1974
The winters training is over, my first regatta season lies ahead....
There are three Christchurch novice crews eager for racing and I am the stroke of the ‘A’ crew. Surely we will win at the first regatta? We have been rowing since before Christmas, training two evenings a week and rowing Saturdays and Sundays.
The ‘B’ crew are mostly veteran social members, spending much more time in the bar than the gym, all full of advice for us youngsters and kidding that they were only drinking OJ & lemonade. We can beat them any day of the week!
The ‘C’ crew are late starters, only out of the old clinker fixed-seat since February, we wouldn’t be troubled by them...
At last! Lymington regatta and we are on the start line.... oh dear oh dear, what a disaster, we are beaten in the heat. The other crews are knocked out too, so it’s straight over to the Mayflower to drown our sorrows, hoping Mike Green hasn’t noticed!
Next regatta, Southampton. Racing along the docks the water is smelly, murky and oily. In lane 1 the water is turbulent, waves rebounding off the huge cargo ships towering above. We qualify easily for the final. After a fantastic start.... we are overtaken by at least two crews. When we cross the finish line in 3rd the grim truth is revealed, the ‘B’ crew has not only beaten us, they won. The humiliation is almost unbearable. In the beer tent the victorious crew buys us OJ and lemonade and I consider throwing myself into Southampton docks.
The following week I gather the crew for a crisis meeting. “More training”, I suggest, “we’re not fit enough”. Our 3-man ‘big Pete’ (a 20 stone tree surgeon), grabs me by the arm, twists me into an excruciating head-lock, and says “speak for yourself, kid”. I reconsider. Training continues at 2 evenings per week.
Next it’s Coalporters. We make the final but lost. More pain and anguish.
The following week Poole regatta, held on the harbour at Baiter. Again we make the final, along with the ‘C’ crew. Surely this is it? In a hard fought struggle we are beaten in the final.... by the ‘C’ crew!
My Dad suggests I could take up cycling. Or maybe sailing? What about running?
But no, rowing is all about the crew. You stick together. Also it’s now school summer holiday, and I’m desperate to try sculling. – You must win novice before you are allowed to go out in the clubs wooden clinker built single scull.
Next regatta, Southsea. YEEESSSSS! Not only do we win, but the pot is a pewter tankard. Does this prompt a 15 year old to celebrate in the beer tent? I can’t remember, but I did feel a bit travel sick during the coach journey home.
I decided to stick with rowing and I did lots of sculling during that summer holiday.
Christchurch Rowing Club. H & D Novice Championship winner 1974.
Winning crews;
A crew; Geoff Cooling, Steve Newland, Pete Frazer, Quentin Allen
B crew; Ken Allen, Colin Neighbour, Mike Kenyon, Don Holmes,
C crew; Russell Copage, Brian Cobb, Dave Nichols, Alan Creswell
Coxes; Martin Graham and Nigel Sizeland.
