stroke: Albert Sampson
Cox: Lara

Sandeep Sengupta (Either)
Barney Mcmanigal (Either)
Saattvic (Either)
Chris Lloyd (Bowside)
Nik Alatortsev (Bowside)
Andrew Jarvis (Stroke)
Christian Westerlind-Wigstrom (Stroke)

Merton W1

Bow:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
Stroke:
Cox:

Merton W2

Bow:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
Stroke:
Cox:

Torpids 2008

Merton M1

Bow: John Allen
2: Adam Caines
3: Greg Betts
4: James Mcmillan
5: Robert Sinclair
6: Nikolai Hartley
7: Timo Idema
Stroke: Thomas Traill
Cox: Lamorna Newcombe

Merton M2

Bow: Alistair Haggerty
2: Albert Sampson
3: Matthew Wilson
4: Christian Westerlind Wigstrom
5: Joshua Monahan
6: Saattvic
7: Tim Sherwin
Stroke: Alfred Artley
Cox: Joanna Mclenaghan

Merton W1

Bow: Lara Ehrenhofer
2: Rachel Grandey
3: Katherine Watson
4: Aurelie Dekoninck
5: Hannah Walsh
6: Amy Jones
7: Nicole Mangion
Stroke: Jenny Crowter
Cox: Michael O'Hagan

Eights 2007

Merton M1

Bow: Patrick Butlin
2: Harry Hurrell/Andy Jarvis
3: Greg Betts
4: Alex Southby
5: Rob Sinclair
6: Nikolai Hartley
7: Leo Romanenko
Stroke: Tom Traill
Cox: Hannah Leadbetter

Torpids 2007

Merton M1

Bow: Patrick Butlin
2: Andy Jarvis
3: Martin Michalski
4: Harry Hurrell
5: Rob Sinclair
6: Nikolai Hartley
7: Leo Romanenko
Stroke: Tom Traill
Cox: Hannah Leadbetter

Eights 2006

Merton M1

Bow: Ollie Hill
2: Nathan Hulme
3: Rob Sinclair
4: Tom Traill
5: Owain Loft
6: Nikolai Hartley
7: Adam Heffill
Stroke: Andy Jarvis
Cox: Vicky Morton

Torpids 2006

Merton M1

Bow: Ollie Hill
2: Nikolai Hartley
3: Adam Heffill
4: Rob Sinclair
5: Nat Mason
6: Owain Loft
7: Patrick Butlin
Stroke: Andy Jarvis
Cox: Vicky Morton

Eights 2005

Merton M1

Bow: Ollie Hill
2: Owain Loft
3: Patrick Butlin
4: Richard Knight
5: Nat Mason
6: Russell Ewings
7: Neil Brown
Stroke: Andy Jarvis
Cox: Susannah Street

Torpids 2005

Merton M1

Bow: Ollie Hill
2: Owain Loft
3: Patrick Butlin
4: Sam Perkins
5: Nat Mason
6: Francis Grady
7: Russell Ewings
Stroke: Andy Jarvis
Cox: Susannah Street/Kirsten Claiden-Yardley

Eights 2004

Merton M1

Bow: Ariel Zylbermann
2: Mark Brighouse
3: Christophe Schramm
4: Russell Ewings
5: Nat Mason
6: David Gillbe
7: Neil Brown
Stroke: Charles Owen
Cox: Kate Pickard

Merton M2

Bow: Stephen Buckley
2: Phil Matthews
3: Patrick Butlin
4: Gus Eyler
5: Max Lieberman
6: Francis Grady
7: Ollie Hill
Stroke: Chesa Boudin
Cox: Emily Fildes/Kirsten Claiden-Yardley

Torpids 2004

Merton M1

Bow: Ariel Zylbermann
2: Charles Owen / Russell Ewings
3: Mike Hardy
4: David Gillbe
5: Russell Ewings / Henry Braun
6: Brian Melican
7: Neil Brown
Stroke: Jim Squires
Cox: Kate Pickard

Merton M2

Bow: Stephen Buckley
2: Chris Hindley
3: Patrick Butlin
4: Chesa Boudin
5: Christophe Schramm
6: Francis Grady
7: Ollie Hill/Madhan Gounder
Stroke: Mark Brighouse
Cox: Emily Fildes/Kirsten Claiden-Yardley

Merton W1 (Head Of The River)

Bow: Estelle Tidey / Gillian Carlisle
2: Maud Reiter
3: Naomi Pollock
4: Tamara Cohen / Francine Oddy
5: Deborah Selden / Estelle Tidey
6: Lydia Ogilvie
7: Sian Alexander
Stroke: Lesley Parry-Jones
Cox: Ben Zurawel

Eights 2003

Merton M1

Bow: Russell Ewings
2: David Gillbe
3: Nat Mason
4: Jamie Brunning
5: Paul Boswell
6:Charles Owen
7: Neil Brown
Stroke: Jim Squires
Cox: Rebecca Thomas

Torpids 2003

Merton M1

Bow: Kerem Bortecen
2: Jamie Brunning
3: Phil Matthews
4: David Gillbe
5: Paul Boswell
6: Dominic Pay
7: Carlo Zenkner
Stroke: Jim Squires
Cox: Rebecca Thomas

Merton W1 (Head Of The River)

Bow: Karen Braun-Munzinger
2: Sian Alexander
3: Tamara Cohen
4: Annaliese Grummitt
5: Elizabeth Collins
6: Deborah Selden
7: Lesley Parry-Jones
Stroke: Roslyn Gill
Cox: Rose Pennells

Eights 2002

Merton M1

Bow: Alex Street
2: Russell Ewings
3: James Viles
4: Dominic Pay
5: Paul Boswell
6: Andrew Faulkner
7: Daniel Gunlycke
Stroke: Jim Squires
Cox: Rebecca Thomas

Coxing

Macca_j — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:55:34 CDT

A good cox can make the difference between success and failure. A cox has to be a combination of coach, motivator, psychologist, race tactician, organiser, emotional crutch for those sensitive rowing types, and be able to steer. In other words, it's a lot more demanding than just sitting in a boat and pulling! But if you're a control freak (c'mon, deep down) with a sense of direction and a willingness to learn, then its the ideal job.You should also have lots of drinks bought for you...

