Fresh off the back of their HEddies victory at Head of the Cam our Eddie's Eagles had their sights set on winning another pot at City's Spring Head to Head race! 2km downstream followed by 2km upstream is a daunting task but our fearless stroke, Sophie, powered on at an unrelenting r30 ensuring that we positively flew downstream with an average split of 1:56! Coach Matt said we didn't look tired enough at the finish line and that he wanted us to make sure we properly put ourselves in the bin on the way back....and we certainly did! A call of 500m to go had us all pushing for that last ounce of energy....after a distance of somewhat more than 500m we finally went under the railway bridge - with many of us wondering where on earth the second part of the railway bridge was and where the heck is that blooming hooter to signal the finish!!!!! The Eagles did Matt proud and were well and truly IN-THE-BIN!!
As it turns out...thanks so Matt's wonderful advice we WON our category beating Tit Hall by 0.5 seconds!!!! All in all a wonderful day and another confidence boost as our training ramps up the closer we get to that all important May Bumps week!
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Huge congratulations to our women's side who combined forces with Hughes Hall to form a W1 Eddie's-Hughes composite boat and went on to WIN their first race of the season - Head of The Cam! We won this race last year so we delighted to retain the title - and in style with a healthy 20 second lead! Well done all!
Day 1 - The first day of Bumps saw the return of the Beef Barge, debuting as the sandwich boat between Divisions 2 and 3. Our first race was from Station 1 of Division 2, being chased by Queens’ M2. The boys put in a good fight against Queens’ who eventually got bumped by Magdalene M2 leaving us to settle into a rate 19 paddle to the finish, warranting some high praise from CamFM. Our second race was at the bottom of Division 2, chasing Clare M2. After an incredible start and huge determination from the boys, we caught Clare within 750m, Eddie’s Men’s first Lent term bump in recent memory!
Day 2 - Rest day. Day 3 - After a day of rest, the Beef Barge returned ready to bump FaT M2, chased by sandwich boat Magdalene M2. With another excellent race start, we pulled away from Magdalene and closed on FaT by half a length before carnage ensued ahead. Alannah having to slam rudder, carnage also ensued inside the boat and eventually we were caught by Magdalene M2 and returned as the sandwich boat. Day 4 - M1 were back and determined for another rower and bump scenario. First race of the day and Eddie’s had an incredible row over. It looked like Clare M2 were going to return the favour and bump us, but determination from the boat meant that we prevailed and Clare M2 got bumped by Fitz M2. From then on, Queens’ M2 went for the over bump but the Beef Barge didn’t give up and raced it all the way to the finish - definitely one of the more exciting races we’ve done. Back to the bottom of Div 2 chasing Magdalene M2 for the next race. Unfortunately more carnage up ahead and we had to hold it up, resulting in both crews getting a technical row over and ruining our chances of playing the long game and bumping them on the reach. Day 5 - Last minute cox change due to me being struck by illness. The incredible Shannon took over at the P&E after bumping with W1. Again, we were going for a row over, knowing it would be a tough job against Fitz M2 who were going for blades. The boys put in a good fight but eventually got bumped - Fitz, you’re welcome for the blades. Congrats to our W2 crew who WON their category yesterday in the third leg of Winter League! Having been plagued by yellow flags all term these guys have only had 11 outings this term! The progress they have made in the last two weeks has been exceptional and they were duly rewarded today!
