Day 3: Too much beer

A good night last night: we got X-press 4 after about 40 strokes fairly well as expected, and we rowed about as we expected: a fast start then a bit splashy then just beginning to settle when it was time to stop. Which left us sandwich boat into division 2. Only a little tired we spun and had a good long rest at the start while the rest of the division came up. The next race was a lot harder, cantabs 7 were some real opposition at last, and they held us off at a length all through the gut (from this pic you can see why) though we may have closed slowly. We got a better line out, really settled at last, pushed down the reach and caught them about a third of the way down. Hurrah for us. I lost count at about 160 strokes, or perhaps it was despair, but it was probably another 20 after that. A pint at the beer tree, a watch of M1, and rather more pints at the Old Spring finished off a splendid evening.

Before putting the boat away we did our customary "sprint between the bridges" which lasts about 20 strokes. This, as yesterday, we flew: if we could row like that in a real race we'd be a lot higher up.

But ah, M1. They win the prize for best comedy finish. Having been, as expected, pressed hard they pulled away down the reach and were 3+ lengths ahead at the finish. So they pulled in at the beer tree, as you do, but why was seven shouting "this isn't the finish!"? How odd. Robs 3 cruised slowly past. Gradually it dawned on everyone that the actual finish line (which isn't very clearly marked, and varies from division to division and from year to year) was about 10 yeards in front of their boats nose. They had been technically bumped :-(. Of course they did the gentlemanly thing and accepted it, but it did dampen things a bit. But by the time they'd got to the bump it had become the funniest event of the year, eclipsing even yesterdays bank-ploughing and all was well. Even better, according to this mornings start order, Robs have been sporting enough to decline the bump and will start behind them.

Elsewhere, M3 down, W2 and W1 rowed over.