KCLBC senior women convincingly won the IM3 coxed IVs at the Veteran Four’s Head of the River on Sunday in their first race of the season. The crew of Kate Horne, Amy Fanning, Emily Frost, Tom Webb Jnr (cox) and a helping hand from coach Rhona MacCallum (who bravely took on the notoriously long course twice in 2 days) beat 10 other crews to the top spot, winning their category by over 50 seconds.
Over the 4¼ mile Championship course from Mortlake to Putney the crew pushed past their competitors despite the strong headwind and choppy water to finish in a time of 23:45.01. A welcome cheer came from supporters on Hammersmith Bridge just over half way through the race to spur the crew on for the final leg.
Kate Horne, rowing in her 4th four’s head for KCLBC, said:
“This was the best four’s head I have raced in so far.”
The women’s squad now looks ahead to racing in Cambridge, and London college events later this term, with the success bringing great promise for racing in WeHORR in March 2012.
[Emily Frost, Secretary]
Unfortunately, prior to the race while marshalling, their boat picked up a tree branch which became wedged between their fin and rudder. This only became noticeable as they approached the start, by stroke Tom Fielder as the branch showed during the stroke during the build under the bridge for the first time.