The Captain of Coxes is Sam Hannaford (samantha.hannaford@merton.ox.ac.uk), so please contact her if you're interested in taking up coxing.

Manoeuvring

Before rowing off, you may need to change direction the boat is heading. Alternatively, you may need to get close to the bank to meet your coach. The diagram below shows the plan view of a conventionally rigged 8.

To move to your right (down according to the boat above), there are a couple of ways of doing it:

Turning

There are two ways to turn the boat to your right:
1. "Tap it 2" means row a light stroke 2. This will push the boat forward and to the right.

"2 and 4, row on" will get the rowers at 2 and 4 to start rowing until you tell them to stop ("easy"). This obviously has more of an effect! "One stroke from strokeside" – should be obvious.
2. Alternatively, "back one stroke, 7" tells the rower at 7 to back down for a stroke. This will push the boat backwards, and point the bows to the right.

Getting 5 and 7, or all of bowside, to back down will obviously have more of an effect.
Turning left: get some or all of bowside to row on (go forward and left) or strokeside to back down (go backwards and left).
The choice of whether to get one side to row on or back down will come with experience, but it is a good idea to look where the boat is drifting with the stream or wind, and decide whether going forwards or backwards will help you stop drifting.

Spinning

Sooner or later you will run out of river, and have to turn round.
As we row on the right hand side of the river, to spin the boat we need to turn to the left as the cox looks. Looking above, to turn left, bowside could row on or strokeside could back down. If just bowside rowed on, you would turn round, but in a very wide semicircle: the most efficient way to turn around is to have bow side row on and strokeside back down on alternate strokes. Unsurprisingly, novice crews tend to get a bit confused, so clear commands are vital.
It is sometimes a good idea to use the momentum of the boat to start the turn. If the boat is moving forward, getting 2 to "hold it" by putting his/her blade square in the water (more below!), will cause the boat to turn to the right as it slows to a stop. If spinning in a confined space, it may be necessary to row and back down an uneven number of strokes. Eg:
"Spin the boat, rowing on bowside, backing strokeside, starting with bowside, GO!"
[row] [back] [row] bows are starting to get close to the bank
"Back it 2 strokes strokeside"
[back] [back]
"And joining in bowside again"
The most important thing is to be aware of where you are with respect to the banks and other river traffic, and be LOUD AND CLEAR when telling your crew what to do.

Getting Going

To get going, it is important that the crew knows who is meant to start rowing, and what exactly they should be doing. Setting off, the command should always be:
"(Somebody), (rowing in some way), from (a particular place), Are you ready? GO!"
Somebody: crews that are learning, or doing an exercise may only have 2, or 4 o r 6 people rowing at a time. You might specify:

In pairs: "bow pair" (bow and 2) "stern pair" (7 and stroke) or say "3and 4"
In fours: "bow four" (bow, 2, 3 and 4), "stern four" (5–stroke), "middle four" (3,4,5 and 6), or even "outside four" (bow pair and stern pair)
In sixes: usually "bow six" or "stern six".
All eight: "whole crew"

Rowing in some way: you may well be starting with an exercise, or at a certain side length, or doing several different things:

"square blades"
"hands only/fixed seat/quarter/half/three–quarter/full slide"
"light/half/firm pressure"
or even "normal paddling"

Starting from a particular place in the place. If you want the crew to row in time, it is a good idea to be doing the same thing, so tell them to start fromfrontstops (or just "come forward"), or backstops.
Are you ready? One of them may not be, so listen to see if they shout out! At this point, look to see if they're ready – ie are all the blades in the correct (and same) positions? Are the blades all at the same depth in the water (they should be buried in the water)? If not, remind them: eg "Bury your blade 3"
GO!
So a typical command for a novice crew in the first few weeks might be: "Bow four, square blades, hands only, from back stops; are you ready? {CHECK!} GO". If you speak clearly, then there's a chance they'll do what you want.
And finally, don't be afraid to speak to them rather than just shout orders. Particularly for a senior crew, who will know what you are telling them to do, don't be afraid to speak to them or inject a bit of humour. As long as you know your crew (bearing in mind sarcasm can easily be taken the wrong way) it can be possible to relax them after some slight mishap or if the boat isn't going at its best: "Ok, lets take it off light, whole crew, trying not to row like you're hungover 5, are you ready, GO". Coxes are allowed to be human as long as you're professional when it comes to the bottom line.

Changing course

Sometimes, you might need a bit of help getting round a bend. Getting one side to row hard, or the other side to row light, can help. Eg:

"hard on 2" or "firm strokeside for 2 strokes" or "VERY light bowside" followed by "even pressure" when you've finished the difficult part of the turn disrupts the rhythm of the boat, but is sometimes unavoidable.

Going slowly

You may find that you are coming up to a slower–moving crew and not have enough space to get round. In this case you have several options:

"very light" or "NO pressure" will take some of the speed off your crew
"drop out stern/bow pair/four" will do the same, but is disruptive to the crew
Going to single strokes (in the coaching section) is a useful exercise, and also slows the boat.

