IM2 4+ champion Ben Anstiss reports on another successful weekend of racing for IC.
Kingston Head of the River 2010: Kingston Head is a bit like the Danny DeVito to the Head of the River Race’s Arnold Schwarzenegger; a bit shorter, a bit smaller and a week earlier, but still good fun nonetheless. Split into two divisions on Saturday 20th April 2010, the first for eights and the second for fours and quads, the beginner novice 8 and the Vespoli crew (minus Carlos, who was believed to be at a George Michael tribute weekend) arrived at Kingston rowing club at 8:30am. As neither crew is racing the HORR next weekend, this was their last chance to get some racing in before training camp, BUCS and the onslaught of the summer regatta season.
Whilst unloading the boats, the Novi quickly discovered that an ICSM boat and blades were on the trailer; medics proceeded to appear from nowhere in what was believed to be a co-ordinated ninja attack to retrieve their boat and an inordinate number of trestles. After a long row up to the start for the first division at 11am, and a bit of a wait for some stragglers (not IC this time) the race set off.
The Vespoli crew in IM2 (Matt Lunt/Rodrigo Pearce/Sam Lindsay/Matt Taylor/Ben Anstiss/Jon Cook/Matt Routledge/Chris Spencer, 16:01:7) were being chased by Eton, whose turn of speed makes one wonder what they feed them over at Dorney Lake. Cox Mike “Killer” Wale has spent a few seasons coxing Kingston over the years and as such took an aggressive line and no prisoners on the rather narrow course. Around the halfway mark, IC caught and rowed through a Curlew crew to a call of “put the nail in the coffin boys, you’re through, they’re dead, let’s goooooo!” After paying their last respects, the crew continued on to overlap the next boat ahead by the finish, whilst just managing to stay ahead of the superfast schoolboys.
Despite nearly losing their cox Jess Johnson off the edge of the boating pontoon, the Novice crew (David Thompson/Rob McVey/Alasdair Wynn/Marcus Schiener/Tom Hansen/Tycho/Indy Kanthasamy/Hugh Gledhill, 17:39:3) had a good start which was unfortunately marred by a boat-stopping crab about 1km into the race. Fortunately they were back up and running quickly once the crab catcher disentangled himself. Overall, both crews came 6th in their respective categories. The ICSM crew managed a good show, coming 2nd in the Novice category, 21 seconds behind the steamrollers from the Early Learning Centre. Once off the water and de-rigging, the rain making things that little bit worse, moral was suffering: “Well, I’ve done worse for less, but that was definitely towards the lower end of the scale.”
For half of each crew, that was it for the day and for the Head season with only hot cross buns to console themselves until the run up to training camp. For the remainder was the afternoon division in coxed fours and a period of rigging, adjusting and trying to keep warm as the weather took a turn for the worse. The Novices (Indy Kanthasamy/Rob McVey/Tom Hansen/Hugh Gledhill/cox: Jess Johnson, 18:32:5), having only rowed in anything smaller than an 8+ once before at BUCS, took to the water again and put in a stonking performance to come 5th in IM3, just behind Reading University, and seemed generally happier when they got off the water the second time despite the rain. Special thanks go to Boat House Manager James for clocking up 20km running alongside both Novice crews.
The IM2 crew (Sam Lindsay/Josh Barker/Ben Anstiss/Jon Cook/cox: Mike Wale, 17:13:7) were a combination of trepidation and exhaustion; whilst most of the crew had raced in the first division, the three man had spent the morning training in another 8+ having done 30km already including pieces and power strokes. This was not only their first time as a coxed four but only the 4th time they’d rowed together as a crew, and expectations were high. Whilst waiting at the delayed start in the rain next to a schoolgirl’s quad who were going off two places ahead (some interesting race-order planning in evidence there), strategy was discussed: “Lets just get up the backside of the crew in front and hang on for dear life.” Sound advice both in rowing, and in everyday situations.
Much Anglo-Saxon-style yelling was needed to clear a path through the various women’s quads that had been set off at the start of the division, and with their bows firmly attached to their main competition ahead, a battle for a clear line on the narrow river ensued. Broxbourne RC’s cox was determined not to let IC pass, weaving from one side of the river to the other. Coming into the last 750m through Kingston Bridge, Mike asked the crew if they wanted to build for the line, already overlapping their main competition having made up 3 lengths over the race. Note to all coxes: never give your crew an option, as the answer will invariably be a resounding “NO!!”, as it was in this case.
Back on the bank, wet and exhausted, the rowers were pleasantly surprised to see that the Trapettes had kindly brought their father along to watch. After a long time de-rigging and loading the trailer (and re-loading due to some spatial awareness issues), it was time to leave- but then the results were announced: VICTORY! Winners of IM2 4+, some nifty medals and a plaque that is sure to be mounted at a jaunty angle in the clubroom/disabled loo any day now, and only 2 seconds off winning the entire afternoon division behind the fastest quad. As Mr Gillies would say: “Boom.”
Ben Anstiss