By Joanne Harris

On a surprisingly warm winter’s morning the seven founding Remenham clubs boated their eights for a head race from the Stag Brewery in Chiswick to Hammersmith Bridge.

Thames was, naturally, the largest entrant with nine crews – three men’s, three women’s, novice men and novice women, and a men’s veteran entry. After a winter of practice “mini-heads” the senior crews were confident that the course would not pose too much of an issue and the mood was buoyant at the boathouse as crews set out.

With just 42 entries in total marshalling was fairly straightforward and the first crew, London’s elite ‘A’, started racing on time chased down by Thames’s ‘A’ crew to cheers from the waiting women.

Ultimately Thames was unable to catch London, finishing fifth overall behind Molesey and London’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ entries. Thames ‘B’ was seventh and the men’s intermediate crew finished 15th.

Thames women’s first VIII – confusingly entered as Thames ‘C’ – started as the second women’s crew a good eight lengths behind Vesta ‘A’. However such was the speed of the Grand ’48 that it cruised easily past Vesta to secure victory in an impressive 10:15.44, beating men’s crews from Staines and Kingston.

Thames ‘A’ (the second VIII) set off behind Staines ‘A’ and equally had no problems in overtaking them. Not far behind was the eager third VIII, or Thames ‘B’ who, having watched Twickenham ‘A’s marshalling efforts, was keen to get ahead. With cox Anna urging us on we gained on Twickenham and caught them down the island, cheered on from a launch by Simon.

The last stretch saw a battle between Thames ‘B’ and the vets and it was good to have a bit of side-by-side action past St Paul’s.

The two novice crews, in their first-ever race, acquitted themselves admirably. The women took the novice women’s crown with an emphatic victory over Vesta and Staines, finishing just behind Twickenham’s intermediate ‘A’ crew and well ahead of their ‘B’ crew.

Meanwhile the novice men just missed out on the trophy by eight seconds to Staines, but had the satisfaction of beating Vesta by a second.

The celebrations lasted into the afternoon, with the club bar busy until late.