St Catharine's College Boat Club

In the Cambridge rowing calendar, Queens' ergs is a bit of a one off - being the only event where technique is largely irrelevant and it's all about smashing up and down on an erg for 500m. Catz had a strong showing this year, entering 4 novices crews: 2 men's and 2 women's

Despite competition from some crews who looked much more like they'd be at home on the rugby pitch than in a boat, the SCCBC men's crews put out a strong performance. The second eight averaged a very respectable 01:39.4 - a time that would not have been out of place amongst the first crews. In fact, the only two crews to beat them in their heat were first crews. The men's first crew also did Catz proud, qualifying for the final where they came 10th with an average of 1:35.0.  Comparing their technique to the other finalists, it was clear that they just weren't rushing the slide nearly enough - something that gives us confidence that they will be able to transfer their speed to the water very effectively.

As always the Catz women's crews were not to be outdone by the men. W2 came fifth in their heat, with an average split of 2:05.3. The first eight had a lot to live up to, defending their title from last year. Their erg training clearly paid off however, and they qualified for the final at the top of their heat. In the final they pushed a strong Churchill crew all the way, but were pipped to the finish line in the last few seconds, and finished with an average of 1:52.2. Nevertheless, being the second fastest crew is something to be very proud of.

As we come into the last weeks of term, racing on the river really hots up, and we're confident that the fitness obtained from the ergs in combination with technique on the water will result in strong performances in the coming races.