Boat Race Fever

The next stage of 'London's Lost Route to the Sea' was from Putney to Richmond, continuing along the river Thames, starting with the Oxford and Cambridge boat race course.

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race Course mapped out.

On Tuesday 13th March I arrived early at Putney to catch the tide. As PicoMicroYacht was being set up, blue minibuses with Oxford University signs started to appear and I realised that the Oxford rowing teams were there to train, the racing being in less than two week's time.

I looked round and saw the first and second VIII women rowing crews gathered for a pep talk from their coach.

Further along the men teams had assembled, with their two boats at the ready. A lanky oarsman wanderd out from a clubhouse to  check on something. I recognised him as being  the stroke for the first  VIII, Vassilis Ragoussis, part of the winning crew last year.

As the women started to launch their boats their coach, Andy Nelder, paused to chat. He was telling me that over the years he had coached the lightweight crew as well as the women. He discussed races his crews had won and the occasional one they had lost, which he said still hurt. He mentioned the logistical problems of all the crews racing on one day at Putney.

As his crews were nearly ready to go he went off to his coaching launch, leaving me to get going.

The men also set off. The habit is to use only four of the crew in turn to warm up. Remarkably the stern four were not taking it so seriously and they were were out of time.

It was time to go.

 I rowed up to where race starts, turned PicoMicroYacht to face upstream, and for fun practiced a racing start in front of the Oxford men's crew, then settling into my usual rhythm as the tide helped PicoMicroYacht up the boat race course.

Further along the course the Oxford first and second VIII's  caught up and I took a photograph.

They  were putting in a training speed burst, more impressive now.

I passed the Harrods Depository, a classic boat race landmark.

Soon I was at the end of the boat race course, at Chiswick Bridge, and took a short break at the rowing club where the boat race crews take out their boats.

Further on the low light was catching the buildings, producing pastel colour and shades you could easily paint.

Time seemed to go quickly, with a strong tide and it was not long until I was approaching Richmond Lock. At this point the tide turned against but my my voyage had  nearlfinished as I passed under the Richmond bridges.

Postscript - I don't know how many people have dreamt of rowing in the boat race. Here is the PicoMicoYacht version: