Full results and pictures will be uploaded to the Concept 2 UK website during the day's racing.
Live-written reports on this webpage are shown in chronological race order, and written by James Elder and Rachel Quarrell for the Rowing Service. Unfortunately the telecomms were insufficient to let use update live to the web, so these reports were live-written and then uploaded later. Where the race wasn't reported live, just the medals are given.
Race C3: WOMEN 30-34 HWT
Race C4: WOMEN 35-39 HWT
Race C5: WOMEN 40-44 HWT
Race C6: WOMEN 45-49 HWT
Race C7: WOMEN 50-54 HWT
Race C8: WOMEN 55-59 HWT
Race C9: WOMEN 60-64 HWT
Race C10: WOMEN 65-69 HWT
Race C11: WOMEN 70-74 HWT
Race A7: MEN 50-54 HWT
Race A8: MEN 55-59 HWT
Race A9: MEN 60-64 HWT
Race A10: MEN 65-69 HWT
Race A11: MEN 70-74 HWT
Race A12: MEN 75-79 HWT
Race A13: MEN 80-89 HWT
Race A14: WOMEN 85-89 HWT
Race B6: MEN 45-49 LWT
Race B7: MEN 50-54 LWT
Race B8: MEN 55-59 LWT
Race B9: MEN 60-64 LWT
Race B10: MEN 65-69 LWT
Race B11: MEN 70-74 LWT
Race B12: MEN 75-79 LWT
Race B13: MEN 80-84 LWT
Race B15: MEN 90+ LWT
Race D3: WOMEN 30-34 LWT
Race D4: WOMEN 35-39 LWT
Race D5: WOMEN 40-44 LWT
Race D6: WOMEN 45-49 LWT
Race D7: WOMEN 50-54 LWT
Race D8: WOMEN 55-59 LWT
Race D9: WOMEN 60-64 LWT
Race D10: WOMEN 65-69 LWT
Race D11: WOMEN 70-74 LWT
Race D12: WOMEN 75-79 LWT
Race D16: WOMEN J18 LWT
Race A17: MEN J16, results of Heats 1 & 2
Race C17: WOMEN J16
Race A16: MEN J18 HWT
Race C16: WOMEN J18 HWT
Race RTC: MEN'S TEAM
Race A21, A22, C21, C22: MEN J12, MEN J11, WOMEN J12, WOMEN J11
Race C20: WOMEN J13
Race A20: MEN J13
Race RTC: BOYS AND GIRLS' TEAM
Race A19: MEN J14, HEAT 1, & WOMEN J14
Race A18: MEN J14, HEAT 2
Race A18: MEN J15, HEAT 1 AND WOMEN J15
Race C18: MEN J15 HEAT 2
RTC: TEAM FINALS
Race B4: MEN 35-39 LWT; MEN 40-44 LWT AND J18 MEN LWT
Race B3: MEN 30-34 LWT AND MEN 40-44 HWT
Race B3: MEN 30-34 HWT & MEN 45-49 HWT
Race A3: MEN 30-34 HWT, HEAT 2, & MEN 35-39 HWT
Race D1: WOMEN OPEN LWT & WOMEN BUSA LWT
Race B1: MEN OPEN LWT
Race B2: MEN BUSA LWT
Race C1: WOMEN OPEN HWT
Race C2: WOMEN BUSA HWT, HEAT 2
Race A2: MEN BUSA HWT, HEAT 3
Race A1: MEN OPEN HWT, HEAT 2
And that concludes our racing for today.
Note from RQ: A particular thank you to James, who diligently typed away while I was gathering quotes etc. from the erg area. Much appreciated.
