Norwich Small Boats Head

We took a 4x- and a 2x- and had six crews. Full results are at https://rowtimer.com/event/1446. Divs 1 and 3 are the out-of-town short course, 3 km. Div 2 is the long course, 7 km.

Div 1: 2x- Rachel+Christina 14:43.62; 4x-: The Young Bloods 11:54.06.

Div 2: 2x-: Lorraine+Steve 32:07.21; 4x-: The Old Masters 28:26.85. GPS.

Div 3: 2x-: Simon+Paul 14:32.82; 4x-: Superhoops 13:09.96.

Every division seemed to get a mix of sunshine and showers, which sounds poetic, until you’re being rained on at the start line when it starts to feel a bit wet. But really it was a good day out despite our sad lack of prizes.

Their web page https://www.norwichrowingclub.com/copy-of-norwich-head (note the title :-); archive.

CRA town bumps, 2026

And so it begins, again…

Monday: O3 down (to a fast Tabs Past Masters); O2 up (on Fitz Alum); O4 (Christ’s) down. W3 down (to St Neots 2); W2 row-over.

Andy Southgate is doing videos of some divisions: W3; O3. O2 start from Harry; O2 bump; O4 and W3 and O3 and O2 race (Jo and Simon).

Tuesday: W3 and W1: down, W2 rest; O4 and O3 down (but we got as far as Grassy :-), O2 rest, O1 row-over. O1 drone and Andy.

Wednesday: O4 down, O3 rest, O2 row-over, O1 up. W3 rest, W2 and W1 row-over.

Thursday: O4 rest, O3 up, O2 up, O1 up; W3 up, W2 row-over, W1 row-over.

For O3 Poachers stuffed up Ditton, when we were perhaps 3/4 of a length off them. And for O2 Press ditto, when we were outside station. M1 up just before railway bridge.

Friday: O4 and O3 down, O2 up on Nines 5, O1 row-over. W3 up, W2 and W1 row-over.

Winter League

Overall results are here.

Leg 1: January. Full results. And ours.

Open Masters B 8+ 11:55 (5/9)

Women's Club B 8+ 12:54 (3/10)

Women's Masters C-F 8+ adjusted 13:20 (4/8)

Mixed Beginners 8+ 16:07 (2/3) - First race for 6/8 of the crew, well done to our learn to row gang who have only been rowing for 6 months. I believe there was a bit of overtaking excitement as well. 

Open Masters B-G 4x- adjusted 11:25 (2/5) - 3 seconds on adjusted which is less than a second raw time as your competition is masters B - Go get 'em in legs 2 and 3. They were also division 1 with much less wind than division 4.

Women's Novice 4x- 14:01 (1/4) - Well Done. You coped with the wind very well, 2nd place is nearly a minute behind and raced in division 1. 

Women's Masters F 4x- 14:20 (2/3) - Your nemesis is within your sights ... 20 seconds to close out. 

Women's Master 2x- adjusted 15:02 (4/7) - First time racing for this double, well done, I can't wait to see your progress over training.

Mixed Masters 2x- adjusted 12:40 (3/7)

Leg 2: February.

Division 1 09:00. Wx: cold rain.

Women's Club B (Senior Moments) 8+ - 12.54, 12.59 - 2/10 - holding steady. Video.

Mixed Masters F 2x- Lorraine and Steve - 13.46, 13.30 - 2/8 - holding steady too.

Division 2 10:40. Wx: sleet.

Mixed Beginner (Newby Newbies) 8+ - 16.07, 14:15 - 2/3 but gaining quickly on first place. Great time today!

Mens Club B 8+ - 11.55, 11.19 - 4/9 and closing the gap on 3rd place - well done and go get Champs next race. Video.

Division 3 12:20. Wx: cold rain thinning.

Women's Masters E (Inglorious Masters) 8+ - 14.08, 13.40 - 2/4. Video (also the 4x-).

