Buckle your seat belts boys and girls, this is the story of the J16 coxless quad at the Weybridge Winter Head. It’s 1 o’clock on the 20th of January 2018 and as per usual the boys are not doing much of anything, relaxing in the changing rooms and then we hear a unearthly squark (this being Matt screaming at us) and then he burst in and shouted for us to get ready. With our quick agility we bounded from the changing rooms into the boat house and with finesse we placed our weapon of choice on the water. With a sense of urgency we launched of the landing stage, and only an event that can be described as a loss to the world, Matt split his tracksuits. What a waste of a day. Following this great loss Matt let out a deep bellow and shouted furiously: "You guys will get disqualified". So with this we flew down to the start and would you look at that we were on time. Panic over. Eyeing up the opposition as you do, we turned the corner and paced it down the run up and crossed the start with extreme power we went under the bridge, after 500m we were closer on their heels and then at the bottom cut bridge we were half a boat length behind, going under bridge we see them making a fundamental mistake… going left so taking advantage of weakness we took the inside line, we overtook with ease.
This being home waters, we know the course so going under Walton Bridge we take it close to the corner, drifting it around the corners and then the last 1km we see the finish. Driving it on to the Anglers we catch another to be victim of our weapon, they crash. time to dominate. We come alongside them and pass with a few strokes, the final battle, the final 500m, the difference between a win and a loss. We push it but then out of nowhere the boat that crashed catches and comes alongside us with a sprint with one fateful look at them, we gave it the beans (‘giving it the beans’ means red lining it), we pull away and with every stroke we feel the lifting and sinking of the boat and we cross the line. Bang, 10:22. That's how we do it. Not only first place but fastest junior crew and second fastest coxless quad of the day. Medals all round.