Cambridge Winter Head 2008: Kate Wylie had her crew in a state of trance with her unique and sensual style of coxing last Saturday. ‘That’s good, that’s better than good.’ Her soothing and seductive voice flowed down the boat at the Cambridge Winter Head calming nervous novices through their very first rowing race. Traditionally the Cambridge Winter Head is the first race of the ICBC novice calendar. Three men’s boats and one women’s were entered in beginner and novice academic divisions. The novices did the club proud and were unfortunate not to come away with a win.
Cambridge is notoriously freezing for the Winter Head but novice Chris Kroon was well ahead of the game. Primark staff can’t be blamed for believing ICBC is a theatre group and that the Winter Head is a modern version of Fame. Delirious with nerves, some crew members actually crossed his palm with silver for the fluorescent pink and blue leg warmers he was flogging on the bus. We desperately hope his aim was to prevent leg cramp and that they were the only colours left. And greatly, greatly reduced.
Kitted out in stylish ICBC blue tees and, sigh, leg warmers, the women’s 8+ stroked by Rose Stainthorp in the beginner category came 2nd/15, the best result of the day for ICBC. They were unlucky to be beaten by the unlikely winners from Sir William Perkins School who were a minute ahead of other crews. ICBC men also did well in the beginner’s category finishing 17 seconds off winner’s Westminster Sch. BC and were placed 5th/24.
Coaches Ross Smitheson and James Blackley were on hand to give the novices their pre-race strategies. James cycled alongside racing crews shouting suitably motivating words of encouragement. Despite his manly bicycle James was struggling to hold back proud tears having watched the crews progress over the last few weeks.
Results in the academic novice categories were mixed with the men’s race hampered by a rigger gate malfunction in seat 2 (Luis Merida). Mackenzie Clavin had to cox the crew of 7 for the last 800m of the 2500m course while Merida impressively kept the balance by maintaining a steady grip of the oar. The crew still had the fastest time for ICBC completing the course in 10:19, but tough competition meant they only finished 16th/24 in the end.
In the second men’s 8+ in the novice academic category Deepika Reddy displayed all the signs of a confident cox by inflating her life jacket at the race start. Stroke Andreas Proesch spent the first 500 metres convincing Deeps not to abandon ship. Stern 4 powered on and was relieved the distressed cox stayed in the boat for the duration of the race.
The novice men replicated all the good traits of the senior squad even down to changing out of their wet kit in an open field. Back on the bus many serenades to Deeps and Mackenzie were made and the crews made their way to Mascalzone in Putney for carbohydrate replacement. All squads congregated in Crazy Larrys in Fulham to celebrate the novices first race and officially welcome them into the club. Invaluable experience has been gained which will be carried forward into future races.
By Christina Duffy