Having lived in Hammersmith for over 5 years the pubs along the tideway gradually became somewhat of a happy place for me.  Watching the activity on the water with the sun shining and the idle chatter of happy people made it easy to enjoy. Seeing the crews improve, excel and race each other throughout the year struck a cord with my competitive streak.  So with a nudge from a few friends, I contacted the tideway rowing clubs asking if there was a learn to row group. 

Along came Sons Men’s Captain and learn to row instructor, Sam!

6ft of muscle striding across the courtyard, perma-tan glowing and the air of confidence that only comes from knowing your stuff. 'This is going to be tough' I thought to myself, shaking his hand with all the ‘man strength’ I could muster. Needless to say I was committed! I felt both welcome and motivated the moment I stepped through the door, and let’s be honest, I wanted a perma-tan too! 

So the course kicked off with a range of people of all ages, abilities, characters and fitness levels, learning this new sport at what felt like a rate of knots! It was great! We trained hard and learnt new calls, techniques and tips in every session. To my surprise our fitness and strength improved at an alarming rate, erg scores kept getting better and my love for the sport blossomed. 

Then it happened! Two months in, I was approached by the Women’s Captain! Fresh faced from a morning on the river, guns out (now known as The Sons Guns!). Did I want to step up to the challenge, up my fitness and potentially seat race for the top boat?

Did I ever!!

Training went from a part of my life, to my entire life! I became a part of a crew that I would not only care for and respect, but would do anything for. I was lucky enough to get thrown into every boat available, for one to one training in an attempt to catch up on four years of experience. I found that all I wanted to do was get on the water, get in the gym and get better. I was blessed with a coach and team that would not only encourage and nurture that drive, but also temper it when needed! 

Henley? Tell me more!

As a Christmas present I got to complete my first 2K! Not quite sure what I was in for, I rocked up blissfully ignorant of what was to come and managed to not only set my PB that took me 6 painful months to beat, but also, find that ‘wall’ everyone talks about…I think I will be seeing a lot of this particular wall!  

Do you want to race at Henley? …. I tell my friends I’ll see them in July.

We competed in every race we could, always learning how to work together as a team, finding out what we were good at together and how to get the most out of our seat, each other, and the boat. The bitterness of defeat tempered only by how much we had learned from each experience. With the support of the more experienced girls and their guidance and drive, it was easy to stay motivated and focus on the next challenge.

12 Weeks until Henley!

Along came Easter and a mini training camp. The seat racing started and the blisters got worse. The fear of leather hands slowly became a reality, and the sun came out.....ish. Finding new frustrations at every turn; desperately wanting to finesse those catches and get more power in the water, but not washing out or digging too deep … the list goes on. This made the start of summer both exhausting and a test of emotional endurance. I found a new wall, past the first one, waiting for me with open arms!

Not long until Henley!  Enter regatta season! 

Wow. What fun! Learning standing starts was hilarious! With only an evil laugh and a 'don't worry you will feel it!' from coach, this Mel became a rag doll!  We competed and did well at Hammersmith, Chiswick, Dorney, Nottingham and Twickenham, where I won my first ever pot! Definitely want more of those!!! #GlugGlug

Two weeks until Henley!!!! 

Camp was off the chart! I had no idea what to expect, only that I would be returning to England a little broken! There was rather a lot of hard work, some serious eating of cucumber (don't ask), a few tears, more laughter than I can quantify, a grazed knee and an epic, unofficial win in the Bulgarian national championships. Oh, and it happened to be my Birthday, as you do! 

One week to Henley! 

We were feeling strong and confident, We had trained all we could, given everything to rowing throughout the year, so all we had to do now was our best, everything we had, dig a little deeper for a little bit more … and a little bit more, and ... you know ... win! 

Henley was amazing.

I have never experienced such raw power, energy and focus of so many women in such a tranquil space. The river is beautiful and it was calling to us!  We were so happy to finally be there!

Friday was a good day!  We smashed the time trials and stormed through the first heat making it to the Quarterfinals!  Saturday brought the race against Oxford City, a strong team with experience and the technique that comes with years of rowing. They had us by a length and a half but we fought them, and they earned it! I found some new walls in that race too!

So thank you Sons for one hell of an epic year learning to row from Hammersmith to Henley, and of course, for the perma-tan. 

WITH SO MANY FOURTH PLACES AT THE BRITISH MASTERS ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE BRAD AND TIM COLLECT THEIR MEDALS. 

All Sons of the Thames crews reached their finals at the British Masters on 10 June, Brad and Tim taking bronze in MasE.2x. This was a great result for Tim who joined the club late last year, sculling right over left which is how he learnt as a boy. He adapted to the more conventional left over right pattern surprisingly quickly and paired well with Brad who currently holds the Mas E 2x Pennant in the Pairs Head. 

A strong and gusty cross-head wind made conditions difficult at Holme Pierrepont and impaired the quality of racing.  The wind shadow in lane 1 was worth a five year age handicap in masters rowing terms.  All four Sons crews progressed serenely through the elimination rounds despite the conditions.  Brad and Tim sculled with length and power in the final of MasE.2x and looked good value for their bronze medal in a strong field.  The MasA.2x, MasE.4x and MasC.4x raced respectably in their finals but fell short of the medal positions.  Mirko and Tommy endured particularly bad luck with lane allocations and had the misfortune to be fourth placed in two events. 

