SPORT
the
iver
Success is never final,
failure is never fatal.
It’s courage that counts.
2013/14 had arguably been our best season
for a number of years. The 2013 Hamer Cup
victory had inspired the boys to commit to
some serious preparation over the winter
and all crews arrived at the shed in October
with sound preparation under their belts. The
new crop of Year 9 rowers had demonstrated
an outstanding ability to race in the lead
up regattas and we were set for a fantastic
morning for the 2014 Head of the River.
We woke to extremely high winds and
blustery conditions, possibly the worst regatta
conditions we had seen at Champion Lakes.
Our Year 9 rowers bore the brunt of the
weather during the first few races, although
improvement during the day was minimal.
The Year 9 cohort had some very successful
races with the B, C and D quads winning
their events, and courageous efforts from
both the A and E quads, firm favourites to
win. Both crews completed the course to
gain valuable points after a breakage early
in their races.
The Year 10 rowers performed well, with
the Year 10 quad finishing in a well rowed
2nd and the Year 10A VIII 5th. The Guildford
supporters watched the Year 10B VIII race
down the course with limited steering,
after a broken fin at the start of the race,
demonstrating courage and determination in
very difficult circumstances.
The Senior VIIIs produced our best results in
the senior ranks for a number of years, 4th
VII second, 3rd VIII fourth, 2nd VIII first and
1st VIII second.
The 2nd VIII coach had prophesised an
epic win for his crew, and the Guildford
supporters were not disappointed with the
2nd VIII flying down the course seemingly
effortlessly, with boat lengths between them
and the second placed crew.
Rowing from a difficult lane, and after a
poor start, the Guildford 1st VIII came close
to repeating the double win of 1962 with an
outstanding row that placed them second
behind the Christ Church 1st VIII.
On balance we had an extremely successful
Head of the River Regatta with four wins
overall, placing second in both the Hamer
and the Challenge Cup. It was a satisfying
result as we watched the rowing programme
come of age on a day when events did not
necessarily go our way. The courage and
consistency of our rowers, and the huge
numbers of Old Boys, staff and parents who
attended ensured the season finished on a
high note. All who participated, on and off
the water, can be proud of their contribution
to another successful season. We look
forward to 2015!
Ms Jennyfer Leah
Teacher-in charge of Rowing
27