Gold Beth Jackson 7:07.2, silver Tracy Watkins 7:11.3, bronze Louise Barnett 7:15.6
Gold Megan Brown 7:17.5, silver Sally Pollok-Morris 7:25.4, bronze Helen Bloor 7:35.0
Gold Tracy Axton 6:58.2, silver Sarah Royles 7:20.2, bronze Michelle Houghton 7:35.8
Gold Val Edwards 7:27.2, silver Susanna Wreth 7:40.9, bronze Diane Park 7:42.3
Gold Anna Bailey 7:23.2, silver Karon Phillips 7:43.8, bronze Dian MacDonald-Smith 7:56.8
Gold Chris Bailiffe 7:47.2, silver Brenda Ford 8:14.8, bronze Mary Dixon 8:25.2
Gold Jenny McGaul 8:52.1, no other competitors
Gold Pauline Rayner 8:12.8, silver Shelagh Allen 8:31.9, no other competitors
Gold Josephine Timms 9:58.0, silver Janette Shepherd 10:01.3, no other competitors
Gold Paul Langguth 6:28.1, silver Carl Clinton 6:32.2, bronze Gary Rogers 6:34.6
Gold Martyn Low 6:35.8, silver Peter Summers 6:43.3, bronze Marcus Sherwood 6:46.7
Gold Tom Hinsby 6:46.7, silver Antero Rossi 6:48.9, bronze Olaf Ellefsen 6:50.5
Gold Ken Clark 7:03.6, silver Peter Norman 7:22.3, bronze Usko Juntilla 7:23.7
Gold Bill Payne 7:32.4, silver John Powell 7:42.3, bronze George Burne 7:59.3
Gold Michael Collier 7:58.4, no other competitors
Gold Denis Melody 8:57.6, no other competitors
Apparently no race.
Gold John Brooks 6:38.9, silver Mustapha Hammachi 6:39.9, bronze Emanuele Romoli 6:41.2
Gold Robert Buckley 6:48.4, silver Paul Wenham 6:48.6, bronze Neil Weston 6:49.0
Gold John Harvey 6:44.8, silver Rod Stewart 6:45.8, bronze David Aldridge 6:55.9
Gold Roger Prowse 6:49.5, silver Andrew Johnson 7:24.4, bronze Lawrence Peter 7:25.6
Gold Philip Stubley 7:15.1, silver Malcolm Fawcett 7:17.3, bronze Roger Bangay 7:17.8
Gold Geoffrey Knight 7:24.1, silver Roger Burrell 7:41.7, bronze Grahame Cooper 7:44.0
Gold Dean Smith 7:32.1, silver Lionel Everington 7:50.6, bronze Weston Towler 8:17.0
Gold Alan Hanna 8:19.7 (*NEW BRITISH RECORD), no other competitors
Gold John Hodgson 10:28.2, no other competitors
Gold Lindsay Dick 7:14.7, silver Shelley Wilkins 7:35.2, bronze Ros Viner 7:37.9
Gold Mary-Ann Chalmers 7:27.2, silver Christie Job 7:51.9, bronze Aveline Deighton 7:52.0
Gold Cathy Johnson 7:40.1, silver Teresa Roberts 7:42.9, bronze Kelly Sapsford 7:47.9
Gold Sigrun Sangvik 7:39.2, silver Angela Craig 7:46.6, bronze Anne Yates 8:05.3
Gold Sue Little 7:48.4, silver Rosalind Breen 8:40.9, bronze Sue Petzold 8:43.2
Gold Amanda Woodroffe 7:59.6, silver Arja Scarsbrook 8:13.5, bronze Janet Parker 8:15.7
Gold Gerri Bright 8:14.2, silver Rosemary Armstrong 8:29.6, bronze Susie Willmott 8:43.5
Gold Hetta Morath 8:31.3, no other competitors
Gold Gillian Burrell 9:02.6, silver Pauline Wellington 9:51.4, no other competitors
Gold Mavis Surridge 9:13.1, no other competitors
Gold Toni Edwards 7:49.6, silver Kara Wirt 7:53.3, bronze Jenny Quested 8:01.1
Gold Tom Walker, 6:33.9, silver Michael Bailey 6:35.4, bronze Jonathan Martin 6:43.2
Gold Krystal Arbery 7:12.8, silver Olivia Oakes 7:30.1, bronze Laura Gannon 7:30.8
Gold Mohamed Sbihi 6:10.5, silver Charles Cousins 6:15.0, bronze Daniel Bream 6:18.5
Gold Harri Bridges 7:14.2, silver Zoe Johnson 7:16.6, bronze Hayley Crombie 7:19.3
The front row's full of red-clad team-members - the point of the Redgrave Team Challenge is that the team all erg separately and their scores are added together to get the final distance. A clean start, and the Royce's Gym lot are quickest off, with David Lloyd catching them up fast. Total Fitness aren't far behind, and these guys are doing a combined split in the late 1:20's - fun when you have your team-mates helping! Royce's Gym have 700m to go, 3 seconds in the lead, and DL/TF consolidating their position in 2nd and 3rd. Royal Marine Commandos not very impressive. Some pretty good technique in the front row, and the big pullers are into the last 300m, yanking away at about 26-28 for most of them. 100m to go, Royce's Gym still in the lead, but the top few go through to the finals in a couple of hours time. The final time for Royce's Gym is 3:09.3 for what we think was 1000m.