The veterans won MasE/F quadruple sculls in bank holiday sunshine at Twickenham, with only Dave remaining from the combination that won the same event in 2016. The regatta will be remembered mainly for the unusually high tide that flooded the trailer park and boating area in late afternoon.  The jazz band played on as the water rose in the enclosure, the umpires continued to shout into their megaphones, the crews continued to race.   Bruce, Andrew, Les and David had secured their quad win before the excitement with two age handicap races, reeling in MasF opposition.   The MasE double scull and Mxd MasE double scull were both knocked out by eventual winners Bewl Bridge. All in all a good day for the Sons of the Thames Rowing Club veterans. 

LES, , ANDREW, DAVID AND BRUCE WITH SOME NICE TANKARDS AND A SLIGHTLY NONDESCRIPT SELECTION OF CAPS.

Brad and Les won MasE.2x at Borne at Chiswick Regatta on 6 May.  The regatta ran smoothly despite a stiff crosswind, a credit to officials who were both competent and remarkably relaxed.  Perhaps they spike the umpires' tea at the morning briefing?  The race itself was uneventful:  the TSS and Ardingly doubles sculled tidily but conditions suited the big Sons crew.

Les was too modest to mention that the winning margin was three lengths. Some might have expected no less of the Pennant holders in MasE2x in the Pairs Head of the River Race, but expectation can weigh a boat down. Ed

MIRKO, TOMASO, NIC AND PETE DRIVING INTO A BRISK HEADWIND AT WALLINGFORD REGATTA

Wallingford Mens 4- Challenge: great to race at Eton Dorney, however wind did not cooperate, so race program shortened with only a time trial. Sons of the Thames Rowing Club were also represented by the senior women who won a heat before the event went to time trials. 

TOUGHING IT OUT TO WIN BY NOT VERY MUCH IN 1M3 2X

THE CREW CRUISE AWAY FROM HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE, WITH A COMFORTABLE LEAD, AND GO ON TO WIN THE EVENT. 

A brisk wind threw up an awkward chop for Hammersmith Amateur Regatta, but not nearly so bad as the sea-like conditions of the 2016 event. Sons of the Thames entrants included a WIM3 8, a WIM3 4+, two IM3 1x, one 1M3 2x, and a NM4+.  

Our Masters entries were rejected - leading to a private match between our MasE 4- and a Thames Trademen's crew. The crews scored a win each, but factor in the age bonus for E v D and we reckon victory was ours.  

Back at the regatta, our WIM3 4+ opened the batting for Sons with an easy victory over Team Keene. Pete then had a dead heat with a Furnivall sculler in IM3 1x. Anyone who's heard the dreaded single klaxon blast at the finish of a close singles race (er... me, for example) will recognise how the adrenalin rush of an imminent re-row curdles with burned-out muscles to produce a uniquely unpleasant sensation. So all credit to Pete for winning the re-row "easily". Although that may not have been the adverb he would have selected while racing down the course.

Next up, our novice four were unlucky to get an AK crew that looked to be of IM3 standard and it was no surprise to see the green and purples win the event. None-the-less, it felt good to see our guys, who've been rowing less than a year, giving it everything and managing well in choppy conditions. As they continue to improve, their day will come. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that the style of wearing the AIO backwards does not catch on. 

Immediately afterwards we saw a ferociously competitive race between our IM3 2x and a Vesta crew. The verdict was 3/4 of a length to Sons of the Thames, but as the boats passed under Hammersmith Bridge, it looked closer.

Completing an excellent pre-lunch sequence our WIM3 8+ crew cruised away from a Furnivall unit to win by many lengths. 

Mirko then lost to a Thames sculler in his single, and after the very hard race in the double a little earlier who can blame him?  After his re-row, Pete may have been less than fresh, going out to another Thames sculler in IM3 1x.

The WIM3 B 4+ then got us back to winning ways with an emphatic victory over Kings College BC. Come the final, they scored an easy win over Team Keane to win the event. With the women's eight also winning - by three lengths over Putney Town - it was a good day for the club. The women's squad seem to be entering the regatta season with the best form in some years. So well done to all of them.     

Sons vets squad is always keen to compete at the local early season regattas, as preparation for the GB Masters Championships in June, but often we find we have no opposition to take on (or perhaps they're just too scared to enter...). This was the case at Hammersmith Regatta this year, but we tried again at Chiswick Regatta: I even entered three events, despite the rule allowing a maximum of two events per competitor, in an attempt to get some racing. Sure enough, there was no opposition for us in the quad, but happily I did have races in the double and the single.

