Portugal news

After a rather chilly and damp start, the sun has now come out, and the boys have made the most of it for these past two days, not least as the forecast suggests it won't last, sadly.  However, the weather has been kind in terms of wind, and the lake has been near mirror flat for the technical and distance work in the mornings, with rather more breeze for the pieces in the evening (good practice for Nottingham!).  Today was warm enough for the traditional swim to the island for a group photo, which should be on the album on the right before too long.  Now that we are more than halfway, there is  a much needed lie in tomorrow, before we get going with the final three days.  Plenty of good progress has been made thus far, with most crews feeling that they have really moved on.

Off to Portugal...

I'm driving...

Off to Portugal...

Schools' Head

Conditions look set fair for the Head tomorrow (start 1415), and so it looks like last week's practice will have been fairly representative after all.  All three Upper Boats crews will go off 2nd in their divisions (2nd, 44th and 81st respectively).  Colts A are 88, Junior Colts A 108, Colts B 117 and Junior Colts B and C are 147 and 151.  Upper Boats will be looking to perform at their best first time, and so improve on Kingston and Reading.  Colts have been hit by some illnesses, but with encouraging results to date will have to see what they can deliver despite this adversity.  For Junior Colts, this is always a bit test, and a chance to see how much ground has been made up on other schools over the half, and what the targets for training camp and the early summer will be.

The VIII should be off Putney around 1430, and thereafter expect crews to have started at a rate of around 4 a minute (so it will be after 1500 before our last crews are nearing Putney).  We boat from Imperial College boathouse at Putney, so that is the place to meet other supporters and boys (after racing).  Hammersmith provides the best view of the course though, especially on the outside of the bend on the North (Middx) side.

 

You might have noticed that the lead BBC Sport article is currently about Constantine Louloudis (Captain of Boats 2010).  Many congratulations to him on his excellent performance at Trials (with pairs partner George Nash).

A little motivation before Schools' Head

Boys were incredibly fortunate tonight to have Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent talking to the Sports Society, in an evening hosted by Jim Rosenthal.  Steve and Matthew both spoke about how they had got into the sport of rowing, giving an insight into the commitment required to compete at the top level, and sharing thoughts on what motivated them to achieve the various goals that they set themselves through their careers.

Photo of The VIII with Steve and Matt attached, which will hopefully load up properly...

Not your typical Tideway experience...

More like being in Portugal really. Here's hoping it does actually end up being representative practice for next week.