Head of the River Report
Last weekend saw the running of the 126th annual Head of the River showdown. To everyone’s delight, the regatta was back at SIRC, and the weather was in full cooperation with only some very light drizzle that kept that day at a manageable temperature.
The racing got underway well with our mighty Fourth Year 10 VIII of Will Taaffe, Josh Salis, Jack Holt, Tom Kierse, Will Bailey, Roly Smith, George Lane, Lachlan Adamo, and the mighty Eddie Brooks out of the blocks strongly and in a good position from the early strokes. A very fine performance for a crew consisting of quite a few boys in their first year of rowing. I should also point out the extraordinary effort of Lachlan Adamo, who has been balancing a heavy role in the musical and the Head of the River lead-up. Well done, Lachlan.
The Third Year 10 VIII hit the water next and were locked in a very close tussle with Riverview, which saw the two boats overlapping the whole way down the 2000m course. It was a brilliant race from our lads, one that I am sure has them determined to move a little faster as they enter the next season of racing in 2023/2024. The boys had to settle for 2nd place, but that was ten seconds ahead of the next competitor back in third.
The Second Year 10 VIII started strong and led through the first 500m. They had great boat speed here, but they came under attack from Riverview and Newington after this. Riverview had the better run through the middle 1000m as they took the lead of the race, and the real tussle that was developing was for 2nd between Newington and the Shore crew. Shore put up a great fight to lock down 2nd place in the final 500m, finishing ahead of Newington, who had to settle for 3rd place.
Our First Year 10 VIII had a great season and had seen some great racing throughout the year. In their final race together, the crew from North Sydney started well but found themselves in a very close battle at the halfway mark, with just a boat length separating the top four boats. As the crews crossed the line, the Shore crew had to settle for one place off the podium.
The GPS Fourth IV had a pretty tough day at the office, showing great speed through to the 1000m line but coming under heavy fire through the 3rd 500m. In the final 500m, they had to relegate their goal of finishing on the podium in the final outing of the year. They finished in 4th position, just behind St Joseph’s College.
The GPS Third IV of Aidan Macfarlane, Piers Mendel, Jake Hebblewhite, Lewis Kingdom and Charlie Waugh had a very tough fight on their hands. They had crossed the 1000m mark in 2nd place but then came under fire by the crews from St Joseph’s and Kings. The final 500m saw a blanket thrown over the field with less than two seconds separating 2nd to 4th. Unfortunately, the Shore boat missed that 3rd place position on the podium.
The GPS Second IV raced next and had a great first 1000m to find themselves in 2nd place alongside the crew from the Kings. The 3rd 500m did not go as planned, and the pace of the race stepped up. As the race came into the closing stages, the crew of Max Gillian, Preston Scott, Adam Watson, Edward Kenny and Alex Bishop had to settle for 3rd place overall.
The GPS First IV took to the course next and had a brilliant race. While they didn’t come away with a victory, they showed great fight for the duration of the race. The crew of Jock Fenwick, Rory Hall, James Collier, Jordan Elliott and Sam Warburton showed great tenacity throughout the season, and this race was no different.
The tempo of the racing then switched from the longer rhythm of the coxed fours to the higher pace of the eights. Our GPS Second VIII started us off well here with a blistering first 1000m to lead the field. In the 3rd 500m, the race favourites, Riverview, moved to take the lead away from Shore. It seemed that the early race pace had come at a cost to the crew of Max McAlpine, Peter Bennett, Alex Smith, Harry Marshall, Ben Roe, Liam Macfarlane, Tom Hebblewhite, Ben Muffett and Hamish Longstaff. The crew came under fire from a fast-finishing Newington College crew to find themselves in 4th place. It was a brave race from these guys as they went out with the intent to lead. Well done, Men!
Our GPS First VIII closed the regatta for Shore. It had not been the easiest of seasons for the crew Oscar Muhlbauer, Lawson Banks, Tom Galligan, Tom Wait, Remy Cameron, Will Clubb, Corrie Sloan, Hugo Patrick and Mackenzie Fox. They had shown in training that they had the speed to perform but had found the going tough on race day. The race started well for the school from North Sydney, but as it progressed, the crew found themselves under siege and through that middle 1000m, they emerged in 5th place to enter the final 500m. This was not to be Shore’s day here, with the crew being overrun by St Joseph’s in the final stage to finish 6th place. This was not the result the boys would have wanted, but I can say within a shadow of a doubt that the crew did all they could to represent Shore on the day.
Mr G Bates
MIC Rowing
