Boat Club

The Head Season

Our first Head race was the Ancholme Head. We entered two Senior III fours and one Novice four. Our Senior HI fours finished first and second in their division and so we picked up our first "pots" of the season.

We took eight boys and two coxes across to the Runcorn Head and they all raced in both divisions. Racing at Senior III level in the first division they were well matched with only five seconds between the crews. They finished third and fourth in Senior III. After a rearrangement of crews for the second division they raced at Senior II level and the faster combination succeeded in coming second in this class.

In November we headed down to the Tideway for the Head of the River Fours Race. One girls' crew and two boys' crews raced and enjoyed the experience of such a big event; racing some of the best crews in the country. I saw the crews out but before they had landed I was on my way to catch a 'plane to India (see Travel Section!). In my absence the captains coped admirably with the paperwork and administration for three hectic weeks and the coaching load fell on the capable shoulders of John Ward and Jacqui Finney.

Several crews entered the York Small Boats Head which took place in even worse conditions than usual! There was another first as a St. Peter's School Staff crew entered and.... survived! Most of the sixth form boys raced twice. One of our Senior III fours came well up in the finishing order, in twenty-sixth place overall (out of 300 crews). Our Junior four raced well and finished fifty-eighth to win their event.

We then travelled up to the Tyne for the Rutherford Head. The boys' Junior 1.8 crew won their event easily whilst the girls' Junior 18 crew and the boys' Junior 16 crew both came second in their events.

The floods in the Easter Term were more dramatic than in 1990 but we actually lost less time on the water. Our boathouse was three feet deep in water at one stage but fortunately there was very little damage. When we were forced off the river Jacqui Finney joined Gary Lawrence to devise various land-based tortures.

At half-term we were unable to raise a full Viking Longship crew but four of the girls were able to team up with Tonbridge School. They formed a formidable combination and knocked out the unbeaten champions, York City, in the semi-final. They just lost in the final but won the prize for the most successful Junior crew. Tonbridge have promised to return next year!

We travelled to Nottingham for the Head of the Trent. The girls' Junior four won their event and the boys' Novice four were second in theirs.

In the Yorkshire Head our Senior III eight finished in eleventh place overall (out of 117 crews). The girls' raced in a new bow-stroked combination and came second in the Senior III class.

We raced two eights in the North of England Head (at Chester); some of the oarsmen doubling up to make it possible. The Novice eight raced particularly well and finished second in their class, beating several university crews.

The day that term finished we headed south for the

Head of the River Race. It is a long time since St. Peter's raced in this most prestigious Head on the Tideway and it was great experience for those who raced in the eight, although it was one of those races when not everything went right!

We raced in enough Heads to be able to do some analysis of the results. The really encouraging thing about the Sixth Form Boys' Eight in its various combinations was that, although it wasn't winning events, it was improving and moving up through the field very quickly. They were managing to beat a few more crews each week and get closer to the winning times. It was the speed at which the boys were learning and improving that kept the idea of Henley kindled, rather than the straight results, at this time.

The Sixth Form Boys' got together for a few days in the holidays and did some training alongside Churchill College which was mutually beneficial.

The Regatta Season

We have had a very hectic season, racing most weekends and sometimes at two places in the same weekend. We could not have done so much if it weren't for all the tolerant and helpful parents and friends who have driven buses and trailers and put up with our unsociable departures and arrivals. I would like to thank Mr. Birch, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Brown and Mr. De Boer, in particular, for their help with getting us to regattas.

The first regatta was York Spring. We put in a big entry and made a few finals but the four week holiday took its toll and we didn't win any "pots".

Three crews represented the School at Nottingham City Regatta and one of the boys' crews (Chris Richardson, Alistair Birch, Stuart Clarke, Chris Lloyd and, cox, Lindsay Daniel) beat fourteen university and club crews to win a very competitive Novice event.

The following day at Durham City Regatta our boys' eight got through to the final of Senior III eights.

