Winter head to head

City have some pix of the H2H up on facebook and here is M1



ripped off and cropped. We're at the bottom of the reach on the first leg. Don't look at the previous pic if you were rowing at 6 or 2 :-).

Results and analysis

Full results are available from City.

 1  300 3 Caius M1A           student m Mays/Eights Div 1 8+ 6:20 6:37 12:57
 2  400 4 Downing College M1  student m Mays/Eights Div 1 8+ 6:30 6:40 13:10
 3  301 3 Queens M1           student m Mays/Eights Div 1 8+ 6:37 6:56 13:33
...
 8  104 1 Girton              student m Mays/Eights Div 2 8+ 6:40 7:21 14:01
 9  305 3 Christ's College M2 student m Mays/Eights Div 2 8+ 6:50 7:11 14:01
10  103 1 Christ's College M1 student m Mays/Eights Div 1 8+ 6:37 7:26 14:03
...
14  314 2 Boars Head Cribb    cra     m Intermediate 3    8+ 7:07 7:22 14:29
...
16  405 4 Bedford School      cra     m Novice            8+ 7:09 7:28 14:37
...
18  406 2 X-Press Legends     cra     m Novice            8+ 7:12 7:37 14:49
...
20  105 1 Rob Roy  (Mas C)    cra     m MasB/C            8+ 6:58 7:52 14:50 14:26
...
22  106 1 Champion o' Thames  cra     m Intermediate 3    8+ 7:06 7:49 14:55
23  200 2 Cantabs             cra     m JuniorJ18         2x 7:21 7:37 14:58
...
24  107 1 Chesterton RC       cra     m Intermediate 3    8+ 7:04 7:59 15:03
...
    207 2 Champs J18          cra     m JuniorJ18         8+ 7:23 7:56 15:19
    202 2 Champs Masters      cra     m Intermediate 3    8+ 7:31 7:55 15:26

(note heroic performance by Cantabs J18 double).

We beat Champs (M1?) on the first leg, but lost by 8 seconds overall. But we beat their M2. Since we're sandwiched by them for bumps, that is a good start.

It was very windy for the first leg: we went down in 7:04 and came back nearly a minute slower in 7:59. Compare that to the differences for boats in divisions 3 and 4, and their times are much closer, which I think gives an advantage to later divisions. Not just easier rowing conditions with a calmer Reach, but also the boost you get from a tailwind is worth less than the corresponding headwind. Note that Christs M2, in div 3, beat their M1, in div 1. Which is a long-winded way of me leading up to wondering if we'd have beaten Xpress Legends if they'd not been in div 4.

We've entered the Head of the Trent which is, and SA said, like the H2H but with the gap for a rest closed up until it doesn't exist, and then with another 2k thrown in. So time to start taking the land training seriously.

Also, anyone remember the Tidy 2k challenge?