Stopping

Either in the usual way:

"Next stroke, [stroke] easy oars (or easy all)"
[The boat should then be sat level with the blades off the water, and will continue to run forward]
"Drop" tells the crew to lower the blades to the water, which will help slow the boat down.
"Take the run off" tells the crew to dig their blades into the water to bring it to a stop quickly.

Or in an emergency:

"HOLD IT UP" tells the crew to dig their blades well into the water and stop the boat as quickly as they can!

Landing

The most important thing to learn about landing smoothly is to approach at the right speed – ie slowly!Depending on the strength of the stream, change to stern four or stern pair when a few boatlengths away from the raft. Turn in at a slight angle, aiming near the middle of the raft – you will get a feeling for how the speed of the boat and strength of stream affect where you aim for. Tell the crew to easy when about 1–2 lengths form the raft, and then start to turn left to bring the stern in. It may be helpful or necessary for stroke, or stroke and 6 to hold it up (either gently or hard) to slow the boat down and bring the stern in. You may also need to remind the crew to lean away from the raft so that riggers and blades don't get caught. If you mess it up, don't be afraid to ask for help!
If there is a very strong tailwind, you may have to aim at the near end of the raft, and come in very slowly, being ready to reach for the raft, or jump out. This is also true when landing downstream, eg at Univ, or at Long Bridges boathouses.
When landing in a crosswind, take care to leave plenty of room if the boat is being blown onto the raft, or come in at a shallower angle if being blown away from the raft:

Once on the raft, you should get out and hold 7's rigger. Bowside should then get out, and hold their riggers. Once bowside is out and holding on to the boat, strokeside can take their blades out and get out of the boat, and then you can go and unlock the boathouse. On other rafts, the side with their blades over the raft should get out first and hold the boat while the other side gets out.

OURCS rules on Coxwains

R6. Registration and Status of Coxswains:

The cox of each crew shall be in possession of an OUCS coxing permit.
The Captain of Coxes shall keep a register of all college coxswains with a permit to cox college crews, which shall detail:
1. The name of the cox.
2. The date of registration.
3. The number of terms of active coxing experience.
4. The status of the cox: "novice", "experienced" or "senior".
5. Any penalties imposed on the cox by OURCs
Newly registered coxes with no previous experience shall be designated "novice".
Coxswains will achieve experienced status after 3 full terms coxing, upon confirmation from their college captain. Exceptions for early promotion to experienced status may be considered upon written application.
Coxes wishing to be accorded "senior" status must apply in writing to the Captain of Coxes, detailing their experience. Applications will normally only be considered from coxes with at least 6 full terms coxing.
The Captain of Coxes shall assign newly registered coxes with previous coxing experience an appropriate status.
Coxes with "novice" status may not take part in an outing without the presence of a coach on the bank or in an accompanying launch, who shall be held responsible for the safety of the crew.
Coxes with "experienced" or "senior" status shall be held responsible for the safety of their crew. An experienced/senior status cox who puts their or any other crew in a situation where damage or danger results is liable to have their permit endorsed or suspended.

Training

Macca_j — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:53:12 CDT

Men's Dev Squad Vac Training

As suggested by Piers.

PLAN FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACESS TO A GYM

Work on as much cardio training as possible - long runs, cyles, swims etc. 4 times a week MINIMUM for serious Dev Squad contenders.

PLAN FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACESS TO A GYM

Start doing some heavy weights .... (project = get stacked!)

- Warm up for 15 mins run or ergo
- Lifting a on a low weight to remind yourself of good technique
- 8 reps of 4 sets
- Cardio work (as above)

CORE

A selection of core exercises:

Plank
V-sits
Crunches
Supermans
Walkouts
Side plank
Roll ups.... with excerise ball

1 min of each. Repeat 3 times

STRETCHING
(Before & after exercise): Whenever possible - flexibility with increase your reach and the efficiency of your strokes. Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Hamstrings (alternate stretch), Iliotibial Band, Lateral Hip, & Lumbar Paraspinals, Psoas (hip flexors), Thoracic, Lumbar Paraspinals, Lateral Rotators of the Hip, and Ribs, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, & Achilles Tendon Stretch, Posterior Rotator Cuff and Capsule & Wrist Flexors.

Women's Summer Eights: Holiday training schedule

Monday: 6x500m erg (please note Jessica's targets) + 10 min stretching
Tuesday: circuits (20 reps x 3) + 10 min streching
Wednesday: 2x20 min erg at 6k pace (2k + 15), SPM 24-26
Thursday: 30 min light workout of your choice + 10 min stretching
Friday: 4x15 min erg (30 strokes on, 10 strokes off at 2k pace + 5)
Saturday: 1 hr run or bike at 80% pressure
Sunday: off

Training tips (Patrick Butlin)

Stretching: flexibility is extremely valuable for good technique, particularly at the catch, where long hamstrings allow greater compression, and stretching will also help prevent injuries and recover after training. If possible, you should stretch your backs, hamstrings, quads, glutes, groin and calves regularly – ideally between warming-up and embarking on the main business of the session. This can be inconvenient, but pay attention to how your body feels, and target your stretching accordingly. If you can’t touch your toes, you need to practice until you can. If you stretch every day (I used to do this while I watched my toast under the grill), and before and after every session, it really won’t take long. This genuinely works – I can’t remember a time before I started rowing that I could touch my toes, I thought it an impossible dream, and now any time I get properly warmed up I can.