A load of the littlest ergers here today, all bunched together in one race. The back rows are off, but they're timed on their own ergs, so it's no problem if they false-start. And the front two rows start with the central timer, off cleanly. Much haranguing from the in-arena commentators, to see if they can get the crowd going. And Febrey on erg 10 is off at the startling pace of 1:46, leading the pack and J12 into the bargain. Behind him comes Harrison, then a dead-heat between Beaumont and Carick-Varty. The J12 girls are also shoving off fast, led by Sandager, well ahead of Glen. At this age they do a straight 2 minutes, and then we see how far they've gone. Febrey looks to have won with 544m for the J12 boys, but there could be someone better at the back. Results: J12 men gold James Febrey 544m, silver Aaron Riley 518m, bronze Joe Carick-Varty 514m. J11 men gold Harry Townsend 460m, silver Michael Gregson 444m, bronze Callum Postlethwaite 441m. J12 women gold Cecilie Sandager 522m, silver Molly Glen 497m, bronze Rebecca Fagan 495m. J11 women gold Rowenn Raynor 472m, silver Shona Wright 457m, bronze Francesca Eastment 456m.
About 40 J13 girls in this race - and the first bunch are now off with Kerr-Morgan the early leader. The second tranche of starters now away too - Beard and Atkinson getting away the fastest. Beard now slightly starting to pull away as Atkinson perhaps starts to fade a little. Abbot in the second row is chasing hard some of those in the front row. 600m gone now - Abbott still on 1:54s. In the front row Beard is on 1:58, difficult to tell whether she is being headed by Abbott. Watson now neck and neck with Beard - a tie between these two on the line. Nigel Mayglothing jokes that they should rerow and perhaps the poor little loves believe him! Again it's a timed row - 3 minutes dead, and the joint winners are Emily Beard and Gabby Watson on 793m, getting a gold each. bronze goes to Claire D'urso with 780m.
An interesting selection of styles, remarks my co-commentator James Elder. Front two rows just make it off, and we've got Hickmann and Bedford racing off at 1:39 splits, with Ferris coming up fast. 150m gone, Hickmann still under 1:40, and just has his nose in front of Ferris. Marshall creeping up now from behind, with Kelbrick too. Nobody in the second row is splitting low enough to overtake them. As the in-house commentator says, "there are some awfully big J13s in this room". Back to the top scores now, and Hickman has just lost his first place to Kelbrick, Kelbrick still at 1:47 after 800m gone. This lot are also doing 3 minutes, and coming up on the outside is Shrubsole, with Ferris now fourth. Kelbrick appears to win with a 827m pull, at average 1:48.7, but in fact the gold goes to a back-marker from the earlier rows, Daniel Barber completely unspotted with a stonking distance of 828m in the three minutes. silver to Luke Kelbrick with 827m, bronze Gary Hickman with 825m, and poor Christopher Shrubsole misses out.
This race is over 1000m, with all individual scores from each team counting. Sir Steve (who 'sponsors' this event) has now arrived and is being interviewed before the race starts. Again, Rows C and D start first with A and B following a little time afterwards - it's fast and furious and more than a little confusing. A bit of a delay while they sort out some discrepancies in names of team members. Concept2 chief John Wilson is running about looking demented, and a tour of the arena while we're waiting reveals best t-shirt (so far) as "Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined" on the back of a student.
