So Upper Thames Head was so epic I’m going to have to split the posts up by gender (I know I’m behind the times but it is a useful binary)So first up it’s our Men, and Issy, in a coxed 4 and coxless 4.
If you were in the UK at weekend you will know the weather was…unkind. I personally am no fan of a headwind, but the brave competitors of yesterday’s Head had to contend with a grim 30mph headwind. Ouch. So grim. Someone has angered mighty Zeus.
Here’s Captain Ben Mitchell’s words on the coxless 4: ‘Good to get the first race of the season under the belt and very pleased with it as well. Small divisions and the wind make reading across races hard but a very solid first outing.
Well done to Peter and Dom on their first race in Curlew colours. Tidy steering from our stroke side bowman Felix too.
Shocking conditions for all competitors that hopefully won’t be repeated at HRR 2022 
At least the rain stopped before boating though.
’And then for the coxed for we have Club Captain John Adcock (all be upstanding!):‘We were very glad to be boating last as that meant we could sit out the worst of the rain in our cars like sad couples at the seaside.
The sun came our for our marshalling so we all had to strip off as we had way too many layers no doubt horrifying the junior quads around us. The race itself started ok but as we came round the corner the wind hit and we slowed to a snails pace and our technique seemed to go out of the window, the finish line seemed to take forever to come. But we did manage to overtake one crew who were having an even worse time of it than us.
We were disappointed to be so far behind Broxbourne but it was great to be rowing at Henley’.
Huge well done to both crews. You achieved the almost impossible and made me almost sad to be finishing up my last few weeks in a sunny Beirut! Hope you got a decent roast in and a well deserved pint