Core Stability: this is another point you need to take some responsibility for as an individual. Some of this will be integrated into the training programme, but you should also aim to work on it every day on your own. It means, primarily, strength in your abdominal muscles. The stronger you are in the muscles of your abdomen and lower back, the easier it is to sit up straight in the boat, and control the movements of your torso. This gives you three advantages: your back won’t get damaged; you’ll sit the boat more easily, because your weight won’t move from side to side; and you’ll transfer the work you do with your legs more efficiently to the blade. So you go faster and smoother with less work in more comfort. One way of getting better core stability is to do sit-ups, but ordinary sit-ups are generally too easy – you have to do hundreds to get any effect. One exercise I’ve found helpful goes like this: lie on the floor with your hands on your ears, then lift your legs and pelvis. Make cycling motions in the air with your legs, twisting and lifting your upper body as you do so, so that each time your right leg comes up to your chest, you meet in with your left elbow, and vice versa. Plank is another good one.

Eating, drinking and sleeping: doing lots and lots of all of these is a very good idea. But it’s better if you’re not drinking booze. Complex carbohydrates, whole grains, and protein are things to focus on.

Vacation Work: During the vacation, you should be lifting heavy weights (if you know how to do so safely) and doing long ergs/runs/swims/bike rides. Weights should include squats, leg press, power clean/power pull, bench pull, bench press and similar; the most important muscles for rowing are quads, glutes, and back muscles (and abs). Ergs and runs should be 10-15km, swimming I don’t know anything about, and bike rides should be at least 90 minutes. Vacation training will help you go faster in Eights; potentially, much faster. One other motivation for it is that the fewer ergs you do during the vac, the more the first week or two of training will hurt, and the less you’ll get in return for that effort.

New Members

Macca_j — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:41:40 CDT

Merton College Boat Club

Rowing is a sport that is rapidly gaining popularity in the UK. Olympic Rowing, the World Championships and, not least, the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race have all become eminent events in the British sporting calendar. It is a low impact form of exercise (there is very little stress and strain on your joints) that is a proven way to improve your health and fitness. Rowing at Oxford has a wealth of tradition behind it; intercollegiate rowing is the biggest participation sport in the university and more people try their hand at rowing than any other sport during their time at Oxford. Every college has its own Boat Club, which trains Men’s and Women’s crews to represent the college in the two principal inter-college rowing competitions, Torpids (in Hilary term) and Summer Eights (in Trinity), both of which see large turnouts from students supporting their college crews.

www.mertoncollegeboatclub.com

Rowing with MCBC provides you with the opportunity to take part in these competitions (as well as external regattas, Head races and Christ Church Regatta in Michaelmas, where only novices take part), develop and maintain a high level of physical fitness and meet and socialise with large numbers of people across the years and colleges. You will be able to go on ‘crew dates’ with (opposite gender!) crews from other colleges, come to our termly Boat Club dinners and make lasting friendships with people you might otherwise never meet. And rowing, whether at the serious level of a 1st VIII or only a ‘Beer Boat’ put together at the last minute, is an extremely enjoyable and very addictive sport – witness the huge number of students involved in it. And remember, someone has to steer the boat as well! A good cox is the lynchpin of any rowing crew, it's up to them to motivate their crew, make decisions and steer a winning line during competitions, and you don’t have to be tiny to do it.

If you are interested in trying out rowing or coxing, or just want to learn more, then please come along to our JCR drinks party on 6th October - Tuesday of Fresher’s Week - where you can talk to current Boat Club members, ask questions, meet new people and sign up to our introductory sessions, which will take place later in the week.

If you have any further questions, then please don’t hesitate to get in contact with the captains:
james.mcmillan@merton.ox.ac.uk and katherine.summers@merton.ox.ac.uk

Home of Merton College Boat Club

alexlinsley — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:32:33 CDT

Welcome to the website of Merton College Boat Club, Oxford. Keep visiting the site for the Club's latest news and results and information for current and past members. All members of the boat club can create their own profile, add new events, upload photographs and use the forum.

All members and associate members of Merton College are encouraged to join the Boat Club. Levels of commitment range from our 1st VIII's to those just looking for a lot of fun and great team spirit. Every Michaelmas term about 30 new novice rowers and coxes learn to row, with the majority enjoying it so much they go on to compete at higher levels.

Please see the OURCs website for the current flag status and lighting times.

*** Calling all potential oarsmen, oarswomen and coxes: Joining MCBC ***
Anyone coming up (or returning) to Merton this September interested in rowing see the New Members page. Alternatively email the captains for more information. (James McMillan - james.mcmillan@merton.ox.ac.uk & Kate Summers - katherine.summers@merton.ox.ac.uk)

Latest Updates:

Results for Summer Eights 2009 are available in the News & Results Section

On 6th June 2009 (Saturday of 6th week) MCBC held its inaugural dinner for alumni. It was a pleasure to have so many old members back and to enjoy an afternoon's rowing and dinner afterward with them. We intend to make this a tradition of the club and plans are in place to repeat the celebrations next year on Saturday 5th June 2010. Get involved! Read more about this year's alumni dinner under News & Results. There are some brilliant photos too.

The new committee has formally taken over running the boat club and are looking forward to building on MCBC's sucesses. (And the huge volumes of email that are involved!) Thanks again to the outgoing commitee for their excellent work over the past year.

Race Results

alexlinsley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:40:32 CDT

Brief results for MCBC's recent races are below and are as current as possible!

Oriel Regatta 2009
Event cancelled.