The back rows are off, then the middle, and they think everything's ready for the front teams. A false start from A22, so yet another delay. Steve Redgrave's sitting on the podium being filmed for local TV, and signing loads of autographs. OK, they're ready - they're off! Finally.... KCS1 is the first to finish on the back rows, with an average split overall of 1:40.6, ahead of RYA Windsurfing and King Edward's Five Ways. On the middle rows, Latymer Upper School lead Nottingham City, but both are slower than King's. In the front row, King's College School 2 are leading, just ahead of Lymm High School composited with Warrington RC. James' old school (Dr. Challoner's) are not impressing the audience - cue much moaning up in the press box. King's first home with an average split of 1:42.2, but that may not be enough to beat their first team. We'll have to wait and see who will qualify. It appears maybe the girls' teams are separate, not racing mixed.
Another pause while they try and get the men's and women's J14s on the machines quickly enough to catch up time. This is a 4-minute event, and note that this is only the first heat of the men's event, so there may be faster people in the next race.
Here they go, and the women are up in the front rows, with the spindlier boys on the back rows behind them. Neill, Whyman, Anderson and Smith are the front four off, with Holden starting to come through as well. 250m gone, and Neill's just holding a tiny lead ahead of Anderson, and Holden looking like the main threat with a split 4 seconds below the others. She's still at 1:49 as they come towards the halfway point, and overtakes first Neill, and then Anderson. The boys at the back finish, with the best just over 1000m. Last ten seconds for the girls, and Holden's pulled well clear, splitting 1:48 as she winds in, and wins by nearly 30m. J14 women gold Holly Holden 1081m, silver Amber Anderson 1054m, bronze Philippa Neill 1044m. The commentators are announcing a new championship record, but since they only moved to this timed-row format for the younger competitors recently, that's not too surprising.
Ok, the second heat of this race is now off, with Robinson and Goldsworthy fighting it out on the middle rows, and the front rows just started. Goldsworthy holding 1:45 after nearly two minutes, but up at the front Fox and Howell are splitting 1:39 in the front row. 500m gone for them, with Ashworth coming up to match them and Scott in fourth. All three of these leaders now trading first place with every stroke, Ashworth puts in a push, just nips ahead of the others, but they still have a minute and a half to go. Now Ashworth, Howell, Fox, but Ashworth will have to hang onto a 1:41 split to keep this. Howell and Fox looking vulnerable as Scott comes up. James sums it up by saying "and now the screen cuts back to those people who are not in contention at all" and we have to wait while the bad and the worse finish and get their name on the board. When we get back, Ashworth is still in the lead, Fox undersplitting but has probably left it too late. Howell just hangs onto third. Gold Daniel Ashworth 1222m, silver James Fox 1211m, bronze Sam Howell 1207m.
We will ignore the men, as the best of this agegroup are in the next heat, and concentrate on the women. These girls will be going for 5 minutes. A clean start and it looks to be Heywood away in front of a chasing pack of about five. Heywood splitting 1:48 and leading from Bream and D'urso. TVs now showing us the medal presentation from the previous event. D'urso now moves into second. Schlesinger is looking good from further down the field and matching the leading splits. D'urso now undersplitting Heywood and starting to catch her as Schlesinger moves into fourth and chases down Bream. Heywood's lead being eroded now. 1 minute 40 to go and D'urso looks to be catching Heywood. Rachel looks out of the window and sees that Heywood is very, very tall but she's been caught by D'urso who breaks through 1:50 splits as she starts into the home sprint. Bream probably will hold off Schesinger for third. They all looked to underestimate the length of the sprint and their splits have dropped back slightly. Heywood starting to fade badly as they finish. Gold Laura D'urso 1355m, silver Joanne Heywood 1346m, and a dead heat for bronze between Natalie Bream and Cordelia Wilson (another good back-row effort), both on 1328m.
