A little bit of club history - 1966

John Batch, a member of the Henley-winning Four of 1965-66, has kindly provided photos, race reports, results and memories of his time at the club.

The crew was formed in February and began training 3 or 4 nights a week. In May this was increased to 6 outings a week. During the regatta season they lost only 2 of their 28 races and both of these were to Molesey BC whom they beat at Reading, who went on to row for Great Britain. The following is a list of their successes:

9 May - Norwich Head of the River Race (Record Time)

16 May - Cambridge Head of the River Race

30 May - Deuchar Cup for Championship of East Anglia

6 June - Nottingham Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

13 June - Reading Regatta, Senior Coxed Four (record time)

17 june - Whitlingham Week Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

20 june - Marlow Regatta, Senior Coxed Four (record time)

11 July - Cambridge Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

18 July - Norwich Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

18 July - Norwich Regatta, Senior Coxless Four

18 July - Norwich Regatta, Open Eight (together with Yare BC Four)

25 July - Bedford Regatta, Senior Coxed Four (record time)

1 August - St. Neots Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

1 August - St. Neots Regatta, Senior Coxless Four (record time)

4 August - Sudbury Regatta, Senior Coxed Four

6-8 August - Serpentine Regatta, Senior Coxed Four and Stewards Class Coxless Four

For the club they won the following trophies: 12 challenge trophies, 4 penants

Triumph at Henley

Hugh Scurfield takes us along with the crew

1966 has been a quite unforgettable experience for us all in the crew. for several years we have been getting closer to the top but always the big prize at Henley had eluded us. This year everything went our way and to such an extent that it seemed like a very happy dream.

Over the last 6 years when we have been taking a crew to Henley the crew has been gradually developing, gaining experience and strength each year. This year John Richards arrived from New Zealand at just the right moment, he was the 1965 pair-oar champion out there.

Training began in March: out of the boat it may have appeared casual and lighthearted but in the boat training was very hard even though not long in duration. Progress was startlingly rapid once we began to get really fit. We had all had quite a lay off and there was a lot of work to do.

Six weeks before Henley we had our first race, at Nottingham, and were beaten by what turned out to be the best IV in the country - we were not to know this at the time. The following week was one of the most difficult in training; for the first and only time we were doubting our own abilities and wondering we were rowing and training the right way. A week later we won at Cambridge and defeated, amongst others, half the Cambridge Boat Race crew.

This made us feel better.

Clearly we were moving fairly fast and training now had to be more careful - only 4 and a half weeks more including 2 big regattas at Reading and Marlow. We had to decide whether to train really hard and risk the possibility of being a bit tired for the 2 regattas but aim to come nicely to the boil for Henley, the big regatta? Or could we begin to take things a little gently, on the assumption that we were fit, so that we should be on top of ourselves for the 2 early regattas, thereby hoping to win and gain in morale? It was the latter course we took and fortunately it paid off.

We had 4 races at Reading and 5 at Marlow and they all followed the same, to us, unexpected pattern: in the second or third minute we rowed right away from the opposition and always by halfway we had 2 lengths lead.

In the space of 3 weeks the position had changed very radically. At the beginning we were wondering if we were getting anywhere and at the end we found ourselves favourites to win at Henley Regatta. As has often been said before, the favourite's lot is not the happiest one. you are expected to win yet everyone else is after your blood. You begin to approach racing worried lest you lose vecause you would look stupid after having done so well before.

You imagine all the many things which could go wrong: steering into the booms on either side of the course; being disqualified for obstructing the opposition; one of the crew having some accident or going a bit sick; the boat or oars getting damaged. So the tension builds up but at last we put our boat in the water and rowed to the start of the first race but, of course, we allowed too much time and there was more waiting and more time for building up tension. When eventually we were off we were so taut with nerves that we really did not row our best. But, fortunately, in neither of the first 2 races were we pressed very hard. We again got an early lead then sat about 2 lengths up and watched the other crew.

On friday we rowed the quarter-final and something was not quite right in the crew, one side was stronger than the other which was most unusual. we won the race but went to bed that night with nagging doubts as to what had been wrong. We thought we had diagnosed the trouble but if not then what was going to happen? Was someone unwell or getting tired? Was the next day to be our great day or....?

Sleep did not come easily that night. We had tried so hard for one thing; it was within our grasp if only we rowed true to form. Then we would be Henley winners; but no, that seemed unbelievable. We hadn't trained so long as most crews, we had no coach. How could we, a tiny club, carry off this prize? Sleep came in the end but then we woke early so again lying and waiting.

At last it was time to go to the regatta to race the semi-final. Henley was at its best: the weather glorious, the ground dry, the men in all their strange old blazers, caps and flannels - such as they had worn at college 40 years before; and the women all dressed in their best - one even in a transparent dress! There also were our wives, sweethearts, relations and friends wishing us luck. Were we going to let them down all over again, such as had happened for 6 years?

The other semi-final was the race immediately before ours and we were able to watch the first half; indeed we got so engrossed that we forgot our own nerves for a time. this must have helped and enabled us to go off at our best. We had a lovely row and romped away from the opposition at the same time conserving energy for the final in the evening. We went quite straight so our troubles of the quarter-final were over. In the final we were to meet Kingston whom we had met and defeated twice before. Both times had been over a much shorter course. Were we fit enough to hold them over the long course and had they improved? We couldn't lie down for long that afternoon. We watched Wimbledon on TV. Billie-Jean had won at her 6th attempt; it was John Batch's 6th attempt at Henley so that seemed a good omen. Eventually the time came for the last race fo the regatta - our final.

We made a complete mess of the first 2 strokes and seemed to be splashing about a lot. Then we settled but they seemed to be going at just the same speed. Half a minute gone and we were still level but suddenly they seemed to be moving back. Gradually we forged ahead but not more than 1 and a half lengths and racing hard. It seemed at half way that we only had to row well to win at long last but there was still a long way to go. Let's do a spurt to get away from them - it might also put them off. the rating went up and the power came on but was it making any impression? Were we just killing ouselves? Take another look and, yes, we had gained nearly a length in those 15 strokes and almost opposite their supporters. Now surely we must win if we can kep our heads but still they seemed to keep coming. this is hard work but it is glorious, the enclosures are coming, there is clapping and we are nearly there, that Henley medal at last. Shall we spurt home to look good? No we can win without and we were all tired - besides we might make a mistake.

Over the line and we had won.