Torpids celebrations didn’t last too long, come Tuesday morning it was back to the usual routine as our blades winning crew turned their attention to the next challenge. With under a week to prepare and some of us still suffering the after effects of our celebratory dip in the Isis the previous Saturday we focused in on the 6.8km race ahead. Due to the bad timing of Law Mods (The Law Fac really need to get their priorities in order) our two new star rowers, Annie and Marie, reluctantly barricaded themselves in the library, surfacing only for the occasional, self imposed, ‘revision erg’ (genuinely). With our lawyers absent, two spots in our blades winning crew opened up for the return of two old hands; Aoife Dudley taking up her usual position in the WEHoRR Bow and Eimear Monaghan celebrating her return to HCBC after a term of playing Hockey.

We arrived at Quintin boat club bright and early Saturday morning ready for the 9.30am start. Conditions were clear, if a little chilly, and before long we were out on the water waiting in line for the start of division 3. We crossed under Chiswick Bridge and the race began, led by our seasoned stern pair, Helen and Emily, we settled into our rhythm. As we passed Chiswick pier we faced a ferocious headwind for 1km until we reached the halfway point with Hammersmith Bridge in sight. On the home straight our momentum picked up and we went all out to catch the crews just ahead with Joe making the calls we all recognised from Torpids. For the final 250m along the Putney Embankment we gave it everything, finishing in a time of 23:32.3, ahead of Univ, Balliol, New and Worcester.

After the dreaded row back to Chiswick, we rounded off the morning with some well earned cake baked by Joe (or as it transpired later, his mum) and said goodbye (for the time being…) to Helen, Emily and Aoife as they focus on Finals. It was truly a great way to end what has been a fantastic term of rowing for us all.

Congratulations to Hertford alumna Zoe Lee who won the Head racing in a composite crew of GB athletes.

Next stop, Summer Eights!