Gloucester/Ross Veterans - 2013

MIRC Chairman Harry Salmon, and his wife and mixed double sculls partner Anne travelled west over the Bank Holiday weekend to race at Gloucester Masters and Junior regatta on Saturday, and then Ross Masters and Junior Regatta on Sunday. 

The trip was more than eventful and started on the Friday with Anne breaking down in the car en route to collect Harry from work. The car had both the boat and blades on the roof! Having called out the AA and established that the car was not going anywhere except to a garage for repair.  Without a long enough vehicle to take the boat and blades, hasty calls were made to try and establish whether the host clubs would lend a boat and blades. Gloucester came up trumps very quickly so the decision was taken to proceed in their somewhat smaller mini! The M25 was by now a ‘car park’ and 7 hours after Anne leaving home they finally arrived in Ross on Wye. 

Here is their report on the races:

On the Saturday morning, Gloucester were very obliging and allowed us to take the boat , a black Janoussek, down the canal for a practice outing. It had the new adjustable shoes in it so we were able to try them out too. We rowed down to the docks, put in a few starts and rowed back. 

When the time came for the race against a younger Mixed Masters C crew from City of Bristol, we stormed off the start, taking full advantage of the four second head start. (Had we been racing earlier in the day it would have been 5 seconds as the umpire was miscalling the handicaps!). City of Bristol then set off and began to slowly eat into the advantage until about half way down the course when they seemed to run out of steam. After being warned for steering, whilst making an adjustment, Anne jammed her blades together and nearly brought the boat to a grinding halt. We just about managed to get back together and scramble over the finish line before the Bristol crew could catch up. Pot number 1 secured (just!) by a length and a half.

After an evening out in Ross on Wye with ex members Di Binley (of Rock the Boat fame) and Mike Howe we arrived at Ross Regatta not entirely sure that we had a boat to row in. After locating the club captain he said that it should be ok but depended on the outcome of his junior boys crews racing at lunchtime. 

It was a long and chilly wait on the river bank. After spending time exploring Ross, watching the umpires aligning at the staggered start, and establishing how the stagger at the finish worked we eventually secured a boat. Unfortunately there was no time for us to take it out for a practice. Our opposition from Evesham came over and we explained what had happened. He replied’ that’s a big boat!’, obviously trying to psyche us out. 

After later exchanging a bit of banter with them in the control commission area we eventually waded into the chilly River Wye to boat. On the way to the start a stray women’s double in a previous race tried their best to take us out by veering off course but we made it there intact apart from noticing too late that one of Harry’s gates had a large spacer washer missing! After having to back down off the start because our opposition struggled to align in the correct lane we came under starters orders. We were in the lane on the outside of the bend so were up by half a length.  

Our opposition also needed to be about a length up at the finish so we knew if we could keep ahead we would win. As we were both Masters D crews we started together this time. We put in our storming start and almost immediately pulled away. The steering was much better today and we took the bend well. Harry had to be reminded that we were far enough ahead that he could afford to relax the rate a little! He was enjoying the experience of being in the lead once again. We clipped one of the centre buoys and it shattered. They had been doing this all day and were gradually diminishing in number. After ensuring we kept well out from the beach area where periodically cows had been wading in for a drink (an interesting obstacle on the course!) we took it home for the finish for victory number 2, this time the verdict was ‘easily’.

It was a lovely weekend at two lovely regattas. Maybe the club could make the trip en masse next year?

Anne Salmon