The likely winners for this event should come from this race, and as they belt off, it's Tew splitting 1:30, in the lead, with Jonstone and Brighton and Fenzolli behind him. They settle to a steady 1:33-1:35 (!), these 14-year-old lads, and mostly in the mid-20's on the rate. Tew still holding his form nicely, with Jonstone tracking him a few metres back. In the back rows, Tatlock may well be fast enough to get within the medals, way ahead of the rest of row C and splitting 1:38 halfway through the race. He's got a good technique - really pushing the finishes out. The screen admires his score for quite a while, letting us miss the front row, but Tatlock has just one minute to go. Master-journalist Mike Rosewell points out that a lot of these guys will end up with a bad back injury in a month or three... Tatlock's final distance is 1568m, which is the score to beat. Tew and Johnston are on 1:39 and 1:40 splits, much worse, and running out of time with only a few strokes left. They stop, and it's Tew 1538, Jonstone 1527, so Tatlock looks to have won overall. Much consulting of computers by the officials, but the Rowing Service knows.... Gold Matthew Tatlock 1568m, silver William Tew 1538, bronze Christopher Jonstone 1527m.
It's back to the teams of four for this event. Men's and women's teams all going off together for 1000m. Another slight delay to check everyone is where they should be - and the MC is having a job persuading everyone to stop warming up and put their handles down so that the computer can be set for the launch. It's Royce's off first with Colmers the top women and the DLR chicks just behind. Royce's steaming away from the others - Castle Gym and David Lloyd behind them but now 45 Commando coming up hard. Royce's will win this by a mile but open between David Lloyd and 45 Commando for the second place. In the women's event DLR undersplitting Colmer. Royce's still hugely ahead with three crews in it for second. David Lloyd now holding second place solidly from 45 Commando. Commentators getting very excited but Royce's know they have it in the bag.
MEN Gold Royce's Gym 2:59.3 silver David Lloyd 3:06.3 bronze Castle Gym 3:07.3
WOMEN Gold Colmers 4:00.1 silver DLR Chicks Team 4:03.8 bronze - to follow.
Back to adults now and the more usual 2000m race format. In the J18 event, it's Stephansen way ahead of the oppo and splitting 1:33. For what it's worth McGing and Watson are next, but both a long way back. Past 1000m and Stephansen still looking very comfortable out in front. The screens are not giving any info on the lwts as yet - will relay it as I can. Meanwhile Stephansen has pulled evebn further ahead although he may be faltering for the first time - no, it was only a stutter and he's now back on 1:35 splits. Looks tight for second place between Watson and Burgoigne - McGing having now dropped back to fourth. We get info on the Lightweights now, just as they charge for the line - Patersen wins the 40-44 event ahead of Reid who wins 35-39. ML40-44 gold Ian Reid 6:35.8, silver Simon Donne 6:44.7, bronze Nick Hadwen 6:49.5. ML40-44 gold Duncan Paterson 6:31.2, silver David Brooks 6:33.0, bronze Reijo Niemenmaa 6:37.8. MJ18L gold Henrik Stephansen 6:15.2, silver Jamie Watson 6:32.4, bronze Jake Burgoine 6:33.7.
In the lwts, GB sculler James Linday-Fynn is leading from Staite, both being chased by Mitchell and Gear. Lindsay-Finn looks safe, hugely undersplitting Staite, and he gets home in 6:15 with Staite on 6:22 and a virtual deadheat for bronze. In the hwts it's van Tonder leading Biggar and as they come in for the line Biggar is hauling van Tonder in. But the lines comes before he can overtake and van Tonder squeaks in first, 0.4 seconds ahead. ML30-34 James Lindsay-Fynn 6:15.8, silver Dan Staite 6:22.4, bronze Mark Mitchell 6:27.1. MH40-44 gold Andreas van Tonder 6:07.7, silver Grant Biggar 6:08.1, bronze Robin Brew 6:09.9.
