We had a good warm-up to the start and got there with plenty of time before starting. We span to go off and expected the London composite to go off just behind us. In fact they hung back and gave us lots of room. We went off rate 40 and hit a strong rhythm straight away which we sustained throughout the race. It was difficult not to have anyone directly to push off, but we had a strong race plan which we stuck to and used the crews to push off anyway.

Coming under Hammersmith there was a huge cheer and the whole crew used it and really pushed off the bridge and into the last 2k (and a massive cross wind). We could have perhaps pushed on a little more at Harrods Wall, but we picked it up coming into the last 1000 and wound as much as we could down the boats to the finish. For me it was a great race where we kept pushing on but in a long and strong rhythm and with confidence. Whether the result would have been different if we had been in the pack who knows… To me it was the best piece of rowing the crew had done.

(1) 1st boat was     (24)  2nd boat was
L Wordley              D Hayes
S Jones                   A Frankum
J Chichester          R Beaumont
L Kennedy             S Habberfield
S Theodorou          J Matthews
J Reid                     K Moir
B Harland              C Thornycroft
S Leys                    K Day

If anyone can tell me who was in the other crews in the end please email!