1 race, 1 win

Look at that for awesome timing and hardly any splashing...

Saturday saw the first real test of our progress so far with two of us (Simon and Ben) taking part in the Wraysbury 3 mile skiffing regatta. We competed in the Gentleman’s Novice class in division two which consisted of about 8 boats of all levels from ... well us to a well respected senior women’s crew...

Early bravado soon disappeared as we seriously began to question our realistic chances being the only crew not to have entered a regatta before. We managed to psyche ourselves out a little by looking at the other crews and thinking they were bigger/stronger/fitter/better than us (little bit like the warm up for a rugby match when all you can do is get the fear about their enormous second rowers...)

As we took to the water I discovered the answer to a question that countless people have toiled over for many years … how do you shut Garnett up? Answer? Put him in a skiffing race as not a peep was heard in our final preparations.

The crews set off at 20 sec intervals; we had two experienced ladies crews in front of us and our main competition in the form of two other Gentleman’s novice crews behind us. This meant that we could keep tabs on them but might also face the humiliation of being overtaken.

The start was a rolling start and we hit it perfectly and to our amazement were overtaking the crew in front of us within the first few hundred metres. We powered on inspired by are impressive start and before we knew it we were pulling swiftly away from the crews behind us and gaining on the star crew in front.

By the half way point Ben hit the wall but after much shouting and gnashing of teeth powered through it. On the run home we extended our lead over the boats behind and ever so slowly hunted down the one in front. As we crossed the line we were quietly confident that we had done enough to win.

After what seemed like an age prize giving came and sure enough we picked up our first medals (and by medals, we do of course mean horrible "faux bronze tat") in a very respectable time which actually meant that we had not only won our class but our division as well.

I can only hope that the event goes as soomthly...