Curlew made a strong showing at Reading this year, entering two women’s VIIIs and a men’s VIII.
The weather on March 7th was unusually warm and sunny, making for a pleasant day on the river.
The women’s first VIII put in a good row in the the WIM2 division, completing the course in 16:57.5, yet they were beaten out by powerful university crews from Reading, the University of London and Oxford Brookes.
The women’s second VIII had lost their boat due to a broken fin, but seemed to take well to rowing in the Maxine Livesey in the afternoon. Despite having to come to a complete stop at one point, and suffering from a broken footplate that sidelined Annabel Taylor in the number 5 seat mid-race, the crew put in a good time, finishing the course in 17:54.9, just one minute behind the women’s first VIII. Stroked by Laura Binns, the boat beat out crews from Eton Excelsior, Shiplake College and Reading Rowing Club in the WIM3 division.
The Curlew men entered a scratch crew in the IM2 division. With James ‘Sparra’ Hasler at stroke, the men performed well, finishing the course in 15:12.2.
The day demonstrated the depth of the women’s squad, as well as setting Curlew up for the final races of the season. Scott Bramley of the men’s squad deserves a special mention for gallantly helping the ladies trailer and rig their boats.