Boat Club

Rowing this term has been very strong at all levels, especially amongst the younger members, which is promising for the future.

The 1st IV never quite capitalised on its potential and throughout the season were always only fast "also-rans." A change of stroke just before the National Schools Regatta livened up the proceedings, but as last year the crew was just beaten into third place in the final. The season ran out without them winning at any regatta, though they rowed creditably at the National Championships to win a place in the final. The 2nd IV however were most successful, reaching finals at Cambridge, York and Nottingham, and winning at Newark and Leeds. Their finest row was undoubtedly at the National Schools Regatta, where they rowed through from 5th place at 500 metres to finish a most creditable third, beating some strong southern crews in doing so. They always rowed with style, but sometimes lacked that vital aggressiveness. These two crews rowed together as an VIII at York Summer and also split up into coxed pairs at Leeds Sprint for a taste of something different. The 3rd IV rowed with grim determination throughout the term and were unlucky on numerous occasions not to win. They capped a fine term's rowing with a most satisfying victory at York Summer Regatta.

At Colts level the standard of rowing is very high at the moment, as witnessed by our monopolising the final of our own Schools' Invitation Regatta, and bodes well for the future. The 1st Colts IV (once described as "agricultural but fast—like the 1st IV") achieved their due success with a superb win at Tyne, beating the fastest Scottish Colts crew in the process. At the N.S.R. they rowed to finish second in their heat to a very strong Wallingford crew (later National Champions), and in the final finished a most worthy fourth. In training after the end of term they recorded some very fast times, and although they failed to produce their best in competition, a semi-finalist's place at the National Championships was fair measure of their ability. The 2nd and 3rd Colts IVs reversed their positions after our own invitation regatta where the 3rd IV beat the 2nd and were finalists respectively at Bradford and Durham. Along with the rest of the Colts group these three crews could provide the basis of some strong senior rowing over the next two years.

The Junior Colts were a small but strong group, and after a brief experiment as an VIII they made good progress in IVs, rowing well at Tyne and Durham, being finalists at our own invitation regatta and winning well at Bradford. At the bottom end of the club the strength is in the large number of people participating, which enabled us to produce three Junior Colts V1IIs and still have some in reserve. These boys rowed in IVs at our own and Bradford's invitation regattas; on the latter occasion the 1st IV lost in the final to a strong Durham crew.

The term ended in exciting style with six good races on the last Saturday; Queen's edged out School House in the senior House IVs final, but School gained revenge by beating Temple in the Junior. Both finals were won by margins of less than a canvas. The Old Peterites also gained revenge for last year's narrowest of defeats by beating the 1st VIII by an equally narrow margin. One of our new boats which had arrived just before Tyne Regatta was named, and hopefully it will not be too long before the second one comes.