Emma sprints

Novice men

Fresh from their resounding success at QErgs, NM1 were eager to finally put their skills to the test on the water at Emma Sprints, where, as a result of their massive
performance at Queens’, they were given an incredibly tough draw, going up against
Downing NM1 in the first race. Still, they were confident that their fighting spirit and
relentless enthusiasm would see them build on the success of the finalists NW1 (!!!), as they set off for marshalling.
After arriving at the Railway Bridge, conditions took a turn for the worst, as the wind
picked up and our Vikings found themselves drifting ever closer to the bank. Despite the
efforts of their captains to push them back out, the Emma marshals were ruthlessly
efficient and elected to begin the race with Eddie’s blades mere inches from the wall.
Unfortunately, as Downing shot off the line, our Vikings got themselves and their oars
into a fight with a nearby bush and lost. By the time they had got going up to race pace
the gap was irrecoverable. However, the Eddie’s men refused to give up, and with Nordic
Spirit in their veins (not that one), they powered down the course regardless of their
earlier misfortune.
Next up came hosts Emma. Eager to avoid any more entanglements with nearby
shrubbery, cox Nadia lined up the Vikings perfectly, and away they went. Helmets
trembling with the furious power being sent through the water, and seeking to right the
wrongs of the Downing match-up, the Beef Barge rumbled down the course. Emma,
meanwhile, proved to be incredibly strong off the start, and found themselves with clear
water from their Norse challengers, which they were able to maintain until the finish.
Not the result that our novices would have wanted from their debut on the water, but
spirits remained high on the paddle back to the boathouse. With three races still to
come this term, there were plenty of areas to work on to ensure they round out
Michaelmas on a high!

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Novice women

The outings leading up to the race were, let’s say, “educational.” One outing with no rudder (ideal practice for power steering) and the final outing battling rain and wind in challenging conditions. We knew we were resilient and ready for whatever would be thrown at us on race day. Crew chew the night before was where tactical planning and, most importantly, costumes  were finalised.
Race day arrived and the crew were nowhere to be seen, but the Men in Black showed up. Even our bank party, led by our fierce President Kathy, was ready for action. Add in our alien cox plus our loyal extraterrestrial mascots, Gulliver and Neville, and we were raring to go.

Our first race was against Queen’s NW1 — win. Next up Pembroke NW1 — win. Then Clare Hall NW1 — another win. At this point we were starting to suspect we might actually be good at this. A few dramatic crabs tried to keep us humble, but soon enough we’d made our way into the final.
We gave the last race everything we had. Wolfson NW1 edged ahead in the end, but we crossed the line proud of what we had achieved.
The day was an absolute highlight: a cheeky boogie at marshalling, questionable singing, phenomenal vibes and our theme song blasting through the cox box on the row home.
Future races are looking bright and other colleges, consider yourselves officially warned.