Llandaff international washout.

This weekend saw the start of the local pi$$up regatta season now that all the serious racing is over and done with!


The weekend did not get off to a good start, with the regatta being postponed by two hours while they waited for the water level to lower, as they were a little worried that they might loose some boats over the weir due to the faster than normal flow. They also shortened the Saturday course to 500m free start, and then due to even more rain on Saturday night, shortened the course even further on Sunday by finishing further up the river to give boats enough time to turn without getting mixed up and going over the weir - which caught some Bristol crews out on the Saturday.


The first casualties being Diego, and Katy, who after racing each other for WN4+ decided that they liked each other too much and very nearly going over the edge, with only the tree to cling to, and eventually a safety launch to pull them to safety. The men's novice 8, also had the same problems, but also holed their boat with the oppositions bow ball!


There were also some of our new juniors racing on Sunday, and the WJ124x+ coping with the weir a lot better that some of the more senior coxes out there!


As ever there was a very good BBQ selection, and cake stall, with Crusher talking himself into lots of free cakes from a certain Llandaff lady, not quite what the husband had to say!


It goes without saying, that there was also much drunkenness in the evening, eventually resulting in some nakedness, but only by some of the younger racers - and I know that there were several camera's around - so email some of the funny ones over, and I will post them up for all the none facebookers....


Winning Results

Saturday
WN 4+ (armstrong)
MN 8
MS3 2-
WS3 2x
MN 2x


Sunday
WN4+ (ford)
WS38
MN2x


More details on the CBRC website


Finally, a picture on how to tie a boat on woman's squad style!

Maunder makes the national press!

It has only been a week, and already she has managed to get herself into the national press.

For those of you who read the Sunday Telegraph, I am sure you read the article. For those of you who missed it here is the electronic version.

My favorite quotation being -

"The whole thing's shaking," exclaimed Julia Maunder, her face furrowed in concentration.

But also some of CBRC should take note of some of the training rules, one in particular -

"If they turn up late for a training session, they won't be allowed to train. If you turn up late for your Olympic final, you've missed your race and your chance of a gold medal"

The Blog of all Blog's

If you want to know what a GB athlete has to go though....

Try reading this

And then she was gone

I think that everyone present at Julia's going away party had themselves a jolly good time. Now that she is safely up in Nottingham, here are a few photo's from the night!

There was drinking......
Dancing.....
Some mutual appreciation - especially by Jimmy!
Many successful attempts of the La Rocca Challenge....
Lots of dancing - so much that it started getting a little sweaty....
Which resulted in Nakedness (and more appreciation by Jimmy!)

HRR Result.....

Not good news to report today I am afraid to say - with a 1st round loss to tideway scullers by 1 and a quarter lengths in a time of 7.40

The unlucky Henley experience for CBRC continues!

HRR draw....

Luck does not appear to be smiling on CBRC in Henley this year, with the Men getting a tough draw in the Thames Challenge cup, which sees them up against the seeded Tideway Scullers' crew in the first round.

The full draw is available here

1st race 3pm tomorrow (Wednesday)

Qualification (with results)

Today is qualification day for Henley Royal Regatta.......

Good luck to all the boys in the 2nd eight racing today for a go at the real thing. Racing starts at 4pm with the 8's off at 6.30.

Will update when I hear any news.

Full results here....

Last orders..

Time has unfortunately been called on Miss Maunders time at CBRC, as she heads up towards the middle of the country to swap her rowing oar, for a kayaking paddle in Nottingham as part of the GB Kayak squad.

She will be leaving us this weekend, but not before one last visit to her favourite club in Bristol. Yes, that's right - LaRocca her she comes.... I hope they have got a good supply of straws!

Meeting in Baroque at 8:30, then heading over the road some time after that! So come on out and say one last goodbye to Jules in the place where she become known as the red squirrel...

And here are a few photo's from some of her previous visits to remind you!

If you have any other embarrassing/incriminating photo's of Julia in LaRocca, then email them over, and I will put them on! (if you can't embarrass her when she is leaving, then when can you!)

Henley Royal

With two eights entered this year (probably on one the biggest CBRC entry for quite a long time) hopes are high for the men this year round.

Good news coming through is that the 1st eight have pre-qualified, which should make their draw slightly easier. The 2nd eight are going to have to go through qualifying, and are racing for 7 places out of 20, so are looking at a tough race on Friday.