The big guys of the 30-34 hwt category come in the next race, but the 45-49 class are going at it hammer and tongs, with Thomassen, Linehan, Wark, Harvey and Sorrell all vying for the lead. Wark leads Harvey and Thomassen with 550m gone, all at 1:33s at the moment. Thomassen drops back, Gannon coming up from behind to take him. Linehan going backwards, and from the erg next to Gannon it's Rockliff guggning for the leaders at 1:35. It's a hell of a bunfight, 1150m to go, Harvey now leading with Gannon on his heels and Wark dropping off the pace. Rockliff up to fourth, and about to take Wark for third. Harvey and Gannon are both sitting neck and neck on 1:33s, three ergs apart and both big guys. Gannon looks to turn up the intensity, as Thomassen overtakes Wark to move into fourth, but Harvey holds him off. Rockliff not looks certain for a medal and is undersplitting everyone except Harvey, can he crawl up to second? 500m to go, Gannon makes a huge effort and hits 1:32 for the first time since the start, the medals now look pretty well with these three. Harvey holds it by a nose, Gannon dogging every move, they're leaving Rockliff behind. The commentators are bursting blood vessels with excitement, as Gannon drops his split once again, Gannon could just do it but Harvey's intent on stopping him, will not let him past. Harvey wins, from Gannon by a short neck, then Rockliff. In the top ten is a G D'urso - perhaps D'urso D'ad of the junior women who medalled earlier? Results MH45-49 gold Marcus Harvey 6:14.2, silver Patrick Gannon 6:16.0, bronze Nick Rockliff 6:18.2.
Tony Larkman starting in row C of this event will clearly be one to watch and indeed he is off at the head of rows C and D with Tomkinson following him away from the rest of the field. Up in the first two rows, Kennedy-Burn, Handley and Williams show the others a clean pair of heels as they move into the cruise phase, with Warnock a little way behind them. Williams moves into the lead and Handley also edges out Kennedy-Burn. Williams splitting 1:32, a couple of pips better than his competition. Larkman meanwhile is splitting 1:31. He started at a different time than rows A and B so impossible to tell who is really leading. He's drawn away from Tomkinson and together they are well clear of Fleming, a past winner of this event. Tony Larkman now down to 1:26 and wins his row at a canter. Williams hanging on in the top rows and pips Kennedy-Burn, then Handley, then Warnock. Looks to me like Larkman was the overall winner; certainly the commentators are bigging him up. Rachel has just come back and confirms that Larkman is the winner - yet again! Clearly for him ageing is something that happens to other people. In fact, it appears that Tomkinson and Fleming have got the silver and bronze too. Results MH30-34 gold Stuart Williams 6:06.3, silver Clive Kennedy-Burn 6:07.2, bronze Simon Handley 6:13.2. MH35-39 gold Tony Larkman 5:59.5, silver Julian Tomkinson 6:05.9, bronze Nik 'Big Bird' Fleming 6:09.4.
For reasons as yet unknown, Helen Casey is starting in Row F so we're having to keep track of her time separately. Hoogesteger leading followed by Aitken and Hammomd, splitting in the low 1:40s. Hoogesteger still holding it by about 5metres. Norris is in fourth. We think that Aitken is a gym bunny. Hoogesteger splitting 1:45 and looking commanding. Casey rating 28; Hoogesteger still ahead. Casey on 1:47 so definitely on the pace with her squadmates. Word is that she is down at the back because of an entries confusion: she thought BIRO had put her in but they hadn't. Hoogesteger rating 30; Hammond 32. Hoogesteger still leading but not moving away. On form she is now the best lightweight in the team so this is right by the formbook. Hoogesteger, Hammond and Norris all on 1:47s and upping the rate - it may be hard for Casey to match them without having competition next to her. Hester Goodsell also pushing on. The MCs think Casey may be in second. She has 500m to go; the front row 700m. Mayglothing winning the battle of the commentators. Casey up to 32. Hoogesteger still up on Hammond. All the girls on the front row's shoulders have gone up as they tense up. Casey into her final sprint. Hoogesteger winding up; none of the squaddies are letting their splits slide, they're doing it the hard way. Hoogesteger being pegged back by Hammond who is now undersplitting her. But Naomi hangs on to win with 7:03.6. Good to see the GB squad looking so dominant in this event. BUSA are also in this race, although the screens haven't shown us much of them. Kate-George Dunlevy, adaptive winner at the 2005 Worlds looks to be doing well. More on BUSA when we get a moment. Results WLwt gold Naomi Hoogesteger 7:03.6 silver Jo Hammond 7:05.5 bronze Lorna Norris 7:08.0. Results BUSA Lwt gold Hannah Peel 7:19.8, silver Lucy Aukett 7:24.2, bronze Kaarin Scanlan 7:27.1.
