CULRC sent 6 of the squad to the first set of GB Trials in Boston on the 22nd/23rd of October. Liam Downes, Andrew Hunt, Nick Kernick, Rupert Price, Piran Tedbury and James Wedlake travelled on the Friday night staying in hotels just outside of Boston.
Day 1 saw them take on the ergo for the 2000m test. Tensions were high and after weighing in 2 hours prior to the race the mood fell quiet as people prepared mentally for the test ahead. In the first group, Rupert Price (6:27.4), Piran Tedbury (6.30.5) and James Wedlake (6:32.0) went hard and set a benchmark for the others to follow. This placed them 21st, 31st and 39th respectively of over 70 entrants. In the following session Liam Downes (6:38.9) pulled a solid PB to finish 58th. Nick Kernick put forward a huge performance to clock the 5th best ergo and a PB of 6:17.8 really showing what he is capable of. Andrew Hunt pulled a 6:49.3, rounding off the scores and putting the focus onto the Scull the next day.
On Day 2 a strong headwind was blowing down the 5000m course at Boston. Nick Kernick went off 3rd in among some of the best talent in the country where he unfortunately crashed into the weeds with less than 1000m to go, upsetting his time quite badly. The other 5 scullers dealt with the wind the best they could and crossed the line in the following order:
Rupert Price – 23rd
Piran Tedbury – 36th
Andrew Hunt – 37th
James Wedlake – 41st
Liam Downes – 42nd
Nick Kernick – 57th
Overall, a very encouraging effort from the squad, setting a fantastic standard very early on in the season. Focus now moves to the Quad for Four’s Head on the 5th November while the remainder of the CULRC trialists continue training for the Winter Head on the 19th.