Summer Eights 2009
Overall Results:
M2: Start, 7th Div V. Finish 1st Div V. M2 win Blades!!!
W2: Start, 6th Div IV. Finish 10th Div IV
M1: Start 2nd, Div III. Finish 4th Div III
W1: Start 11th Div I. Finish 2nd Div II

Wednesday Results:
M2: bumped Osler House I (overbump)
W2: bumped by St Johns II
M1: bumped by Christ Church II
W1: row-over (division klaxoned)

Thursday Results:
M2: bumped Queens II
W2: bumped by Magdalen II
M1: bumped by Pembroke II
W1: bumped by Oriel I

Friday Results:
M2: bumped St Benet's I
W2: bumped by St Catherine's II
M1: rowed over (in heroic style)
W1: bumped by St John's I

Saturday Results:
M2: bumped Jesus II and have bumped every day of Eights.
row over (as Div IV sandwich boat)
W2: bumped by Balliol II (who win blades in bumping Merton)
M1: rowed over (yet again in heroic style)
W1: officially are bumped by St Catherine's I, however Merton did not concede and the cox was not aware of any contact before Catz wound down. Therefore, Merton continued to row and held off University for the whole length in fine style.

Torpids 2009:
Overall Results:
M2: Start 5th, Div VI. Finish 4th Div VI.
M1: Start 11th Div II. Finish 2nd Div III.
W1: Start 12th Div I. Finish 5th Div II.

Wednesday Results:
M2: Technical Row Over
M1: Bumped by Keeble
W1: Row Over (Division Klaxoned)

Thursday Results:
M2: Row Over (Division Klaxoned)
M1: Bumped by St Hugh's
W1: Bump Wadham

Friday Results:
M2: Row Over
M1: Bumped by St Peter's
W1: Bumped by Wadham

Saturday Results:
M2: Bumped Magdalen III
M1: Row Over
W1: Bumped by Balliol, Hertford, Keeble, St John's

News & Results

alexlinsley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:23:08 CDT

The latest news from MCBC is to be found here. There are separate sections for race reports and results. For information from MCBC meetings and committee business see MCBC Committee.

Summer Eights 2009
Wednesday Results:
M2: bumped Osler House I (overbump)
W2: bumped by St Johns II
M1: bumped by Christ Church II
W1: row-over (division klaxoned)

Thursday Results:
M2: bumped Queens II
W2: bumped by Magdalen II
M1: bumped by Pembroke II
W1: bumped by Oriel I

Friday Results:
M2: bumped St Benet's I
W2: bumped by St Catherine's II
M1: rowed over (in heroic style)
W1: bumped by St John's I

Saturday Results:
M2: bumped Jesus II and have bumped every day of Eights. Blades beckon!
row over (as Div IV sandwich boat)
W2: bumped by Balliol II (who win blades)
M1: rowed over (yet again in heroic style)
W1: officially are bumped by St Catherine's I, however Merton did not concede and the cox was not aware of any contact before Catz wound down. Therefore, Merton held off University for the whole length in fine style.

1920's Henley Visitors' cup oars donated to college:

Donation of Wooden boats to Poland: Radoslaw Cirmirakis Esq.

CHRIST CHURCH REGATTA 2008:

1st round:

Merton A beat Christ Church A (Men)
Merton B beat LMH A (Men)

2nd round:

Merton A beat Balliol A (Men)
Lincoln B beat Merton B (Men)

3rd round:

St Peter's A beat Merton A (Men)

Men's Trinity Photographs: 2008

http://picasaweb.google.com/andrewjamesrose/2008TrinityBoatClubPhotos#

Captains' Reports

alexlinsley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:12:54 CDT

Men’s Captain Report: Hilary Term 2009

The men’s boat club has had a very enjoyable and successful term of rowing during Michaelmas term 2008. The novice boats began training in earnest following the 0th week trial sessions and crews were selected by the end of 1st week. The club as a whole has been very impressed by the commitment shown by the novices and the hard work showed in the results of Christ Church Regatta:

1st round:
Merton A beat Christ Church A
Merton B beat LMH A

2nd round:
Merton A beat Balliol A
Lincoln B beat Merton B

3rd round:
St Peter's A beat Merton A (St. Peter’s A were the eventual winners of CHCH regatta 2008).

(Full race reports for all races can be found on the website at www.mertoncollegeboatclub.com)

Prior to CHCH regatta, the men’s development squad and 1st VIII novices had the opportunity to race in Cambridge Winter Head where we entered two crews and Peterhouse were very kind to lend us an VIII. This was followed by a very successful boat club dinner in Peterhouse old dining hall and hopefully this relationship with our sister college can be maintained for many years to come. The president and I exchanged BC ties as a gesture of our good will and Peterhouse hope to join us again, this time in Oxford, for IWL D on the 8th of February.

The novices were given further opportunity to gain valuable race experience in the run up to CHCH regatta in Nepthys head and also post the regatta where the 1st VIII novices challenged the previous year’s Summer Eights 1st VIII to a head race in IWL B. This was a fun event and built up a healthy competitive relationship between the novice rowers and some of the more senior rowers in college. On the day, the weather was clement for a mid December afternoon and sunglasses were mandatory for all crews involved. The 1st novices had a good race considering that they were one of only a handful of entirely novice crews and the 1st seniors came 2nd overall coming in just behind Magdalen 1st Eight who are Head of the River in Torpids. More importantly, the crew was faster than many of the other crews around us in Summer Eights and although we will lose a number of people for Torpids, it was good for the club morale and the novices learned the importance of rowing as a crew.

Looking ahead to Torpids, the men’s boat club had a 0th week training camp and intensive crew selection as all of the novice rowers and coxes, except one whom will be available to sub in, has chosen to continue to row this term. As a result there was significant competition for the two top boats and the men’s boat club has four boats lined up for Torpids. In terms of fitness, the club is the strongest I’ve ever seen it and there is a lot of potential for the years’ to come once the novices gain more technical experience.

Obviously, the club is results driven and given our position on the river, (just ahead of Keble and chasing University (both top div 1 crews in Eights), we may have to reshuffle the crews if water time is at a premium. I am determined that the lack of experience in our Torpids crew won’t count against us and with a very strong focus on fitness this term we can hold off the competition in Torpids and be very well placed for Summer Eights.