Women's Henley

The weather was not really playing ball at the weekend, with some heavy storms making the going underfoot VERY muddy indeed, and resulting in all the trailers getting stuck in the trailer park!

As far as the Bristol results went, it was not good reading. The 4, despite one of their better rows (but several inches of rain in the boat) lost out by five seconds in their qualifying race. The 8 had a good qualification race, but then got a tough draw against Edinburgh and despite having the fastest time in their heat (up to 35s faster that some heats!) went out in the 1st round - Just going to show the harshness of knockout racing!

The only 'crew' to get to race on Saturday was CBRC's very own 'pocket rocket' Jane Green, who again had a tough draw against a GB trialist and went out in her first race in the Senior Lwt 1x - not bad considering she has only been sculling for a few months!

Henley, Henley

Henley (in one guise or another) is the word of the week this week, with the Girls having a go down the famous course (well most of it anyway) this weekend - starting tomorrow, and the boys in a few weeks time!

All the action, and the results from this can be found from the website, which should post the results as they come though!

Good luck to all the Ladies rowing this weekend. Make sure you keep up to date with the intermediate 4's and 8's (qualification races Friday morning), and not forgetting Miss Green in the senior Lightweight 1x! (1st race at 1.38 on Saturday!)

And then it is time for Henley proper, sorry Henley Royal! Qualification is next Friday, and the entries are online so you can measure up your opposition!

I make it PIMMS o'clock!

Elizabeth Beever

In a move from the normal blogs, I have to report the very sad news in that Rob Beever's sister, Elizabeth, was tragically killed in a train crash in Sardinia at the weekend.

The thoughts of the whole club go to Rob and his Family though this tough time.

In memory of Elizabeth, and in Rob's absence, the Men's 1st 8 raced at Reading with a black band around their all-in-one, and card was signed by all those present at Reading over the weekend.

2x4 or 1x8

Some interesting crew selections are going in the men's GB squad, with the top 4- being joined by another four members, and racing in an eight, against the squad 8!!!

Should be interesting to see which one comes out on top?!?!

yet more reasons for cider!

Yet more reasons why cider is a great drink.

Not only does it taste good on warm summer days (not including girly Magners on ice!), full of vitamin C, good for you, gets me really pi$$ed and makes me do silly stuff!

But now I can swim in a nice warm swimming pool safe in the knowledge that my ice cold cider has warmed the water up for me!!!

Social networking

Looking through some of the comments that have appeared here recently, it appears that I am missing out on where the gossip happens. I was only able to get a few photo's of the Rubix night, but apparently there are loads of them on this 'Facebook' thing.

I was about to join (too see what all the 'kids' were up to), but then I read this and decided that being that I am 105, I might be a little past it!!

Debate for the day!

Personally I have nothing against the colour....

Is gingerism as bad as racism?!?

Who knows - you decide!

Sun and Suntans at Metropolitan....

The sun was out, and the wind that was so very there a few weeks earlier at Wallingford had not returned with near perfect racing conditions - even possibly a little hot for 2000m racing.

Yes apparently that really is Dorney lake - it can be wind free!

Rob had even brought some fake tan to make sure that he got ahead of the tanning game, but ended up with streaky legs - and then he ran out of fuel on the way home on the M32!

On the racing front, there were no medals for CBRC, although all crews had some good racing. The best result coming from the Women's 1st crew in S38's coming in second behind Osiris. The men's 1st crew deciding to hit above their weight entering S2 and S1 8's had a little bit of a tougher time, but not doing a bad job getting into the finals in both events.

The second crews did not have quite so much success not making the finals, but still looking good for Henley qualification. Even the women's 4 who had to pull Jimmy's fat arse down the course!

Things are looking good from the prospective Henley's which are fast approaching.

What colour were you?

Julia just about managed to survive her first quarter of a century - although, I think it touch and go the following day, when she headed off to her other family for a BBQ, and had to stop off to be sick out of the car!

Anyhow - here is a small selection of all the pictures that were taken!

Bow 10 warming up, stern 10 sitting the boat

Now I would like to see this racing through the docks.... Brewery bend could be a bit of an issue though!!!

http://pagopago.com/fautasi/fautasientrance.html

Tick Tock

Ever wondered what make the Women's captain tick?!?

Well now you can find out from her very own website and blog....

I am assuming that the blog will come to life when she spends every waking hour training to get into the GB kayak squad!