Bumps 2018: day 2

[Day 1] [Simon's Video]

TL;DR: row over.

We met today in a better spirit than we left yesterday evening. We had a brief chat through the obvious: yes, we could row better, we shouldn't aim for just a row-over, we could probably get something on Tabs 3 off the start, and there was unlikely to be much from behind us. And off we went. After a good practice start at the Plough we span onto station with Chris there again, got out for a wee, and my nerves were better. I even remembered to turn my GoPro on, alas into the wrong mode, never mind I'll try again tomorrow.

The start was fine, though our brief down-to-bowside crept back in. Fairly soon after the start - perhaps 20 strokes - as I was looking back watching for Nines 3 to drop away instead I saw them in some kind of trouble, perhaps a crab or equipement; and not long after they were bumped. We took perhaps 1/2 length off Tabs, and may have had one whistle, but by First Post they were back to station (post race reports tell me) and we heard only, faintly, their whistles on City 2 and passed them bumped out in the gut. FP was - and I haven't looked at my GPS trace yet - better than yesterday but still not our best. With crews out ahead and behind by Grassy we had nowhere to go really although I'm not sure everyone else had realised by then. I was willing to go as far as the Plough, and oh-go-on-then around Ditton, but when Keith started flogging us down the Reach, which was exactly what we should not do (cos City had an easy day today), we rebelled :-).

All in all today was the near-inevitable result of nothing unexpected happening. If tomorrow goes on rails we can hope to bump City not too far off where Tabs got them.

[Update: now I've looked at the GPS trace. Our start peak was slower (1:28) but better sustained. A14 to FP was 1:38 (1:19), and to Plough 1:30 (3:33) both of which are slower than yesterday. So: we can do better than that.]

FROM far, from eve and morning
And yon twelve-winded sky,
The stuff of life to knit me
Blew hither: here am I.

Now—for a breath I tarry
Nor yet disperse apart—
Take my hand quick and tell me,
What have you in your heart.

Speak now, and I will answer;
How shall I help you, say;
Ere to the wind’s twelve quarters
I take my endless way.