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The Great River Race - 2011
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Having decided to enter the famous Thames Rowing Race, Bryan Ward and myself, Graham Godward, were soon joined by Moreno Riva and Trevor Halls - making the four rowers and with Bryan's daughter Esther as coxswain and my son Daniel as passenger/relief rower, we had a team. We would particularly like to thank the Sea Cadets for the loan of their ASC boat.
The Great River Race on 17th September starts at Greenwich, is 21.5 miles and 28 bridges long and ends at Richmond. After a period of strict diet, exercise and serious training, lasting a couple of days we, and our great support team Allan and Nona Manning, were on our way.
At the ramp (the old entrance to Millwall Dock), there was carnival atmosphere with hundreds of boats and thousands of people from Russia, Canada, Germany, Holland as well as all parts of the UK.
The handicap system for the 330 boats entered was highest number 300+ for the fastest boats, we were No. 7. We would have been 0, but there were 10 ASC boats in the race.
As may be expected our class was to be the first to go and just before the tide swept us across the start line, we were off.
The other 320 boats yet to follow were unimportant, just the magnificent 10. We were soon pushed off course by a more experienced uniformed crew, then we were amazed by a crew of young sea cadets who regularly changed places, to rest a crew man, without missing a single stroke of the oars. We hadn't practiced this and when we tried it later, it did not go as well, legs in the air, oars flying and minutes lost. If you add to this the casualties caused by the very large swell and the fact that our stroke and other oarsmen were not always in time with me, it would be fair to say that we lacked finesse.
Despite our shortcomings, by the time the hail and wind hit us just after Westminster Bridge, we were in the first three. An hour later, completely soaked, but having survived the weather better than some, we had passed the remaining boats includng our more experienced uniformed friends and were in the lead.
The true size and spectacle of the race was now becoming apparent as we began to be passed by rocket powered rowing boats, drum beating dragon boats and latterly an RNLI large pulling lifeboat, crews varied from 6 to over 20 and with the river narrowing the banks and bridges were lined with cheering and applauding spectators, a truly wonderful atmosphere.
We completed the 21.5 miles in 3 hrs 40 minutes and 20 seconds and were the first ASC to cross the finishing line, winning the class. Had we had a dragon boat and another 20 club members, we may have won the whole race.
Nona our photographer had followed the race on a pleasure boat. Allan had brought the trailer by road and it was a welcome sight to see him waiting at the finish line. Without a decent ramp and being unable to carry our boat, we had to wait two hours feeling very cold in wet clothes, for our turn on the crane. Although it was now dark, it was a great sight to see the crane lift Moreno, Daniel and the boat triumphantly forty feet in the air.
Boat loaded, beer drunk, backs patted, head for home, to end a perfect day
Graham Godward
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