Frustration for KCLBC at Allom Cup

KCLBC had a frustrating days racing at the 2011 Allom Cup, making four finals but failing to win any medals after a controversial disqualification for the Men’s Senior VI against UCL.

The Men’s Senior VIII went out in the semi-finals to the eventual winners UCL, losing the Allom Cup, which has been held by KCL for all but 2 of the preceding 13 years.  Half of the VIII then raced in the Men’s Senior IV, against half of the UCL VIII who had just beaten them. Determined not to let get UCL get away without a fight, King’s had a strong start, and were ahead of UCL for most of the race and across the finish line. However, a disputed clash of blades led to disqualification. The Men’s Intermediate VIII got to their final, where they were beaten by ICSM.

The Senior Women’s crews reached both their finals, with the Senior Women’s VIII going out to ICSM and the IV being beaten by RUMS. The Intermediate crews reached both their semis, with the VIII and the IV being beaten by Bart’s and ICSM respectively.

Fresh from racing the UH Novice Sprints the previous weekend, the Novice squad were keen to prove themselves. However, after several crew changes and last minute scratchings, the Men’s Novice VIII lost to Royal Holloway in their semi-final, and the two women’s crews were beaten by RVC and RUMS.

Following the unusual regatta training in the depths of winter, both squads are now looking to the head season. More urgently, there is the Boat Club Christmas Dinner – one of the year’s highlights – to look forward to, not to mention the annual Christmas Pudding Races!

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Fuller’s Head of the River Fours

The Senior Mens IM2 4+ (Fielder/Halse/O’Reilly/Hetherington – cox Thompson) raced the first of the autumn/winter competitions, the FOURS HEAD over the 4.5mile Mortlake to Putney Championship course yesterday.

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.

It was only at Hammersmith that the branch became disentagled – from there unimpeded they completed the course as planned. Up to then they had suffered being caught by crews that would not have caught them, had they not been stuck at rate 31 which they struggled to maintain.

They ended up 49th from 65 crews in their IM2 4+ section, 1min 55sec behind winners Imperial College, who were only 1 second slower than UL winners of the IM1 4+.

Still, onward and upward! Plenty of opportunities to show our real speed at Cambridge in 2 weeks and the Allom Cup in 4 weeks.

[Richard Ayling, Men's Coach]

UH Regatta 2011 & Allom Cup MChamp VIII Final

The UH Winter Regatta hails a ’3rd time lucky’ moment for the fresh with their standing starts (after the Novice Sprints and Allom Cup). Luck of the draw however – this year the majority of our male fresh are in fact studying ‘Strand’ subjects allowing us to field the Invitational Novice VIII against UCL!

The crew of Alex Drewett (Bow), Sam Rowe, Rory Sherlock, Michael Bradley, Deji Olanilua, Alex Franklin, Jamie BarrellSimon McTurk (Stroke) and Cox won their straight semi-final against UCL A to go on to defeat UCL B in the final. Great job from them and a good sign of things to come from KCLBCs home grown rowers.

The seniors had a great day as well. Following the disappointment of the Allom Cup where light, extended lunch breaks and perhaps questionable organisation resulted in many finals never having been raced – GKT were ready to show what they could do without the backup of our KCL (read: non GKT) students.

Both the men and women’s GKT (A) Senior IVs won their events easily, with the men’s final being a straight up GKT A vs GKT B and the women’s KCL vs GKT. Well done to Darragh O’Reilly, Ed Griffiths, George Halse, Ben Soni, Kate Horne, Emily Frost and Anna Turner (Cox).

Equally GKT made a clean sweep of the Senior VIIIs as well. Going up against RUMs in the semi-final, GKT Senior Men agreed with RUMs that this would be the decider of the Allom Cup final that was never finished – even though the GKT squad was missing some of its key KCL members. GKT won to go on to the final, marking probably the first time GKT has actually won the Allom Cup.

The final, however, was not so straightforward. A failure with the rudder mechanism meant the boat was locked on to a hard right course pushing the other finalists, ICSM, more and more off their course. Long story short: ICSM failed to challenge for their line allowing GKT their victory. Well done to Ed Griffiths, Ben Soni, George Halse, Darragh O’Reilly, Adrian McCague, Joe Hetherington, Tom Hodkinson, John Denny and Anna Turner (Cox).

The Women’s Senior VIII GKT crew of Kate Horne, Emily Frost, and Anna Turner (Cox) also won making the event a decisive victory for GKT to add to KCLBCs already successful year.