Zac Purchase 'away like a train' to quote the commentators. Mark Hunter noew edging ahead with Paul Mattick and Tim Male both also in the mix. A VERY tightly bunched field as they approach 500m. Through 500m it's Hunter relatively well clear with Male and Rasmus Quist, then English, Mattick and Purchase. Hunter is splitting 1:33; Male now pushing on a similar split. The field now finally starting to spread out as they pass through 1000m. Danny Harte and Matt Beechey are both also pushing on but it looks unlikely that anyone will manage to bring Mark Hunter or Tim Male back. bronze however is wide open: Harte, Purchase, Mattick and English all in it. Male now charging bigstyle, at 1:28 and bringing Mark Hunter right back. Male now moves ahead with under 100m to go...and gets it by a second on the line. Zac Purchase takes the bronze. A storming race and one that Robin Williams will no doubt be pretty happy with. "I saw him coming", Hunter said of Male afterwards. "This is the first time I'd worked out what the [racing] display on the screen meant, and it made all the difference." Results gold Mark Hunter 6:09.8, silver Tim Male 6:10.1, bronze Zac Purchase 6:14.6.
False start delays the front rows going off but they're away at the second time of asking. No big squad stars in this one but it's Chambers, Perrin and Woolway who are the first to show. Perrin moves ahead as they pass through 400m gone, splitting 1:35, so it doesn't look like there is anything to worry the open boys in the previous race. Still Perrin and Chambers but Tietz takes third place from Woolway as they approach 800m gone. These four are a little way clear of the next guys. Perrin of Cambridge now getting a boatlength clear of Chambers and Chambers equally has clear water over Tietz. Murray has now pushed through Woolway into fourth. In the front row, all the medal contenders are rowing in the same rhythm, matching rate. Perrin now well clear. Still Chambers in second, and Tietz pushed hard by Murray and Freeman for third. Tietz hangs on to take the bronze. The order of Gold and silver remains unchanged. Results gold Doug Perrin 6:20.5, silver Richard Chambers 6:25.7, bronze Olly Tietz 6:27.4.
So, quite an event as the squad heavy women race en masse at the Champs for the first time in about ten years. A few notable absentees, as Katherine Grainger, Becs Romero, Anna Bebington and Alison Knowles are all missing for assorted legitimate reasons. Winckless off in front splitting 1:38, tracked by Frances Houghton. A major shock as Abbey of City of Oxford takes the lead. Then Winckless, Gater, Vernon in close order. Winckless now takes the lead and Vernon and Gater also moves past Abbey. Fran Houghton a little further back, with Rodford, Loveridge, Laverick and Ashford. Annie Vernon being pushed hard by Laura Gater with 800m to go and this is pushing her in turn closer to Sarah Winks. Winckless and Vernon splitting 1:40 as is Fran Houghton who may be starting to charge, Sarah Winckless now hitting 1:38 as they approach 300m from home. Annie Vernon now looking safe from Gater's challenge. Fran Houghton pushes past Abbey into fourth, There is some major winding for home happening - Winckless gets there first in 6:37 with Annie Vernon on 6:40.3 and Laura Gater on 6:44. Abbey finishes in fifth on 6:50.9 - still a major achievement against all the squad competition. "It's very good for the squad to do this", said Winckless as she got her breath back. "But you can't see your average on the screen as you do normally, so you can't work off the erg properly. However, I came here just to have a good race, and I did that." Houghton, whose last-minute charge got her within sight of the medals, was equally disconcerted by the different display system used when racing like this. "I didn't have confidence in my mid-race pace", she said - though it is clear she had plenty left in the tank at the end. Gold Sarah Winckless 6:37.5, silver Annie Vernon 6:40.3, bronze Laura Gater 6:44.4.
