On the last morning of May 2008 Molesey Marauders ventured down to South Wales in a Surf, to find the surf. Alarm bells were ringing when visibility was reduced to 100m in thick fog and Molesey’s Sweep, Ed Boyns was concerned his day trip from India was going to be at a loss. Never-the-less, to great excitement the fog cleared and the cans were laid out. (Def. cans – 6 buoys placed parallel to 6 start flags, of corresponding colours on the beach, which one turns around half way through the race).
Conditions: Surf - flat to 1ft
Visibility – foggy 500m
Temperature – 16C
Water – peanut smuggling/ “where’s it gone?!”
The racing format sees 3 heats of 6 boats with points awarded according to placing and the 6 highest points scorers after 3 rounds go into a final for the Golden Point. This ensures that the best crews always face each other at each carnival through the summer.
Molesey were represented by one mens crew, the Molesey Marauders of Chris Martin, Max Stallard, Charlie, Estevao Pape and sweep Ed Boyns. With two crew members having never rowed in the surf before the aim of this carnival was to gain experience.
To great surprise our boys came out guns blazing to finish second in their first heat, win their second and come fifth in their third heat. Experienced surf rowers, the Twickenham Exiles, were picking their jaws off the sand and when we came out tied on points after three heats. A fantastic result for the Marauders in their first carni particularly with a novice sweep.
A tactical error from Twickenham Exiles sweep, Richard Meadmore, when he disclosed his preference for alley one immediately prior to the ‘watch’ toss for alleys between Molesey Marauders and Twickenham Exiles allowed Molesey to rub salt in the wound by picking alley one!
In the final Porthtowan Blue Bali hit the front and never looked back stamping their authority on the start of the season but a very exciting race developed behind with the 5 remaining boats ending up on the same wave to the beach. Unfortunately the lack of experience of the Molesey sweep showed when the Marauders slewed off the wave and broached, coming last in the final, but not before rowing down Twickenham Exiles out to the can. Molesey certainly know how to pick the biggest fights!
Despite an anticlimactic end to the final the boys were pleased with their days work and look forward to the next round with great relish on Saunton Sands, 21st June.
Keep your ear to the ground for the next update.
(There is still room for a Women’s crew to compete this season if anyone is interested, get in touch with Ed if you want to feel the sand between your toes and your bathers up your bum!
