ALL CHANGE AGAIN AS BATTLE FOR STANDARD LEAGUE HOTS UP.

 

Eventually only 13 crews were to make it to Preston to take part in the Round 4 of the League Season, though with a mix of 7 Premiership teams and 6 standard teams (including the not registered for points Powerhouse), competition through the field was still very strong.

 

With all the London clubs with the exception of Kingston absent, it was left to Amathus to run riot, collecting overall victory in both categories, and moving yet further clear of its nearest rivals, the newly promoted Notts Anaconda and Exe-calibre at the top of the Premiership.

 

Despite the seeming dominance of the Premiership of one team, the Standard League is experiencing one of the most competitive seasons of recent times, as Preston added yet further twist in the tale of an already intriguing season. In the 200 meters Henley experienced their first defeat of the year as Crusaders pipped them to victory by 0.51 seconds, though the favour was returned over 500 metres as Henley returned to the top.

 

The culmination of this was that Crusaders and Pershore, for the second time in two weeks, swapped positions in the league tables and Phoenix became the hunters once more, though a mere 2 points adrift in both categories. Threats are now also emerging to the two early season pace setters from late comers Henley and Kingston Pretenders, both strong competitors despite missing the first round in Stockton (which means they can keep all points for the rest of the season). With Pershore and Crusaders still having to drop a score at the end of the season, the league could go one of four ways.

 

Standard League - 200m

Club Events Pts Crusaders 4 56 Pershore Phx 4 54 Henley 3 47 Kingston Pretenders 3 43 Amathus Bees 3 36 Worcester Dragonflies 3 33 Exe-Calibre Blades 2 23 Anaconda Challengers 2 19 3 River Serpents 1 15 Typhoon Fury 1 13 Wokingham CC 1 9

 

Standard League - 500m

Club Events Pts Crusaders 3 43 Pershore Phx 3 41 Amathus Bees 3 38 Henley 2 32 Kingston Pretenders 2 28 Worcester Dragonflies 2 22 3 River Serpents 1 16 Exe-Calibre Blades 1 11 Anaconda Challengers 1 9

 

Preston was a day of returns and new beginnings, with Jan Evans and Darren Toney making league debuts, and the world’s worst gazebo (with unique dog leg frame technology) making its first appearance of the season. The crew also welcomed (is that the word?....yeah ok, welcomed) back Andrew Forrest to the Captain’s seat after an enforced sabbatical over the weekend of the Trent Regatta.

 

The most notable of these returnees and debutants was unquestionably the gazebo. On pitching up at 8.00 the first members of the team came across the boat already being unloaded (Don, Pam and Dave obviously having set off on Saturday afternoon to make it so early!), and take it was chuffing cold. However with the base erected (in a prime viewing spot no less) the team had managed to secure a sheltered spot – the importance of which was not lost on those canny enough to get in early to reserve the back corners.

 

Due to the low number of teams that could make it to the event, the day took on a slightly unusual look, with 3 x 200 m races and only 3 x 500 m races. In their first race of the day, Phoenix took on Kingston Royals and Amathus Bees. The race was something of a wake up call in terms of the general pattern of how the day was to unfold. Hoping to register a time in the 50-51 second bracket, Phoenix came home second with a 1 minute 2.82. Any immediate disappointment was quelled however as the fact of the matter sunk in. The dominant Amathus A squad could only muster 54 seconds, followed by a gaggle of boats on 58. The day was going to be all about grinding out a time on a slow course.

 

The end result of that first race (aside from a sharp reminder of the potential for a total soaking created by stopping the boat in the tight confines of the Preston finishing area) was beating Amathus Bees (who earned themselves a verbal warning for timing) and booking a rep meeting with title rivals Henley. Unfortunately it was the Thames Valley crew who laid down their marker in the race, by controlling the race from the start and coming home 4 seconds sooner than a battling Phoenix.

 

The reps and semis created a 2 tier final system for the league, with the days pace-setters of Crusaders, Henley and Kingston Pretenders coming home in that order in Tail 2. In Tail 3, the race was won by the non-points registered Powerhouse a little over a second clear of Phoenix who picked up the 13 points for 4^th in the league, with Amathus and ‘Prem-crew’ Secklow fighting over what was left.

 

The main business of the day was to come however, as the crews now ventured past the break waters which meant the 200 metre course was as flat as a mill pond, and into the main dock – which wasn’t. Credit at this point should be made to Mandy and Carla who did a top job at stroke and kept their heads in tricky conditions, and also Emily on the drum, who was sat in the least fun chair in the country at that point. Thanks also to the irrepressible Johnny-Mac, who’s experience on the helm made a big difference on rough water.

 

The first race acted as something as a warm up, with the best heading to the semi finals and the rest just waiting to see who they would race in their respective reps. Pershore worked hard in a race against an imperious Amathus team, though fought hard with Powerhouse the whole way down the course, finishing 4 seconds behind. The day long tussle with Powerhouse was not over yet, not by a long shot.

 

The next race was effectively a shoot out between promotion hopefuls, as Crusaders lined up against Champion the ****ing Wonderboat (that’s for Dave’s benefit principally) in a tussle for the last spot in the cup competition. Crusaders came for a race and didn’t they get one. Phoenix summoned up reserves of energy after a difficult first attempt and chopped a full 7 seconds off their previous time, harrying the Liverpool team the whole way down the course. However, it was the merseysider’s powerful finish which saw them come home 2.2 seconds earlier and re-take the league lead.

 

The final race of the day was the Plate Final, in which Phoenix would meet an out of sorts Secklow as well as a…skilled…Amathus Bees side and our new found nemesis for the day, Powerhouse. Amathus Bees leapt off the start into lead they were never to relinquish, to their first victory over Phoenix of the day. However, the real interest laid in the battle for second. Powerhouse got the better start moving almost a boat length clear, but showing a strength of character that is growing almost daily within the squad, they were relentlessly reeled in as the Captain called lift after lift and the crew threw the kitchen sink into the race. By the time the anchors had been thrown out to avoid the breakwaters, Pershore were half a boat length to the good over the Teesiders, and picked up second in the plate competition.

 

Despite this, the Powerhouse/Phoenix story was still not done! The final act of the day was a show piece 2000 metre race entered by 2 Amathus crews and Exe-calibre. Both unable to muster a crew between them, Powerhouse and Pershore now joined forces to enter the race, and hold up the Standard League end. The race was a first 2000 m for team manager Mark Lewis, Secretary Jonathan Small, surprisingly over-keen competition debutant Darren Toney and Vice-Captain Ali Lowe, who received a nose bleed going from the back of the boat to the front in his first ever race as lead stroke. The race was not a first for head coach Dave Cole, for he is no stranger to pain. It was principally important to Great Britain under 18 paddler Jamie Forrest, who will become increasingly close friends with this distance as the World Championships loom ever closer.

 

With all said and done, a time of 10 minutes 42 seconds was respectable from a crew that had never met each other before getting in the boat, and had never done this distance before, finishing only 30 seconds behind Premiership hot-shots Exe-calibre. For anyone unsure, 2000 metres is a great distance to run a race over and provides an outstanding tactical challenge for paddlers and helms – everyone should try it at least once.

 

Preston marked the halfway point in the season, and as I write it is only a week before the enduringly popular Exeter Regatta event – round 5 of the season. After this, the season will enter end-game with only Worcester and Milton Keynes left to run. The league is poised on a knife edge, and any one of four teams could take it. With a missed race potentially being disastrous for any team’s aspirations, we are set for a grandstand finish.