NCBC ended week 5 with a bang.

Our lower boats, W3, M3 and M4 had Rowing On. This time trial along the Isis in Oxford serves as the 'qualification stage' for Torpids: the faster crews get placed in the starting order to chase down their foes for four days. All NCBC boats qualified with ease, and W3 substantially outpaced the boat in front of them (Somerville W3), portending bumps in our immediate future. This means that New is the joint largest boat club on the river (an honour shared with Wolfson), with a whopping 7 boats.

Not to be left out, our W1 and M1 headed down bright and early to Hammersmith Head. Running along the Tideway in west London, the 4.4km course includes around two-thirds of the Boat Race championship course. The men cruised to victory in their category, beating out 19 other boats (plenty of which were on their home waters) to win the race with a finish time of 11:32.1. W1 put down a very respectable performance of their own, beating a good number of boats by up to a minute and finishing in 13:33. A very good weekend for NCBC.

Given the fast stream on the Isis this week, it's fair to say that experience of the choppiness of an exposed tidal stretch might be critical in getting bumps this Torpids. (One day to go!)