Please check our website to keep up to date with the current news and events. www.mertoncollegeboatclub.com

John Lee Allen,
Men’s Captain of Boats

Men’s Captain Report: Trinity 2008

The men’s boat club has had a very demanding term of rowing this year but most of all during Trinity. Although we lost three of our most experienced rowers due to finals, the men’s boats began training in earnest during 0th week and this commitment carried on all the way through until the last day of Eights.

Summer Eights was everything to be expected; there were huge ups and downs. The men’s 1st VIII got off to a very promising start given the experience in the boat and rowed over convincingly on the first two days. Unfortunately, the third day brought with it some disaster as we failed to be properly pushed off from the bank and were unable to start. Saturday was tough as the sandwich boat and in the end we were unable to hold off what was a very strong LMH crew that year. This was a disappointing way to finish the most celebrated Oxford rowing event of the year but our young crew gave it their all and can only be optimistic about the future with all but two members of the crew continuing to row next year.

Our men’s 2nd VIII were unlucky not to bump on the first day and rowed over cleanly. However, Summer Eights ended on a high for them and indeed for the men’s boat club as they bumped St. Anne’s on the final day!

In all, Summer Eights was a highly enjoyable and successful event for the men’s boat club. We were able to easily put out two full crews, which seemed unlikely after Torpids. Furthermore, many members expressed a keen interest in continuing to row next year, which is essential for strength to build within the crews.

Please check our website to keep up to date with the current news and events.

John Lee Allen
Men’s Captain of Boats

Committee business

alexlinsley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:11:54 CDT

MICHAELMAS TERM 2008

MCBC General Meeting: 16th November 2008
Minutes are available from the attachments section at the bottom of the page. The committee are in the process of amending and updating the MCBC constitution - we'd value your opinion so if you have any suggestions for alterations let the secretary know.

TRINITY TERM 2008

JL Gilet Order

The men's and women's senior crews are making a JL gilet order at the end of August and the cost will be around £50 each. If you would like a gilet or would like to know more then please email john.allen@merton.ox.ac.uk.

BOATCLUB BLAZERS:

If anyone is interested in buying a brand-new blazer for around £200, please let someone on the committee know!

Strippy blazers are out. The Men are following the traditional design, with cream and maroon double trim. The women are also getting maroon and cream double trim, with single trim on the blazer pocket and sleeves. They are available in a choice of either pure wool or wool/polyester mix (slightly cheaper) and are sized to your personal needs.

If anyone is interested in purchasing one, please let Leo know. We may be able to agree a system whereby you can pay for the blazer in stipends, rather than spending £200 up front and all such applications will be treated in confidence.

Please also be advised that we will be making the standard crew blazers available to rent for the year.
Members of the club who are selected to race in the 1st crews for Summer VIIIs will be able to retain a club blazer for a year upon payment of a refundable deposit of £100. The year end will be considered to be the selection of next year's Summer VIIIs crew. Unfortunately, Torpids racing does not qualify, you must make do with a 1st VIII tie (available from the Development Office, top floor of the bursary).
The deposit will be kept in case of spills/stains which will need to be dry-cleaned by the user at their own expense, who will also be liable in case of damage such as rips. Irrepairable damage must be paid for IN FULL, ie if you lose it through negligence or destroy it, you will have to buy the club a new one. In case of accidental damage, a compromise will be agreed upon between the member and the committee.
We are sorry for being draconian, but they are very expensive and have to last many years in good condition. Nobody wants to see them in the same state as the old ones are in!
Contact the Treasurer, Leo, at leonid.romanenko@merton.ox.ac.uk if you would like to rent a club blazer for the year (perfect for Henley in the summer!)

MCBC Constitution

alexlinsley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:11:08 CDT

Will be up soon...

ROWING

MCBC_Treasurer — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:39:17 CDT

Principal rowing events in the MCBC calendar:

Michaelmas term:

Swim tests (Novices only)

Christ Church Regatta (Novices only)

Fairbairn Cup (Cam)

Isis Winter League

Cambridge Winter Head

Hiliary term:

Torpids 6th week

Head of the River Race (Thames)

Trinity term:

Abingdon Head

CORC Bumps

Summer Eights 5th week

Oriel Regatta 7th week

Race Reports

patrickbutlin — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:38:54 CST

Torpids 2009

Men's First VIII

Wednesday: The men's 1st VIII began Torpids in 11th in division 2, with University well out of place after their crash last year in 10th, a strong Wolfson crew in 9th, and Keble in 12th. Hopes of a bump were not high going into the race, with the plan being to row over ahead of Keble, and hope that Wolfson and Univ would bump down some weaker opposition for us to take on later in the week. The crew had benefitted greatly from a tough weekend's training under Russell and the guest-coaching Henry Braun at Dorney, but were nonetheless a little less than what they might have been as a result of two weeks' red flag. We were also missing our original seven-man, and one of our strongest men, James, whose wrist injury sustained early in the term proved to be considerably more serious than first thought.

The race began well, with a decent start by the Merton VIII allowing us to draw perhaps a quarter-length further from Keble over the first ten strokes. However, the settled rhythm of the tall Keble crew was a little faster, and they gradually drew closer to us over the 500 metres or so to the bridge. One push by the Merton crew checked the Keble advance, but a second failed as we faltered on hitting the rough water, and we conceded just a few strokes beyond the bridge. However, we settled well and a good row down the green bank and past the boathouses kept us very well clear of the sandwich boat, Pembroke II, and allowed us to gain a little on Lincoln, the nearest crew ahead after Univ and Wolfson both bumped out. It was a disappointing day, but we knew we had been bumped by a quicker crew, and looked forward to better fortunes later in the week.