A first race over this distance for the crew, they maintained a super rhythm set by Monica in stroke, with encouraging calls from coach Abbie & BP Kathy on the bank they kept the pressure on and pushed all the way to the line. With fantastic calls from Rory in the cox seat this crew certainly flew like eagles! We can’t wait for Easter term where we WILL smash the GOR and have two boats in bumps! #yeaheagles Day 1 – Chasing Christ’s II, Chased by Trinity Hall II – Result: Bumped (-1)
Eddies were keen beans being the first crew of the day to row past headquarters earning them a cheer from CUCBC still setting up their tent. Perhaps a little nervous as it was the first bumps race for three of our rowers, we marshalled underneath the dreaded A14 bridge next to the cannon. After many failed attempts to locate the ring for the bung, a brave CUCBC member held onto the chain as we were pushed off. At the cannon, Eddies put up a good chase to Christ’s II but Christ’s II were able to bump Emma III just before first post corner. Having to swing wide to avoid the clearing boats, Tit Hall II snuck up behind the Eagles, able to take the direct path. Eddies did a valiant effort of holding Tit Hall off through the gut putting on a burst of speed down plough reach. Unfortunately, Tit Hall II caught Eddies as we turned onto the reach. Three cheers to Trinity Hall II who ended their bumps campaign with blades! Day 2 – Chasing Trinity Hall II, Chased by Clare Hall - Result: Bumped (-1) Rallying from their bump yesterday, W1 was now further from the cannon but with a proper ring in the ground for their bung. Preparing for a hard race, Eddies sped off at the cannon fire. Tit Hall II slipped away quickly bumping Emma III ahead of them. Clare Hall managed to catch up to Eddies around first post corner, bumping us in the gut. Three cheers to Clare Hall who also ended their bumps campaign with blades! Day 3 - Rest day Day 4 – Chasing Clare Hall, Chased by St. Catherine’s II – Result: Row Over (0) After two disappointing days, Eddies returned rested for Day 4. The action happened around Eddies today. Speeding off at the cannon, Clare Hall quickly bumped Emma III in front of Eddies and behind Addies caught Cats II after missing them the day before. As Eddies rowed past the plough, they were miles ahead of the last racing boat and settled into a strong r26 to finish the 2.6km course. This row over was some of the strongest rowing W1 had done all term and, in the words of our president: “Rowing is fun again.” The Eagles were back! Day 5 – Chasing Emmanuel III, Chased by Addenbrooke’s – Result: BUMP! (+1) After the clean row over the day before, Eddies were ready to turn their campaign around. At the cannon, Eddies started their hunt for Emma III in what would turn out to be a short chase with coach Matt blowing the first whistle halfway down first post reach. Keeping each stroke long and maintaining control on their slides coming forward, Eddies caught Emma just before the corner awarding W1 their first Lent bump since the pandemic! With three cheers to Emmanuel III, Eddies rowed back with greenery in their hair. Now with a true understanding of the chaos that is bumps, the Eagles are keen to train over the break, get those UT2 miles in, push for those watts, and come back in Easter stronger than ever. The road to May bumps begins now! St. Edmund's College Boat Club is delighted to announce that Dr Andy Harter CBE and Ms Lily Bacon DL have been awarded the position of Honorary Presidents of SECBC in recognition of their unfailing dedication and commitment to the prosperity of St. Edmund's College Boat Club. Many congratulations Andy & Lily! A huge thank you from all of us at SECBC for all the help and valuable knowledge which you provide!
For the second year in a row, W1 faced off against Newnham in the Pembroke Regatta. Held this past Saturday, W1 was up against the stacked Newnham W2, a whole division above them in the Lent Bumps standings . Side-by-side along the Reach, Newnham pulled slightly ahead at the start with the Eagles close behind. While Newnham pulled away after the stride, our Eagles found a long and sustainable rhythm and began closing the gap as the boats crossed under the railway bridge.
Despite the closing gap, Newnham still sneaked across the finish line a boat length before our Eagles. With a rough draw, our Eagles were still proud of the fight they posed to Newnham W2 and rowed home in high spirits . With the early start, they gathered at Eddies for a team Saturday Brunch before joining Hughes Hall Boat Club (and their W1 division winners! ) at the pub for a cross college social. #YeahEagles! The authentic eye (and ear) witness account of how St. Edmund’s House College won its first oar14/2/2024 It was an absolute treat to receive this first hand account recalling the escapades of the 1975/76 crew and their successful blades campaign (back when St. Edmund's college was St. Edmund's House).
