Upper Sixth pupil and Head of Boys' Boats, Ryne, shares an exciting week for Pangbourne's rowers
It was a testing and rewarding week for the Pangbourne College Boat Club! The Schools Head of the River Race took place last Monday with five crews representing the College. Situated on the tideway in London, Pangbourne crews tackled the four and a half mile course between Chiswick and Putney.
Working together as a formidable team, each crew pushed themselves and should be immensely proud of what they have achieved. The School First VIII’s finished third in their category. Well done to the Senior boys for setting such an example for the rest of the Boat Club. The 1st VIII gained 14th in the overall national rankings.
Junior crews were put to the test with cold weather conditions and an unexpected steering wire malfunction. Despite the odds being against them, it was a challenging but great experience for the crew members. The J16 Boy’s VIII took 6th place whilst the J15 Boy’s “A” VIII came in 11th place.
Next up was The Junior Scullery at Dorney Lake on Wednesday, with three crews representing Team Pangbourne.
Kickstarting the day were the J15 Girl’s IVx+ who competed in the 3800m course - complete with a 180 degree turn at halfway. With fierce displays of camaraderie, they supported their fellow teammates with cheers of encouragement throughout the entire race. They sprinted to the finish line overtaking two crews and placed a very strong 29th out of 65 crews.
The J14 Girl’s VIIIx+ were also met with harsh weather conditions, but this was of no concern to the crew as Ava gained a relentless rhythm and led the crew to the best result of the week - 7th in the country. It was an impressive and memorable feat as there has never been a higher placing J14 Pangbourne Girls crew at The Junior Scullery Head!
To finish the day, the J14 Boy’s VIIIx+ drove the oars through the water and finished the Head season in true Pangbourne fashion, with grit, determination and clean bladework.
On Saturday, the Senior boys raced in the morning division of Kingston Head Race in a coxless four and a coxed four. The day was destined to be tough, due to a very strong head wind, but the Senior coxed four prevailed and were victors. It was all the more impressive as Xander was a substitute from the J16 squad. The coxless four, however, were more disrupted by the wind and struggled to find their rhythm. Despite losing out to Walton Rowing Club, they persevered and continued as a strong team.
All in all, some fantastic achievements and experience gained. Congratulations to Team Pangbourne for finishing the season on an extremely positive note. Bring on the Summer!
