Following CULRC’s defeat a week earlier to Oxford, the Head of the River in London was a chance to reverse the verdict and prove the boat’s speed against national competition. Both of these aims were accomplished, beating OULRC by 4 seconds and coming in 31st overall to take the Halladay Trophy.
For the race itself, the conditions were good, with a slight cross-tailwind and a reasonably strong stream.
The crew got off to an aggressive start, taking the rating up well over 40 strokes per minute before settling down to a race rhythm of 37-38. The pace remained solid throughout much of the course, and the Hungarian national squad (starting one place behind) were held at bay for much of the course.
The crew lost their sharpness a little as they came into the wash of a Tideway Scullers boat past Harrods Depository. However, after a brief clash coming past, CULRC got back onto their rhythm and took the pace up for the finish.
Altogether it was a strong performance, and the final results show that not only are CULRC capable of moving faster than Oxford, but also that the crew is highly competitive on a national scene.