On Sunday 23rd October, the Senior Women’s Squad sent a women’s 8+ to race at the British Rowing Senior Championships in Nottingham. Vintage Nottingham conditions awaited, with the organisers advising crews to race their time-trial like their final as there was the possibility racing would have to be cancelled later in the day and prizes awarded based on time-trial results.
Unless you have medical exemption or competed at Rio, if you want to be considered for the GB U23 or senior squads, it’s compulsory to take part. As the Senior Women’s Squad has a wannabe U23 in its midst, it seemed like an opportunity to do some fun racing after their successful performances at Pairs Head the weekend before.
Given Pairs Head was very much the training focus beforehand, the crew only had three outings to prepare for their race. This was complicated further by half of the crew being new to the club and squad, many of them having not been in a sweep boat for weeks if not months!
The crew were pleased with their performance in the time trial – the longest continuous rowing the crew had done above rate 18 – and managed to get into the CD semi final by the skin of their teeth.
After an ‘eventful’ semi final which saw the crew come last after the quick release Wintech riggers lived up to their name, the 8+ went through to the D final. There were many fast crews in this final, including the University of Nottingham and the UL B crew which coincidentally contained Alex Courage, who left Cantabs this summer to do a masters at LSE.
The crew were pleased to finish 5th in the final after their eventful semi saw them drawn in the worst lane, and look forward to seeing the improvements they can make throughout the remainder of the season after they’ve spent a bit more time together in the same boat!
Cantabs member Myriam Goudet was also successful racing in the CUW A 4- and 8+, winning a gold in the former and silver in the latter.
Thank you to Oli Frazer for giving up his Sunday to tow and for helping put the boat back together after the semi!
Crew: Jordan Bruce, Georgie Plunkett, Izzy Vyvyan, Ellie Darlington, Cecilia Collins-Taylor, Hannah Roberts, Catherine Watson, Bailee Stratton and cox Esther Momcilovic