Thursday: The situation going into Thursday's race was more positive. Keble, of course, were immediately ahead, but beyond them were Lincoln, who we suspected were weak, and the sandwich boat behind us was St. Hugh's, a crew we had beaten in a practice piece at Dorney only the weekend before. Moving swiftly towards us, though, was St. Peter's, a polished and powerful unit this year. We knew we had to keep some distance between ourselves and them.

Unsurprisingly, St. Hugh's put in an aggressive start. Their best hope was to jump us, and they knew it. After about 200m, the gap was down to about half a length, and the pressure from behind had helped us close to a length off Keble. At this point the Merton crew began to respond, stopping the St. Hugh's advance and beginning to move away. For the briefest of moments the race was going well: the best efforts of St. Hugh's had been seen off, and on the bank Piers was about to whistle our progress on the boats ahead. At least, that was how things seemed from the stroke seat. In the bows, though, there was justified concern. Our cox had attempted too tight a line, and suddenly stroke-side blades struck the bank and the boat was stopped. All we could do was yell at St. Hugh's to hold it hard before bodily injury was added to our hurt pride. Of course, we conceded, and although we raced the rest of the course any chance of a bump was gone. Our three new men had seen the toughest side of bumps racing in only their second race, and we would race the next day in division three.

Friday: Not only had we been undeservedly bumped, but we now had to face the crew we had been most determined to avoid: St. Peter's, who went on to finish the week up five places and clutching blades. We were going off the top bungline, though, so planned an aggressive race. We went in with every intention of giving St. Peter's the toughest race we possibly could. If we could hold them off, we would have a shot at St. Hugh's and Lincoln to regain our place in division two.

Despite a strong performance, it didn't happen, and we were caught just as we emerged from the gut. The bump was bad for our rowing and for our line, but we pulled ourselves together to row out the course. Like Wednesday, this had been a bump as acceptable as any can be; the chasing crew were simply quicker, and there was nothing available ahead.

Saturday: Three places down in three days, though, remained galling. We still believed we were a better crew than the results suggested, and believed too that there were weaker boats ahead, if only we could get the chance to put them under pressure. On Saturday, from bungline 2 of division 3, the chasing crew was Pembroke II, and the opposition in front, St. Hugh's. We had a point to prove to the latter.

The action did not start until the race reached the boathouse island. Merton had a reasonable gut, and an underwhelming green bank, and began to cross around a length behind St. Hugh's and a similar margin ahead of Pembroke. At this point, though, the chasing crew put in a strong push to eat well into that lead. Along the island, Pembroke continued to close. However, as they came to within a mere foot or two of our stern, Merton took it up for home, and with a calm, powerful wind, pulled away again to finish the race safely. Pembroke had been held off, but sadly St. Hugh's had fought well, and we got no closer than three-quarters of a length.

The overall result, then, was down three. It had been a tough week, bringing no satisfactory reward for a term's hard work, often in poor conditions. (Particularly memorable were the early morning in persistent heavy snow, and the seemingly endless slog of steady-state on a day so windy we could only use half the Godstow stretch for fear of swamping.) We learned great respect for the other crews in the top three men's divisions; college rowing at a decent level is highly competitive, and takes real commitment. As always, Torpids showed the newer members of the club what Oxford rowing is all about, so despite our poor fortune we look forward to the men's head, to City Bumps, and to our summer training. The great event, Eights, remains an exciting prospect. (PB)

Isis Winter League B (03/12/08)

Dev Squad/Summer VIIIs Crew

Following their success in Christchurch Regatta, the novice A boat bravely challenged the summer VIIIs 1st boat to a time-trial face-off in Isis Winter League B in 8th week. This kicked the dev squad into gear and gave them a reason to do some outings in the latter half of the term. On the day, the warm up didn’t go well and, having watched the novices row past in the earlier division, nerves were on edge. The race, however, went well. Winding it up from the start under Donnington Bridge, we took the rate up towards 34/35 and kept it above 33 for the rest of the course. Tactical pushes were called throughout the race – primarily going into and coming out of the gut. After taking it slightly easier up the green bank, we pulled out all the stops to ensure that we passed the boathouses at full pressure and speed and looking good. This tactic seemed to work and prevented the boat from feeling heavy or the timing being lost. Only towards the end, when our legs began to tire but we tried to keep the rate and pressure high did we come out of sync and the rowing became scrappy. However, the results showed the effort that we had put into the race, with us recording the third quickest time (4.44), behind only Magdalen 1st VIII (who rowed twice) and beating many of the boats ahead of us in both Torpids and Eights. The novices were suitably dispatched and a good night of banter at Mermaids drinks was in store. (AC)

Christ Church Regatta 2008

MA

Wednesday: After a fine term's training, hardened by their first racing experience, gained in Nephthys Regatta a few days earlier, the men (and cox) of MA entered the regatta with confidence - this despite being drawn in the first round against Christ Church MA: the hosts, and a significantly bigger crew. Merton were to race on the city side, with the course a mere 500m from outside the ChCh boathouse to the cox's stone.
As they were in the middle of the stream, Merton were given a quarter-length stagger on the start. For the first ten strokes, perhaps, their rivals had the edge, pulling the stagger back by a seat or two. But when Merton got into their rowing, superior technique, togetherness and spirit told. They drew out over the second and third quarters of the race to a comfortable length's lead, for a victory in impressive style.

