Proper rowing but where’s Julie?
For a while now the eager L2R graduates have had fleeting encounters with venerated senior members who mention proper rowing and go all misty eyed. It’s never properly explained what this is until Coach Rob explains that next Sunday League at Talkin Tarn will be Sweep rowing and this is what proper rowing is. Excitedly we get HMS Bounty out and rerig it to sweep in several different styles whilst the Coach demonstrates, forgetting he has an injured shoulder.
We go out to practice and the senior members are nowhere to be seen. Luckily our saviour arrives in a Filippi bucket hat from Hexham Junior squad. Ethan confidently tells us he’s done it a couple of times and proceeds to give us the best lesson ever, confidently standing up in the boat to demonstrate.
More practice takes place with Ethan and Gill and the Hexcited crew are seen confidently rowing downstream with their eyes closed whilst the other boats implement emergency protocols of diving towards the banks. Our Leader juggles the crew options, consults a tarot reader and enters two crews.
It’s a beautiful day at the Tarn and we are given a warm welcome from our chums in TTARC. A problem looms on the horizon, it’s 20 minutes to go and the Hexcited stroke is missing. Where’s Julie??? We make contingency plans and prepare to borrow Cambois rower. 10 minutes to go and she rocks up looking cool and relaxed and pleased at easily beating her record from Wansbeck.
Hexcited are off first in race 3 but the start strategy of 3 3/4 into Crab proves to give a little too much advantage to the Tarn Class of ’65. They don’t give up though and get solid practice in as they know the next race will be critical.
Hexagogo are next up versus Tarnacious and eager that Tarn don’t win both versus Hexham, the start is a little slow but they put a big push on and by halfway are starting to get ahead. The cox punishes the crew mercilessly by keeping them at full rate but we keep the lead to the line and win.
Race 10 arrives all too quickly, this is it, the big one: El Clásico de Hexham. The NE Rowing Supercomputer has drawn Hexagogo v Hexcited for the 2nd month running and Hexagogo are eager for revenge. The crews are quiet going down to the landing, not looking at each other as they go through their pre race rituals and look at messages of support from loved ones to inspire them.
Hexagogo find their starting mojo and are quick away taking a slight lead and its side by side racing over the first half as the superior technique of Hexcited battles the brute force approach from Hexagogo. At last clear water emerges and Hexagogo take the lead to cross the line and level the scores. The Hexagogo squad look faintly relieved and we all go back to talking to each other again which will make things easier round the boathouse on Friday.
The third race comes soon for Hexcited but they have lost Julie again, search parties are sent out and fortunately she is found deciding which ice cream to take to the start. Pam is here to cox and Tyne are very strong but again Hexcited row well belying that three of them just did L2R this year and look like a top team in the making.
Hexagogo are nervous for their 3rd race, they have two wins and nearly forget to dodge the angler in the warm up lane but they needn’t have worried and take another win.
The last races come and Hexcited give it their all against DARC Humour but its not to be, Hexagogo have to go full chat the whole way to beat Nithsdale Quadzilla team by half a length. The sound of heavy breathing echoes over the Tarn and we know we have been pushed all the way.
The day is over, boats are loaded and towed back to Hexham, our want away safety officer attempts to make amends by bringing a friend from Tyne and helping to rerig but we can see through his ploy. The development squad announces plans to meet to decide what to do about our Sunday League leader rowing for Tarn, probably more singles practice for her.
A great day for all our teams, lots of experience gained, new skills learnt, teams bonded and now we can nod sagely whenever the wistful senior club members start reminiscing.