In the year of our Lord 1975, or indeed in any year preceding the year of our Lord, 1975, St. Edmund’s House College (henceforth referred to as St. Eddies) did not have a crew on the river. Or rather, to be more precise, St. Edmund’s had a boat that rowed on the river, but that boat was not allowed to row in the May Bumps. That may have been a good thing as it was leaky old tub commonly dubbed the “BA Ordinary.” In order to attain such a privilege, a crew would have had to endure a horrific ordeal, i.e. the May Bumps Getting-On Race (MBG-0R) to determine if such crew was worthy. St. Eddies (quite rightly at the time) deemed itself unworthy, or at least knew full well that we would not meet the challenge. Technically, MBG-0R is described as follows: We were now at the head of our division (the bottom division, that is) and only needed to not get run up into the trees ourselves. Things were going smoothly until our coach, Mr. Bruce Elsmore, could be heard shouting, “Number 5, reach out; lean back.” Then silence from our leader; then, “Keep it up; keep it up.” The unlikely occurred. The seat upon which the able bottom of number 5 resided broke. It froze up. It would not move and number 5 wound up sitting on the rails, manfully trying to keep the pace with the other crew members. ¡Non pasarán! And no one did pass. We won our oar. The banquet was a huge success. Monsieur Demers was carried into the hall (he could not walk on his own; the drinking had been going on for hours). The Master, beaming, mumbled appreciative words. Our Captain was singled out for praise for without his wiles, we would not have been in the Bumps at all. Mr. Elsmore was lauded for turning us into a passable [4] crew. Mesch’s leadership, Tyndal’s steady hand, Stoeger’s calm assurance, Barratt’s style, Halliday’s experience and Hauck’s strength were enthusiastically lauded. Macy’s ample foundation and stubborn doggedness were gratefully recognized as well. [1] This account is by an American. All spelling and grammar are correct (for an American).
[2] An excellent sherry for those who like a true aperitif. Indeed, the words “cream” and “sherry” should not even enjoy a nodding acquaintance. Cream is for cakes. [3] Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs http://www.cucbc.org/mays/gor [4] More accurately, perhaps, “unpassable.” SECBC is run by a determined and hard working student committee, on an entirely voluntary basis. The club is supported by dedicated coaches and some excellent alumni relations which ensures that every member of the club receives the best possible experience of college rowing that can be provided. Being a mature college, the turnover of our members each year is high, and as such this puts an emphasis on our capability to train up new aspiring rowers year in, year out. Despite our best efforts, providing this level of coaching can be a strain on the club, both financially for the club, and on the workload of our committee. We decided to run a 24 hour ERGathon fundraiser to help raise funds to cover the costs of races and our coaching requirements. It is imperative to the club that we are able to provide equal opportunities to all our members, whether they wish to race in the top crews, row casually, or even just row for one term to have the experience. The event was a great success and we must extend our thanks to all our members who got involved, and to every single one of our extremely generous donors. We covered a whopping 276.5km and raised a fantastic £1,251 (and counting - click here to donate!) W1 made big waves in their return to the Cam for Lent! Racing Newnham Head’s 2km course upstream from the motorway to railway bridge, W1 proved that they know how to row as a crew. Settling into a controlled rate 28 set up by their fantastic stroke Adriana, W1 sped down first-post reach off the start line. With Paulina (7), Sophie X-T (6) and Kathy (5) keeping the split down, bow four kept the corners tight with pressure from Polina (4) and Sophie L-W (2) round first-post corner and then a big push from Xen (3) and Kiran (B) round grassy. With cox Elizabeth yelling encouragement through the mic, all eight put their legs down to the plough and onto the reach. While they were met with some wind for the home stretch, that’s where eagles soar. With a last herculean push, they made it cross the finish line at the railway bridge, exhausted but proud of their work. Working as a team, W1 tied for 3rd in the Lower Lents Category proving that they are a boat to watch in Lent bumps! BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! Eddies didn’t just put watts down in the water, their smiles alone could power the 99s Boat House. This boat’s sunshine attitude and impeccable vibes won them medals for the SMILIEST CREW AWARD! Grins firmly intact, this crew certainly had something to celebrate on their traditional post-race pub trip. After our 24-hour ergathon this coming weekend, the eagles will be back for Pembroke Regatta on Saturday 17th February! Help keep the eagles rowing strong on their road to bumps and donate today: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/secbc-ergathon2024 Written by Elizabeth Leach-Leung
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