The single was up first: my opponent in a straight final at Masters D was Bridger from Tideway Scullers. I looked up past Scullers Head results (as you do), and discovered that Mr Bridger was consistently 15 to 20 seconds faster than me over the Scullers Head course. However, 1000m is very different from 7000m, my training and fitness have been going well, and I have a nice new boat and a fast start, so I thought I might have a chance. My main concern was my first stroke: it is very hit and miss, particularly in a tail wind, and I didn't want to end up like the Oxford women in the Boat Race... However, I managed not to fluff it too badly, and stormed off at 42 strokes per minute, settling to a powerful 34. To my surprise I was about half a length ahead off the start, and was able to keep the power on effectively with my legs through 40 strokes, 50 strokes, 60 strokes. I always like to count strokes as it keeps my mind off the pain, and tells me fairly accurately how far through the race I am! I knew the race would be about 120 strokes, and I found I was gaining more ground on Mr Bridger. I got to 2 lengths ahead, and my legs and lungs were starting to burn, so at about 90 strokes I eased off a little in case I needed to save something for the end of the race, but I was in control by now, and cruised through to the finish maintaining my 2 length lead.

Result! Any win is good, but it was satisfying to feel that my training programme has been working: I was pleased to be able to maintain my form over the full 1000m.

Later in the day was the Masters E double, with Bruce steering and me stroking. This time we were in a 3-boat straight final, against Tideway Scullers again, and a Hillingdon/Bentham composite. Racing three abreast on the Tideway is inherently unfair, as the crew in the middle clearly has the advantage of the stream, but we just had to accept being on the Middlesex station. We went flying off the start at over 40 again, and with a tailwind we settled at 36. This was perhaps a little high: we had adjusted the gearing on our blades one notch anyway because of the tailwind, and maybe we needed even heavier gearing. In any case, we were working hard, but not winning this one off the start. The three crews were battling side by side for most of the race, with the expected umpire's warnings, and we were just preparing ourselves to push on and try and edge ahead when we got a stern umpire's warning and had to steer hard to get back on the right line. That cost us a bit of momentum, and we ran out of time to claw it back, eventually losing by three-quarters of a length to TSS, who beat the other crew by only a foot.

Still, one nice shiny pot to show for the day's efforts was a good return as far as I was concerned, and gives me confidence for the upcoming season.

Well done on your win Dave, and thanks for supplying some words to feed the Google beast. Ed

After the cancellation of the HORR the day before, Sunday 26th March turned out nice. With the race on the flood tide, we assembled below Harrods Depository with enough glare to wonder where last season's sun cream had got to. 

In long-established tradition, our Mas D crew hadn't had a single practice outing, and this time it showed. We were chased all the way down the course by a Bewl Bridge crew who gained through our rough patches. Keeping them just astern was all we could do. A result of 15th in category and 83rd overall was no worse than we deserved. 

Other Sons crews included our W.MasA women who raced to a respectable 4th position in a category that included a very quick Agecroft crew. And in W.MasC, some technically accomplished rowers who don't all have time for serious fitness training, finished 9th in category. 

So no bright honours to shout about, but an enjoyable day out on the river. And with higher wind speeds forcing more frequent cancellations of Tideway head races, it felt good to be able to participate in a big race in our own back yard.

Women are already well represented in rowing, and that looks set to increase. Next Olympics there will be an equal number of events for women; positive implications for women's rowing in the US, and perhaps globally, stem from Title IX; and in a week or two we'll be seeing women in the Boat Race again. Certainly, at Sons, the women have a strong, active squad, so a good backdrop to the Women's Head of the River Race 2017. That and a summery kind of day in early spring.  

Starting at 54, the crew had to contend with the Cambridge University B storming up from behind them early in the race. Presumably, this crew was full of rowers making a claim for the Blue Boat and weren't there to make up the numbers. A finish at 114, and under 21 minutes, for our girls, was a decent result that reflects continued work over the winter months. It's good to see the core of last year's Henley crew still racing, and some new faces as well. Last comment, as a weary crew paddled back from Putney, goes to Step:

#thesegirlscanbutnowtheyreabittiredthanksverymuch. 

There's only annual race that gets the whole club involved, and that's the Dewar Shield. Sunday, 12th February saw all of our six eights on the water racing on the flood tide from Hammersmith to Mortlake. A resurgent Auriol and Kensington won the shield last year, and they were always going to be hard to beat. Their mens' Henley crew of 2016 seem to have retired from competitive racing, but returned as a formidable "vets" crew.  Our own vets squad was missing four regulars through absence and injury but still managed to put out a crew that finished sixth in 11.41 - as against the day's fastest time of 11.12 set by Sons M1.  M3 crewed by novices from our learn to row course, posted a respectable 12.28 in ninth place. 

Amongst the women's crews, Furnivall posted the fastest time of 11.52, emphasising their traditional strength in women's rowing.  AK were close behind with 12.00 but Sons crews took third, fourth and seventh places showing strength in depth.

The result, announced by Colin in an absurdly packed Linden House bar was, AK: 27,  Sons: 25 and FSC 22. It's been noted that if scored using the established system for this event, the result was even closer - AK 45, Sons 44 and FSC 39. So not a bad result - just one place better for one crew could have won us the competition. 

Big thanks are due to the volunteers from all three clubs that made the event possible, particularly Mel as host club organiser.