At Bradford, a week later, several crews raced and much deserved success came to both the girls' Senior III four (Becki Ingledew, Anne Suttill, Charlotte Berry, Sally Hamilton and, cox, Steve Harryman) and the boys' Senior III four (James Butler, Joby Taylor, James Hague, Chris Rowland and, cox, Matthew Taylor).

At half-term the Boat Club completed a 24-hour sponsored row in aid of the School's charities and the Club's Henley Fund. Jeremy Doncaster did a great job co-ordinating and organising the event. Also on the fundraising front Mrs. Butler and Mrs. Hague have put a tremendous amount of energy into setting up a St. Peter's 100 Club to help fund-raise for future Henley crews. (If you want to join contact Ann Hodgson or David Hughes!)

Also at half-term the Senior III eight raced at Northwich and lost by just two-thirds of a length in the final.

On the first day of Durham Regatta we raced a Senior III four and a Senior II four. The Senior II four had to cope with the "long course" which goes through the notorious Elvet Bridge. They raced hard and only lost by three feet!

The Sunday of Durham Regatta was to be critical. We had entered Senior Open Eights, in order to measure up our Sixth Form boys against the fastest in the North of England and we had drawn Durham University in our first race. On the result of this race we would decide whether it was worth putting an entry in for Henley this year. The crew responded well to the pressure and really "went for it". They pushed Durham right up the course, never letting them get clear water and lost by only three-quarters of a length. It is rare for a crew to lose and be quite so happy about the race! The entry went in.

On the same day the girls' Novice crew raced at Loughborough Regatta. They came a respectable fourth in their event and gained much from the experience of multi-lane racing.

The next weekend at York we again made several finals but it was only the girls' Novice four who managed to win their final which they did in fine style to win a very competitive event. The crew was Elena Clegg, Polly Evans, Emma Brown, Esther Williams and, cox, Markus Buckle.

At Leeds, a week later, we put in a very big entry; everything from mixed doubles to open eights! We won Senior III eights (Chris Rowland, James Hague, Joby Taylor, James Butler, Chris Richardson, Jeremy Doncaster, Tim Cordier, Roland Carnaby and, cox, Matthew Taylor), Senior III fours (Chris Rowland, James Hague, Joby Taylor, James Butler and, cox, Lindsay Daniel), Girls' Novice Fours (Nicola Andrews, Pippa Merritt, Caroline Murphy, Diana Wooding and, cox, Michelle Griggs) and Women's Open Sculls (A.J.H.). However, we just fell short of retaining the Victor Ludorum (by two points!).

We were delighted to hear that our entry for Henley had been accepted and that we weren't required to do a qualifying race. We went down to Henley on the Monday so that we could get a couple of outings in on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for the first round of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup on the Wednesday. Henley is a completely unique regatta with an atmosphere like no other, for which crews travel worldwide. We were glad of a couple of days to get used to the activity and excitement as well as the river conditions. Their race was scheduled for 3.05 p.m. which gave our supporters' coach time to get from York. The crew gave everything in their race against Emmanuel School and Emmanuel were only able to take half a length lead by the mile. The final verdict was 3% length. It was a very creditable performance and a real pinnacle of achievement for the crew and for their coach, John Ward, who was the real driving force behind the crew's bid to get to Henley. We hope to be back again next year.

There is just one venture left this School year. As this goes to press we have a St. Peter's/Bradford Grammar

School composite eight training for the National Championships in a week's time.

As ever there are a great many people who have made our successes this year possible. I have already mentioned our gratitude to the parents. On the coaching front we have been joined by Jacqui Finney, a Cambridge blue, who is a knowledgeable coach with a deep understanding of the sport. The sixth form boys have also got their work cut out trying to beat her round the three bridges! Gary Lawrence has again done a great job with large numbers of novices this summer, tirelessly explaining to them the motivation and discipline they will need if they are to succeed in this demanding sport. He has been helped by the enthusiasm of David Hughes, Chris Hall and Arthur Ellis-Davis. There has been more administration than ever to cope with and these colleagues have taken on various jobs throughout the year for which I am personally very grateful. John Ward has been the motivating force behind our Henley bid for the last two years. He has put in many extra hours and made himself available to coach whenever possible. He has put a great deal of thought into selections of crews and events and we would not have got to Henley without him. Becki Ingledew, James Butler and Chris Rowland have done a wonderful job as captains this year. They have motivated and organised and we have been able to rely on their willing help and support at all times.

