Bumps again, hurrah. The distant sound of gunfire. The culmination of a lot of peoples training for a long time. And, as I discovered once again while waiting for the start, a deeply unpleasant / scary / unnerving experience. It didn't help that we had to stand around for 20 mins waiting for the 4-minute gun, wondering what the hold up was: it turned out to be the bloody Georgina. Meanwhile we're chatting, thinking, looking about, going for a wee, trying to dispel the nerves. Early rain had given way to a beautiful evening, though getting dark now. We'd done a good start after the railway bridge and a superb one after the Plough - oh no, I though, there's our best start of the night wasted in practice. We know little about the crews around us.
(no, that isn't us, that is M3 going round Grassy)
4 minute gun; back in the boat. Minute. Count down: push off at 30, light tap from bow (me) at 15 to straighten us off. We're starting 14 so can cut the corner. Square at 7. Gun.
A fair start, we're off, nothing is happening, exactly as expected. We get through the choppy water under the motorway bridge and are settling - possibly just a bit too settled for maximum speed. Nines (3) behind us aren't closing. Faint whistles, but not for us. First post, and behind us Nines are bumped by Champs 2. Into the gut and it starts to feel good; still no whistles for us. We expect Tabs 3 to be fast off the start. Suddenly, after the Plough, we're screamed at to hold it up. I turn round and slap their stern in brief joy - but no, we haven't bumped them, they've bumped City 3 who failed to clear. So we have to stop and restart. If it was a close race, or there was stuff behind us, this would be a disaster. But it isn't and there isn't, so it really doesn't matter. Having been forced to stop for 10 secs the overbump is clearly unrealistic but James pushes us down the Reach anyway; not sure that was a good idea.
Brief stop at the beer tree, to talk over the race. Back to the boat house, more talk. To the Waterman, for some more and some beer. Delightful. Agree that tomorrow will be the test: City 3 are there for the taking, if we row well, and stay away from Champs 2.