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Bumps, Blades, and Bowballs- Cambridge Boatie Chat

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canonicals

Hey everyone,

I have a conditional offer from Girton and I'd love to join the rowing team as a cox. I've rowed for 3 years and coxed for only 2 weeks (I'm 5'3" and weigh 103 pounds, my best 2k time is 8:46). Although I love rowing and I've made it up to the Jv and Varsity Lightweight boats, I know I'm too small to row at the university level. Would it be possible for me to even cox for the team though, since I have close to no experience? Are there open positions every year?

Any other info about the team would be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Are you kidding? Anyone willing to get up in the morning to steer a bit and shout at sweaty rowers is god-like. Novice crews always have novice coxes, and novice coxes can also be put into senior boats straight off if we are short. Last year LBCs (novice coaches) 'had' (they enjoyed it really) to learn to cox novice crews in Novice term and Mays last year.

Basically , GCBC welcomes you with open arms, and won't let you go anytime soon!

Also, we are desperate for female rowers, might not be as much of a problem when you get here as they'll probably have already scratched their bumps position. But yeah, you should do both :smile:

Reply 1201

canonicals

Thanks everyone so much for all your input! I'm so excited to join now!

paneity

Anyone willing to get up in the morning to steer a bit and shout at sweaty rowers is god-like.

I can't wait. :wink:

Reply 1202

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

Scipio90

Out of interest, how good is an average 500m split of 1:53 over a 30' r20 full pressure erg? (not my time, someone's I was erging with earlier)

I used to row for LMBC 2nd VIII and used to get about a 1:58 split for 30 mins. It wasn't at full pressure, though, more like 3/4 pressure. To be honest I think 30 mins at 1:53 would have killed me because I wasn't fit enough.

Reply 1203

Urgh, hangover, yellow flag, wasted journey. 2 x 30min erg to do later, gaaaay.

Reply 1204

Scipio90

Cantab

Urgh, hangover, yellow flag, wasted journey. 2 x 30min erg to do later, gaaaay.

I thought seniors can go out in yellow flags?

Reply 1205

Arrogant Git

Scipio90

I thought seniors can go out in yellow flags?

Nah, top two divisions of Mays only or college first eights.

Reply 1206

Chewwy

Scipio90

Out of interest, how good is an average 500m split of 1:53 over a 30' r20 full pressure erg? (not my time, someone's I was erging with earlier)

good.

Reply 1207

paneity

Cantab

Urgh, hangover, yellow flag, wasted journey. 2 x 30min erg to do later, gaaaay.

Surely you're allowed out? Although with the weather this morning, I wouldn't have been too keen even if we were allowed.

Reply 1208

paneity

Surely you're allowed out? Although with the weather this morning, I wouldn't have been too keen even if we were allowed.

Nope, I'm in M2 and our boat is in the third division of bumps, so we're not allowed out.

Reply 1209

groovy_moose

You're lucky. Going out in yellow flag weather is silly, you're lucky to get anything useful done without just getting incredibly cold and generally miserable... :rolleyes:

*speaks from experience*

Reply 1210

scarlet ibis

My erg time tinight was a bit of a fail: 9:06. But I am small (50kg, 5'3" ) and pretty feeble. Plus it was my third ever time on an erg. Also still aching from circuits last night. But whatever, its something to improve on, and given my extreme novice status, i think the women's captain was shocked that I even bothered to turn up!

Reply 1211

Chewwy

circuits tonight, followed by 'heavy weights'. deadlifting twice my bodyweight (sets of 8) is good. wish we'd done this last term.

Reply 1212

Chewwy

circuits tonight, followed by 'heavy weights'. deadlifting twice my bodyweight (sets of 8) is good. wish we'd done this last term.

**** me, twice your bodyweight? That's pretty mental. I don't think I could manage my bodyweight...

Got circuits tomorrow, so I'm enjoying the last twelve hours of being able to walk down stairs and sit down on the toilet/on chairs like a normal person.

Reply 1213

Chewwy

is anyone racing today?

Reply 1214

scarlet ibis

Chewwy

is anyone racing today?

FTB is coxing City W2. I've seen a lot of college crews row past though. (We're moored at the Pike&Eel.)

Reply 1215

Scipio90

Chewwy

is anyone racing today?

I did. Not sure how well we did, but was fun.

Also saw FtB briefly at our boathouse.

In other news, will probably be moved to M3 because of bad erg times not making up for my reasonable technical competence, which seems fair enough.