Abingdonian 2017

72 The Abingdonian Rowing The grand timber structure of the Abingdon Boathouse is a magnificent feat of engineering, but can seem daunting to many boys who have not yet experienced what it stands for. The Boathouse is not just somewhere boys go to sit in a big yellow boat and lift heavy weights (or not so heavy weights in many of our cases), the Boathouse acts as a haven for the boys to escape the pressures of their academic lives, and it allows them an hour or two to focus on nothing but the boat and synchronising with their teammates. I found this was key to me retaining focus and perspective during my fifth year when I was in the midst of my GCSEs last year. It was intriguing staring up to the ceiling and looking at the wooden planks each named after someone who has represented the Boat Club over the years. Rowing is a sport that demands pain and hours of attention, although it is all in the name of success. A clear trait of all Abingdon boys is the unfathomable drive for success, although on many occasions it has led to our crew spending up to four hours together in dead silence, the only ice breaker being our cox telling us to stop trying to snap our blades in half - and that’s before we get on the water! Every boy has a clear idea of what success they want, whether that be moving from the D crew to the C crew or emulating previous Abingdon crews in winning Henley Royal Regatta. Success has no specific goal or time measure, and every boy’s ambition is supported by the coaches which is what, in my opinion, makes the Boat Club so special and diverse from other schoolboy Boat Clubs around the country – although I would be biased, wouldn’t I? I would say the previous season could be outlined by one word – improvement. I cannot name a crew that didn’t step on hugely throughout the season. From the J14s making the A final of National Schools’ regatta, to the first eight ripping it down the Henley course in a brave Thursday race. Every crew did the Boat Club proud. The J14s had a very promising first season in the Boat Club, producing some of the best results seen by our youngest year group for a few years. The As finished sixth at National Schools’ Regatta, making the A final, on top of wins at Reading Town and Bedford in Quads. The Bs also made the A final at the National regatta, coming fourth and missing a medal by less than two seconds. However, our victories were enhanced even more by strong performances at Bedford and Reading. The J15s had a successful season, doing their shiny new boat justice and making huge improvements in the Bordeaux training camp. The A team finished ninth at Schools Head of the River, showing grit in going shoulder to shoulder with more experienced crews than them, and chasing down very good crews. Come summer the A’s had a very fast race in the B final of the National regatta and got wins in the quad at Bedford and in fours at Reading Town. The B team gave the As a tough run, with a second place at Schools Head – only 0.1 seconds slower than the As. With great performances from both crews, it shows a bright future for next year’s J16s.