Despite our fund-raising attempts we have still had to rely heavily on the School for financial backing. Without this support we could not have bought the second-hand eight that made so much of this year's racing possible.

Looking back it has been a good year. We have competed in higher status events and we have entered more than ever. There are still plenty of challenges for next year; some better results in the Tideway Heads, some wins at Junior 16, a girls' crew to Women's Henley, a boys' crew through a round at Henley Royal Regatta, to name but a few.

A. J. Hodgson

SILVER MEDALS AT NATIONAL ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

St. Peter's School and Bradford Grammar School joined forces and entered a joint crew in Junior Eights at the National Championships of Great Britain.

There were four crews in the final. The composite crew racing under Thames Colours went off hard and were a length clear of the other crews at 500m. At 750m the Bradford Grammar School/St. Peter's School composite pushed and started to pull away from the Bedford School eight and the Scottish Composite crew. The Yorkshire crew pushed again at 1,250m and went back at the Thames eight and reduced Thames' lead to just three-quarters of a length at the finish.

The crew was Charlie Barlow, Joby Taylor, Richard Taylor, Dominic Hill, Stuart Clarke, Alistair Birch, Chris Conroy, Markus Robst and, cox, Matthew Taylor.

The mild panic that sets in before racing normally arises on arrival at the Regatta and lasts right up to the moment you race, an interval of about three hours.

Henley Royal Regatta was no exception to this rule; we just had three days to worry. The world's top rowers were gathered there and, being very close to the bottom of the pile, no amount of posh printed tee-shirts or sweatshirts could have steadied our nerves. However, being accommodated in a boarding house (where I am sure members of The Rise would have felt at home) next to a horde of Italian students helped to fortify some of our party.

Henley, being in the south, and such an important place has replaced old fashioned northern expressions such as "please", "thank you", "excuse us" and "after you" with "outo' the way", and "we're next" but mostly with aloof silence. At best, I would say, a highly critical professional atmosphere prevails.

Fortunately there were many redeeming features. We shared our boat rack with the Canadian National Squad (claimed to be the best in the world) who gave us the honour of a side by side practice start — we kept with them for at least seven strokes. Also, of course, there was the spectacle of the most fantastic rowing skills surrounded by the picturesque town of Henley, and a course flanked by over two kilometres of marquees and stands.

Our practice outings up and down the course were extremely tense, as each tiny wobble of the boat was a show of imperfect rowing for all to see, but the pressure we placed upon ourselves was beneficial in that our technique improved and James Hague managed to keep his in-boat commentary to himself — quite an achievement.

Apart from the main event the only other significant parts of race day were our heroic coach turning up in a jacket and tie (shock, horror!) and our heroic coach driver leaving our supporters behind at the motorway services. Otherwise half-hourly time-checks from the Boss kept us on our toes — thanks a lot John — until we paddled off towards the start.

Like your first perspective drawing at School the booms marking the Henley course stretch away converging to a dot on the sky-line. I am sure the whole crew took a good long look as we turned the boat round before coming onto the start.

Whereupon a rather large grey-haired gentleman sporting a tasteful pink jacket, and, standing in his grand launch along with numerous officials and odd-bods (Miss Finney), set us off on seven minutes of sweaty toil.

As far as I was concerned, until the boat was put away and my legs and arms returned to near-normality from a wobbling mass we might as well have been on the Ouse. Totally oblivious to the attention given to us we thumped up the course, finishing well pleased with our efforts.

None of us will forget those three days at Henley and I am very envious of the crew members who get a chance to do it all again next year.

James Butler