Contrasting emotions at the National Schools Regatta
Nottingham 16-18 May
First a great row from the WJ14 Coxed Quad.
We had a great time at the National Schools Regatta this weekend and were the lucky few to receive some sunny weather!
With our new bucket hats from one of the many fab stalls, it was a great experience to go on the 2k course for the first time and good to hear the crowd cheering from the gazebos down the side of the bank.
From what we believe was our new hat luck, our Quad managed to make the D final and it was lovely to work together and really get the boat moving in an exciting head to head race finishing a close 3rd place.
Then a hugely brave row and many cancellations:
The weather gods became angry at Nottingham over the weekend. The organisers took an appreciated early and decisive decision on Friday night to redraw the Day 2s racing programme at National Schools Regatta and cancel Day 3 due to the changing weather conditions.
So yesterday, having had to break the disappointing news to Cameron, Dyf, Harry, Henry, Martha and Seren that their scheduled races today were cancelled, the focus turned to logistics of getting equipment back and ensuring Ruby had the best of experiences in the Championship Singles event.
So we arrived at the venue at 06:30 as Ruby’s time trial was the first of the day. The Tees gazebo was sited at the final 500m mark and we were already feeling the wind significantly build up. There were 78 gazebos sited on the Centre side of the course between the the 200m and 1750m course, ranging from the simplicity of ours to the one of St Paul’s School with we are told an artisan coffee can and giant flat screen TV so they could stream the event live all day.
Racing at National Schools Regatta is never for the faint hearted, racing over the Nottingham course with white water on it definitely needs courage.
As with the girls J14 coxed quad the day before, you have to treat the time trial as your final, with 53 declared to race out of 60 entered. The repechages cancelled due to the weather, Ruby had to come in the top 24 to proceed to the side by side racing, and she really rose to the occasion racing through dreadful conditions to come in 24th. Every sculler I pulled in at the pontoon stated it was the worse conditions they had ever raced in.
Becky and Tom who cycled alongside Ruby said she had rowed superbly.
As the wind and waves were building up, we had to just wait to see if the finals would take place at all.
At 17:50 Ruby boated, on the way up she was washed down by the safety launch, had to contend with waves smashing over her back. Make no mistake this was a terrifying situation for any sculler to face.
Oh my goodness how Ruby rose to the occasion. She showed enormous courage and battled conditions few of us will ever experience.
Like the quad the day before, Ruby went into the final seeded 6th, she was drawn in the worst lane weather wise as they had move to a reverse echelon pattern where the fast sculler was in lane 6 and the slowest Ruby in lane 1, and she only went and returned in a remarkable 3rd place. What a performance.
Ruby really showed this weekend why she is seen as someone with a potential international future. As she returned to the trailer or gazebo, I fifer which the Westminster School coach who took notice of Ruby went up to her and congratulated her on her bravery and performance.
A special mention must be made to Sarah and Craig Murphy, who despite their son’s race being cancelled still came down for the day to support Ruby and collect the gazebo which we had no other means of getting back otherwise.
So a great National Schools Regatta for those who were able to race.
Text by Kate O’Sullivan on behalf of the whole junior coaching team