Women's Masters F (Superhoops) 4x- - 14.20, 13.39 - 3/6 and closing the gap on Champs in 2nd place - only 3 seconds off today go get them in winter league 3 - well done.

Division 4 14:00. Wx: cold but dry.

Women's Masters D (Quad-eratics) 4x- - 14:01, 13:48 - 1/4 maintaining first place - well done.

Mens Masters E 4x- - 12.13, 11.44 - 1/6 up to first - well done.

Leg 3: March

M ClubB VIII 10:18, 5/9.

W ClubB VIII 11:52 2/9, so close. Video.

W MasE-F VIII 12:46 2/5.

Mx Beg VIII 13:29 2/3.

M MasE 4x- 10:43 1/6 go us, pots.

W Nov 4x- 12:30 1/4, well done.

W MasF 4x- 12:35 3/6.

W Nov 2- 15:12.

W MasG 2x 15:53 4/8.

Mx MasF 2x 12:36 2/8 so close. Video.

Winter Head to Head 2026

At last, Chris Wood’s favourite race. Results and entries are currently here. But to list us:

Chesterton mixed masters double of Lorraine and Steve coming in at 17:27 adjusted time

Chesterton men's masters quad in an adjusted time of 15:08 only 2 seconds behind first - so close - get them next time. This one was either frustrating or fun, depending on your viewpoint. We gave Pem W2 quite a gap but nevertheless caught them at Grassy; Dave managed 95% of a successful overtake but Harry’s blade got caught just at the last; and we lost about 10 seconds. But nonetheless now hold the course record for MasE 4x.

Chesterton men's masters 8+ in an adjusted time of 15:08 (triple checked and yes it is the same time as the quad) and also second. A decent row, quite a bit better than it might have been :-).

Chesterton women's masters double in an adjusted time of 21:04

Chesterton women's masters quad battling it out with the juniors with an adjusted time of 17:34 another second.

Chesterton women's 8+ time of 17:14

Chesterton masters women's 8+ adjusted time of 18:47

Robs Autumn Head

It was the first race of the season for some of us, well, most of us men anyway. A charming day, some sun and no wind, although the arrangements for the start were a trifle eccentric. Results are here. We were:

  • “The Eels” - M Mas - 10:55.6 raw, 10:25.6 adjusted, 29th overall, 5/7 in category. A decent row, with Lysander (oddly started behind us) oddly but politely choosing the outside line around Grassy when they overtook, despite Dave’s best efforts to give them the inside line.

  • W8+ Club B - 11:20.4, 1/5 in category.

  • W8+ Mas D - 11:37.4 adjusted, 3/4 in category.

  • Mx4x- Mas F - 11:37.7 1/1 in category

  • W4x- Mas F - 12:53.6 1/1 in category

WGP refurb

Many years ago, in 2010, Chesterton (then Simoco) bought a shiny new Janousek eight for the men’s side, accomanied by comments such as “The gleaming boat on the trestles certainly looks fast, a big improvement on the plastic one” (more pix of that here). After years of service the shell was still in decent nick, but a little battered; so (after sitting for a while in the pre-queue, then the queue) it went off for a refurb, and has now come back shiny as new. Breaking all bounds of tradition and common sense, we’ve re-rigged it as strokeside, and let Ralph stroke it. Thanks to PaulS for organising the refurb.

British Rowing Masters Championships 2025

Our own Conor Burgess, and our ex-own Steven Andrews, competed in the British Rowing Masters Championships. You can read all about their success in Steven’s post (they also went on to win at Henley Masters).

Meanwhile, the ladies also went, with Rachel reporting on fb: “What a day! Well done the Masters women 50+ crew who raced at Nottingham in the British Masters. Conditions were "tricky" a great race and a 4/6 finish with barely a bow ball between 3rd and 4th. And well done the masters women 36+ for driving to Nottingham to cheer the above race and move a boat, and then drive home again after our race was cancelled because of the wind.”