Cambridge Trial Eights 11th December 2000 Crews: Fafner Surrey B C Vickers # (British) 2 R McElroy # (Irish) 3 B Stapleton (American) 4 C Ford (British) 5 A J West * (American/ British) 6 K West * (British) President 7 J Livingston # (British) s T Wooge * (German) cox M Snowball # (British) Fasolt Middlesex B T Edwards-Moss (British) 2 T Lawton (British) 3 N Holzapfel (American) 4 C Hobcroft # (British) 5 T Stallard * (British) 6 R Dunn (British) 7 C Swainson # (British) s Lukas Hirst # (Australian) Cox C Cormack (British) * Blue # goldie Umpire: Rupert ObholzerThe crew names are taken from Wagner - two giants who would not give in to each other - and were aptly chosen for a close and exciting battle.
Conditions were similar to those Oxford faced on Friday. Slack tide due to the volume of flood water. The very high tide caused a number of car casualties including Mat Stallard's MG!
The crews went off in the mid forties and both settled to 35 by the black buoy where they were almost level. By Barn Elms Fafner had gained a slight lead of ¼ of a length and the crews had settled to 34. Fasolt gained on the bend and pulled out a half length lead by the mile post. The time to the mile post was 4.03. Fasolt continued to pull ahead and the rates crept up slightly. By Harrods the rates had dropped back to 33/ 34 and Fasolt had pulled in front of Fafner with clear water. Cormack was warned for steering and he moved aside. The time to Hammersmith was 7.15 where Fasolt lead by just over a length.
The water was choppier after St Pauls and both crews dropped to 32. Fafner with Kieran West looking very powerful pulled back and by the end of the eyot were overlapping. Cormack was warned for steering again. The time to Chiswick steps was 11.38 and Fasolt's lead had reduced to 2/3 of a length. The crews were fighting hard along the moored boats with Fafner drawing steadily back. Coming out of the bend the crews were almost level and fafner pulled out a ¼ length lead which they had increased to half a length at the Banstand. Both crews were at 32. Snowball was warned twice for steering coming in to Barnes and under the bridge the crews clashed badly and came to a standstill. The time to the Barnes bridge was 16.30. Neither crew was disqualified and the race restarted from the Chiswick Boat house. The crews sprinted off settling to 35 after a minute. They rowed for 3 minutes by which time Fasolt had pulled out a lead of one and a ¼ lengths.
Fasolt looked to have more send off the finish although on paper Fafner looked the slightly stronger crew. It would have been interesting to see what the outcome would have been if they had not clashed. Although Fafner were ahead the final bend was in Fasolt's favour. Dunn, who won a gold medal at the 2000 World Championships in Britain's coxed four, was impressive. Also of note was his 7 man Colin Swainson, from last years Goldie crew. In Fafner Kieran West, the president, from the GB Gold medal eight was impressive but Wooge (from the 1999 winning Blue Boat) did not seem on his best form. Ford was a substitute on the day replacing Clare. Cambridge appears to have a very strong stroke-side and the makings of a fast eight. As well as 4 former blues all bar two of last years Goldie crew have returned (3 of whom were in the 1999 crew as well). The two new Americans were both in the Harvard crew that defeated Yale this year.
Cambridge's training has been less disrupted by flooding than Oxford's this Autumn although they started training almost a month later. They spent the weekend preparing for trial eights on the Tideway. Next on the agenda is another week of training in Ely and a ten-day training camp on Lake Banyoles at the beginning of January.