METrosexual rowing

Ooer ooer a bit late with this one ladies and non-lady rowers. It's all the bar training on the run up to Henners.
MET regatta's been and gone! Where were you?

It was a weekend of swift racing and up to the line bowball breakers.

Saturday
The Women's Senior 3 4+ had the best racing of the day, seeing off everyone in their first heat comfortably, but missing out on the bronze spot in the final by a few seconds.
Also in a similar situation were the sweeping scullers in the Senior 3 8s who made it through to their semi quite happily but even though they put in a slightly quicker time in the next race were put down by a flotilla of cheeky students taking the top places.
The men's first 8 made an audacious move to take on the big boys in the Senior 1 and Senior 2, like last year, but were unfortunately 'in the wrong heat' for S2. Any other heat would have seen them in the Rep.
But a crowning turnip of achievement to the novice girls making their regatta debut in style but entering the S3 8s. Even a handful of crabs in the last 100m didn't stop them coming middle of the field in an event so heavily subscribed that it was only first 2 through to the final.
And finally to the resident lonely long distance sculler. Nadia pounded her way up another stupidly long course to finish 4th in her heat again just pipped, like so many City crews, to a spot in the final/rep by one place.

Sunday
Two ladies fours were out first thing on Sunday, both at Senior 2. The early birds didn't quite catch the worms this time as neither quite made it through to the semis.
Bit of a shift around as the Sculling 8 went up to S2 and the 1st 8 levelled out at S1. Unfortunately the 1st 8 could have done with a few more inches all round (or so I hear on the grapevine, which incidentally is positively bursting with juice at the moment. But that's for another day) as they missed out on the rep again by a fraction of a (bow) ball.
A swift ditching of four of the 8 left an S1 coxed four out on the water for another couple of paddles up and down the lake, and this foolhardy handful showed the burger chompers a thing or two by making it through to the rep without a bother.
The Scullers made a show of it and spanked down the course again for the rep in their category. Only one through to the final though, and those students were at it again. Listening to post race goss, it's the general consensus that Murph needs a couple less pies a day, while Billy could do with a few more weights to try and make his shoulders wider than his Jolie-bum.
The little novice lasses were S3ing it on Sunday too and yet again (which leads Oi to think that there might be some sneaky fixing going on somewhere) the rep was missed by only one spot and a couple of seconds.

So in short a little bit of a disappointing couple of days racing, but a decisive lesson if ever there was one to keep hammering for the line.

Next stop: Reading! (Tomorrow! Get the jaffas in)