DUBC NEWS A Big Pot Robert Swift and the Irish Universi- Blessington, in front victory in the last race of Pattison punctured the ties Boat Race against of minimal crowds. the day at peace. It read “Harvard THERE IS NO Queenʼs were a mixed With this result coach Monkstown Regatta. first is absolutely per- question that the bag. One trait that did Mark Pattison settled On the Saturday fect. They wonʼt know memory of the days shine through was a on his crew; nine before Henley, some what hit them.” immediately preceding consistency against survivors of a members of the Senior A flurry of calls later the victory at the Irish Senior VIIIs on Irish tumultuous season who VIII were at the boat- and our fears were Championships will waters. Ghent results had the mileage behind house on a well-earned confirmed; we would last longer and remain were not up to 2007ʼs them, and who had the rest day, packing the race the Ivy League more vivid than any standard and, with one best chance of fulfilling trailer for the trip across powerhouse on others from my days personnel change, the the potential of what the Irish Sea. Wednesday, and our rowing for DUBC. crew went into the had been a promising Meanwhile, stewards regatta might well be After the victory rescheduled University squad. Dublin of the regatta were over seven minutes against Oxford, the Championships with a Metropolitan Regatta drawing the crews for after it had started. senior crewʼs results bitter score to settle was raced in small the first round of racing. On the trip over to at Ghent, the against both UCD and boats, the exam-inter- Thoughts of this had Oxfordshire, each of us University Champi- NUIG. Revenge for the rupted Queenʼs race been cast aside, as had a chance to ponder onships, Dublin Gannon Cup race was was won with two blades were painted in the draw. It soon Metropolitan Regatta, snatched aggressively novice substitutes, and the Islandbridge sun, became clear that the Monkstown Regatta on a Friday evening in the VIII cantered to until a text from Mark stewards had inadver- Dublin University Boat Club. Trinity College, Dublin 2. www.tcdlife.ie. [email protected]. May 2009 tently done us a huge Harvard VIII. Race attempt to shock them a useful training tool in performance. The favour. We only had preparation rituals com- with a wind of the rate the transition back to decision was also made one choice, to race our plete, and with both only slowed us further, six-lane racing. In to split the VIII and race absolute fastest against crews at front stops, the and a verdict of two particular, they enabled both Intermediate and Harvard. If we starter went through his lengths was recorded. us to time ourselves Senior IV+ on the emerged victorious, calling over and raised Philosophical in over set distances. Friday. While training then our speed would his flag. defeat, the crew retired Spotting a light tail wind time was being slowly be confirmed and It seemed as though to our accommodation towards the end of one decreased in the days winning the Temple the word ʻgoʼ had hardly to decide on what the session, Mark took out preceding racing, the Challenge Cup would left our ears before we next week would hold. his stopwatch and intermediate combina- become a real were on our third, Sir Stephen Redgrave – asked what we could tion boated a few times, possibility. And if we fourth, and fifth strokes start judge in the race – give him over 500m. giving them vital miles failed to progress, we and the rate was was cornered by some After an exhausting on the temperamental would have nine days climbing. It was a club members later in piece at a maximal Inniscarra waters. After to focus on the final ferociously aggressive the week. He was not intensity, we were given some long and goal for the year, start and definitely one shy in declaring it the the time: one minute increasingly restless the Senior Eights of few where I have had most exciting start he twenty seconds. days, Friday arrived. Championship of to remind myself to had seen so far, and Ecstatic at this rapid The intermediate crew Ireland. breathe after ten confirming that Trinity quantification of our posted a narrow second Our Henley prepara- strokes, such was the had, indeed, been speed, we anticipated a place in their semi-final, tion consisted of short, physical exertion and leading past the end of return to the slip. Mark but after a quick re- purposeful sessions on mental focus. I am Temple Island. had other ideas. It was hash of their race plan the racing course. Op- loathed to guess how That night the crew clear that this was a they lined up for the position from schools, much of a lead we had was split over what to coach who wasnʼt going final. This time there universities and clubs earned ourselves after do next. In order not to to settle for good; he were no prisoners were put to the sword 200 metres, but our tempt fate, nobody had wanted better, and ulti- taken, and a consider- and as our pre-race bows had snuck ahead. dared think about what mately he wanted best. able lead at 1000m was anxiety grew, so did our The second quarter of might happen if we The second piece was translated into a win- confidence. the race was where the were to lose, so posted at one minute ning margin of eight On the day of the Harvard crew started to suddenly we were eighteen seconds. seconds. A few hours race our plan could not assert themselves on faced with a choice: Once decamped in later the unpolished but have been simpler. We the race. Whatever book new flights and Cork, an entirely determined senior IV+ knew our opposition extra length and return to train in different challenge rowed up to their were fast and we knew smoothness they had Inniscarra, or stay in awaited us. We knew straight final, with that they were clever incorporated into their England and train in that there were enough Gabriel Magee in the racers. But our strength stroke was starting to private on Etonʼs crews entered into coxʼs seat already a lay in our start and our tell, as they moved on Dorney Lake. Eventu- Senior VIIIs that a semi- champion in one disci- fitness over the second us slowly and ally a decision was final would be needed, pline. Under their half of the course. We consistently, surge for made that we would and also that we had resolute coxswainʼs therefore committed surge. By the barrier keep our Monday flights raced only a couple of guidance the crew grew ourselves to taking a they had a lead, and try and accommodation in the entered crews. We in confidence through- lead and holding it. as we might our Henley, and train on the didnʼt know which out the warm-up, and Our warm-up went advances were parried Olympic course at Eton. crews we would be despite a scrappy first smoothly, and before until they carried a lead The lakeʼs buoyed racing and in what few strokes drew out to we knew it we were on of a length into the lanes and accurate order, so we set about a two length lead at the blocks next to the enclosures. A last-ditch distance markers were perfecting our own 1000m. Any dreams of The start against Harvard at Henley a perfect start for the entire VIII soon started to dissipate, however, as a Galway/Shannon composite edged closer and closer, and eventu- ally rowed through, pushing the IV+ into second place by half a length. These two perform- ances went a long way to solidifying our confi- dence, and ensured The finish at the Irish National Chamionships that if any of our opposition had been re- tempo and controlled stake boat, must have right, including oarsmen I could end by saying luctant to take us seri- aggression sealed the looked the same as it from Galway Rowing that the rest is history; ously, they were now win in a race that, did for any other race. Club, Old Collegians, that would be cocky. It very wary indeed. luckily, never caught us Same routine, same Shannon and Tribes- would be more accurate Saturday afternoon on the back foot. oarsmen. But the men. On our left were to say that as soon as came and, after one In the short rest before difference could not the young, slick we could see the other crew had equipment dif- the final, Mark delivered have been more Commercial crew. crews start to fall back, ficulties at the start, his game plan to us. obvious once the re- The composite and we knew that there was both semi finals were Despite the fact that this lease of the first stroke NUIG went out with no way we were going rescheduled to later in was a winner-takes-all had come. Of five cannons blazing, trying to let the race out of our the day. There were to situation, we knew that crews, every single one to garner any sort of an grip. It was enough for be seven crews racing, our fitness was likely to knew that they had less advantage and shake Liam Gorman, in the and the Senior VIII had be our greatest single than six minutes to pour the remainder of the Irish Times, to label the been drawn in a semi- strength.