Thursday: Thursday's racing made for an altogether more dramatic story. MA had an equally difficult draw, against the A boat from Balliol, the current holders of the Eights headship, who again were by some distance the heavier crew. With the course extended to start at Longbridges, Merton were again drawn on the city side. This time the rowing was not so polished, but by the time the race reached the halfway point Merton held a substantial lead, around a length and a half. While perhaps a little concerned by the technical flaws, those of us watching from the bank did not realise how worried we should have been. As the finish line rapidly approached, Merton were heading for a violent collision with a stationary St. John's crew.
St. John's were right on the finish line, but were in the transit lane; the Merton crew ploughed on, however, and in the very act of victory, hit the John's boat with enough force to smash 2's rigger and break off a good foot's length from the bow of Douglas Galbraith, which was left dangling. With the boat steadily sinking, MA limped back to the nearest raft - bringing the whole crew, if not the boat, safely home.
The race, the crash, and the rescue made for an exciting half-hour. Naturally, though, the regatta organisers were keen for us to explain just how we came to hit a stationary crew, who were clear of the racing line. It did not take long to become clear that, despite windy, difficult conditions, we had no satisfactory account, and would be disqualified.

Friday: If Thursday had not already been emotional enough, another twist was still to come. Late on Thursday evening, after correspondance with John, the Balliol captain decided to concede the race, which they had been awarded after the disqualification - we had won by some distance, and had gained no advantage by our faulty line. The thanks of the whole club, and particularly the crew of MA, go to the Balliol captain and his crew for this act of sportsmanship.
Perhaps lacking a little focus, the Merton boys lost their third-round race, by two lengths, to St. Peter's MA, who would go on to win the regatta. St. Peter's were clearly a fine crew, and it was a great disappointment that we weren't able to give them what could have been their toughest race - the feet of the Merton stroke slipped from his shoes as the race began, understandably hampering the performance of the eight as a whole.

MA
c: Sam Hannaford; s-b: Kyle Martin, Mike Eager, Dan Awrey, Alistair Hodgson, Richard Millar, Alex Linsley, Tom Gillam, Jorg Koerner.
Coaches: Josh Monahan and Patrick Butlin.

(Race report by PB. Apologies for the style, I've been reading Dreams from my Father, and sense I may be channeling Barack.)

MB

Wednesday: Having just seen MA romp to victory against Christchurch A, spirits were high in the MB boat lining up on the start line opposite LMH A. Showing their true technical ability, and a fair amount of Merton pride, they cantered home to win by two lengths against a considerably heavier LMH crew. This was no mean feat for what was a very small crew but their speed was testament to their well-tuned technique.

Friday: After Wednesday’s triumph, there was a level of expectation going into the next round against a big Lincoln B crew. Over the extended Longbridges distance, Lincoln’s strength showed off the start leaving us a lot of work to do. MB tightened up a little and, with a bit of tiredness still in the legs from Friday, they couldn't close them down. Despite pulling back a little in the closing stages, Lincoln B were too strong on the day and MB's technical precision from the first race couldn't quite be reproduced.

Congratulations to the crew for their commitment and passion through training and racing. Oh, and for not crashing a boat ...

MB
c. Esther Drabkin-Reiter; s-b: Lee Collins, Mark Jaffre, Tom Davies, Michael Quirke, David Phillips, Rob Day, Sandeep Sengupta, Alec Maynard.
Coach: James McMillan

Cambridge Winter Head 2008

Merton sent two scratch men's crews, each featuring a mix of novice and experienced rowers, to Cambridge for the Winter Head. We were fortunate to be hosted by the Boat Club at Peterhouse, our sister college, who were kind enough to lend us the use of their VIII and blades. We had an enjoyable days' racing, with largely smooth rowing, bearing in mind the composition of the crews.

Crews: c: Lamorna Newcombe; s-b: James McMillan, Greg Betts, Adam Caines, Martin Michalski, Albert Sampson, Mike Eager, Dan Awrey, Patrick Butlin;
c: Osman Khalid; s-b: Timo Idema, Patrick Butlin, Kyle Martin, Greg Betts, James McMillan, Jorg Koerner, Peter Chater-Lea, Josh Monahan.

Summer Eights 2008

EVESHAM 4th May

Merton W1 entered another scratch four into this and did well to win their first round against the home club crew. We unfortunately lost to the eventual winners (Ross RC) in the semi-finals. But not a bad performance for Merton women's first regatta since 2004!!

CITY OF OXFORD BUMPS 26th April

Merton W1 entered into this on Saturday 26th April. After withdrawing from the first race due to technical problems, we rowed over in div 2 and then bumped the Oxford Academicals in div 3 and Hertford in div 4. All in all a good effort!

Merton Gannets also entered, and were hosted by MCBC in our boathouse. They rowed over in div 1, got bumped in div 2, 3 and 4, despite rowing well.

Thank-you to all those who helped us out by polling and umpiring!

ABINGDON HEAD 20th April

Merton put on a good show at this head race, with the men racing in an eight and the women in a four. Both obtain respectable times, doing well in comparison to other crews.

Merton Women were also spotted by this writer of the Abingdon blog (http://www.abingdonblog.co.uk):

''The race is over a 2KM course starting near Culham. When they go past the Abingdon Rowing Club - shown here - competitors are on the finishing straight.

It looked hard going.''

HEAD OF THE RIVER 15th of March

http://www.horr.co.uk/Results.htm

WOMEN'S HEAD OF THE RIVER 1st March

Torpids W1 performed well at WHORR, particularly as there were two subs in the boat, Sarah Wilson and Myriam Burr. They completed the course in 23 mins 47 secs, beatin Hertford and only 7 secs slower than Teddy Hall.

W1 at Barnes Bridge (taken by Jet Photographic) http://www.jetphotographic.com/showphoto.php?id=159362

TORPIDS 2008: