Tyne United

Saturday’s events, whilst the last for athletes racing in TURC colours, wasn’t the last gasp for our club members. Stuart McCluskey racing for Durham University Boat Club in the men’s cox less pairs event along with his rowing partner Philip Congdon had qualified for the final with a fine performance on Saturday. Sunday was to be a repeat performance as the Durham pair dominated a tough filed to take gold, winning the championship title and earning a place in the GB universities squad for the World Student Games and the European Universities Championships.

Stuart McCluskey & Philip Congdon - British Rowing Championships winners 2010

Saturday dawned blustery and breezy. Refuelled and rested it was back to Strathclyde Park with the only TURC event today being Finn’s appearance in the J15 1x final.

Helen, Andrew, Alex and Adam had made sure that their charges had been suitably fed and watered the previous evening and with Adam and Alex standing guard Finn managed to get a good night’s sleep. Throughout this weekend Finn has had a lot of support from Pat who, with his usual double partner on holiday, came along to support his team mates. Sunday was to be no different with Pat helping with boat and blades and providing a lot of moral support for his friend.

Finn, Pat & Alex

Finn set off aware that he was up against it today. This would be only the fourth time he’d paddled a 2 km course at race speed (including yesterday’s two occasions) whilst the other competitors had been training hard for this specific event. Delighted to reach the final he nonetheless wanted to do his best for both himself and the club. In the end it became a four boat race in which Finn and one other didn’t figure. They were not far off the pace though and when he crossed the line Finn had recorded his fastest time ever. He was clearly absolutely shattered and so despite being disappointed not to have achieved a medal placing he at least felt he had given his all.

TURC Juniors and coaches at Nat. Champs 2010

It was an early start for the majority of Tyne United’s rowers who heading to the British Rowing Championships today. Andrew and Helen, just back from a stint sailing on a Tall Ship decided that everyone should be up and off by 3 bells of the second watch (stupid o’clock to landlubbers). The only exception being Finn as his parents refused to get up at such a ludicrous hour.

TURC had three boats racing at this year’s Championships. First up were Hannah H and Bianca competing in WJ15 2x. As there were 28 registered competitors, although only 24 started, the first event in this class was a time-trial. Now this was Hannah’s first exposure to lane racing and time-trialling and for both the 2 km length of the course was a step on from their training, which had been primarily focused on shorter regatta events. If that wasn’t enough Friday in Strathclyde Park was more than a little windy with pronounced white horses in the middle, more exposed, section of the course. Nobody could say that the girls didn’t give it their all. Whilst they’d stuck pretty close to their race plan in the end (in Hannah’s own words) they “Just went for it!” A long anxious wait ensued for the results.

Finn was the only boy racing and in his usual J15 1x. Unlike the girls his race was in the format of heats and a repechage. The first in each of the three heats went straight to the final, whilst second and third went to a repechage.

Finn been overheard hoping for a good chop, figuring that the experience gained from rowing on the Tyne would mean that he would have a slight edge as a result. His start wasn’t up to his usual standard, not for any technical reason but because the light on his stake boat was out and he “couldn’t hear the buzzer for that bloody woman on the tannoy.” He was off the start a fraction after the other rowers but quickly got back into contention. This was when he got a wee bit more wind than he’d hoped for and catching a crab, found himself at the back of the pack again. WIth only 250m to go he was lying in fifth place but a late kick brought him back and with 100m to go he was third, then second with less than 50m left and he pushed the eventual winner all the way to the line losing by only a canvas. Never mind he was through to the next round. Chris who’d cycled along the course congratulated Finn on rowing a very “mature” race. Finn’s analysis was that he’d been “S**t“.

During Finn’s event the result of Hannah and Bianca’s time trial came through. Unfortunately they hadn’t made the split. The emphasis now shifted to Molly and Hannah D. They were racing as J16 2x and like Finn were facing a heat-repechage format. The main problem with this format is that if you have the misfortune to get a tough draw you can be eliminated despite having turned in a good time. Molly and Hannah just missed out on progressing as they came in fourth. In the context of Molly having had problems with neuralgic pain in one arm this week this was far from a bad result.

So the focus was now back on Finn. He had a long wait until his repechage; another six lane race including rowers who he’d lost to at Strathclyde Park Regatta earlier in the season. As Finn rowed down to the start the wind picked up with stronger gusts blasting across the course. Finn was determined not to have a repeat of his previous race and set off at a fair lick. It was clear from the commentary for those of us at the end of the course that this was turning into a three horse race, with Finn in contention. With another final kick he gained clear water over the third placed boat finishing a clear second and qualifying for tomorrow’s final.

Finn J15 1x

Boats all lashed down to the trailer Andrew got all the juniors aboard the BCTV minibus and set sail for the hotel they are to stay in overnight. Tomorrow’s another day with hopefully slightly lighter winds. The regatta was halted for a while soon after Finn’s race as the wind was deemed too strong to race but it was hopefully to restart shortly afterwards. After a long day only those camping overnight hung around to find out.