The two biggest guns in this event, Jess Eddie and Tash Page are missing so it could be interesting. Whitlam, Hilary Powell, Tracey Matthews and Charlie Maile away first. Stanning in one of the back rows, is currently leading but Hilary Powell has the better split and may well take her. And she does. Pollock and others of the regular rowers are now bringing Stanning back. Maile, Matthews, Windham and Riezenberg all in it. Hilary Powell rating 32 and Windham of Oxford in second. The Oxford girls are trying to beat 7:00 to win a challenge set by GB World Class Start manager Peter Shakespear. Tracey Matthews of Thames and Brunel has pushed into bronze, but Hilary is still looking good for the win. But it is all to play for below that. Matthews looking good, as is Lizzie Tinley - sneaking up the field. Powell from Matthews from Windham from Pollock. Now Pollock into third. Pollock now closes on Matthews as Hilary still moves away but will she get under 7? Lizzie Tinley continues to stalk up the field. Pollock charging now and Matthews perhaps looking vulnerable? Powell can't be caught as Pollock moves into second. Tracey looking safe in third. Pollock now having a go at Powell but that will probably be a bridge too far. Powell, Pollock, Matthews, Windham is the final order, and Hilary gets 6:57 to beat Shakespear's challenge.
Gold Hilary Powell 6:57.3 silver Naomi Pollock 7:02.6 bronze Tracey Matthews 7:06.0
The front rows have been lined up in a light-blue/dark blue split and there is by the biggest crowd roar of the day as they move off. Schroeder is first to show splitting 1:24. Townsend of Reading is a surprise early contender, followed by Kieran West of Cambridge in second. Schroeder now leaps away, West follows and Townsend is back to third. Then it's Engelmann, Shulte and Wetzel. Schroeder still splitting 1:28 and moving away from West. Behind these two, the next 10 or so are very close together. Schroeder now hitting 1:27 and setting a hugely impressive rhythm, Kieran holding 1:27 as they pass through 700m to go. Engelmann, Shulte and Wetzel also looking like anyone of them could challenge for bronze and possibly even take on West. Schroeder now hitting 1:24; West 1:25. Engelmann undersplitting West and pushing him very hard. Schroeder home safely in 5:44.0. Engelmann then catches West on the line by 0.1 of a second - they get 5:49.0 and 5:48.9 respectively. It's very impressive stuff from both both Oxford and Cambridge and suggests that neither crew will be lacking in horsepower. Quotes - Kieran West after just losing to Engelmann - "Bloody German! I went off too hard." He then explained it was actually a personal best, though he still looked on the miserable side. Schroeder was pretty cheerful, not surprisingly, and says he's enjoying his Boat Race experience so far. "It's a great balance between rowing and work." On the subject of working on technique so early in the winter - "yeah it's different, but good. The US team is very focused on power and results."
Gold Jamie Schroeder 5:44 silver Thomas Engelmann 5:48.9 bronze Kieran West 5:49.0.
And so we move to the last race of the day - The Big Boys. All off first time. Last year's winner Graham Benton is off in the lead, with Alan Campbell Pete Wells and Honor in pursuit. Benton splitting 1:26, the next three all on 1:29. As they move through the 500m mark, the cricketer (who has been picked up by the World Class Start scheme) is still in the lead with Honor in second and Turham now in third. Then it's Alan Campbell, Pete Wells, Matt Langridge and Steve Williams. Benton still comfortably leading, but several of the squaddies starting to match his splits. It looks unlikely that Benton will be caught unless someone does a Pinsentesque charge for the line. Alan Campbell now pushing into silver, no, Langridge is now challenging - but surely Graham Benton will not be caught. Into the last 100m Benton is at 1:25, as are Langridge and Campbell. And that's the finishing order, with Benton chopping five seconds off his best ever result with the adrenaline of doing such a big race. Langridge was kicking himself afterwards - "I left too much to do, I was never going to catch him [Benton], but I was just going for the time anyway." He's pretty sure he set a new PB himself, and certainly a best ever at the erg champs. So what did Benton make of racing the national squad? "Awesome. And that Hodge, he's such a nice guy!" 'Nuff said.
Gold Graham Benton 5:46.9, silver Matt Langridge 5:51.9, bronze Alan Campbell 5:52.1.