Cygnet Rowing Club

The Rhine Marathon Weekend, 7-9 September 2005

Before looking at the photos below why not have a blast from the past? Take a look at our previous Rhine adventures in 2004, 2002 and 2001.

These shots are of Friday, the first afternoon/evening. As is traditional we were met by our gracious hosts at the airport who (less graciously) insisted that we have several large KillerPisses before we could truly say we had arrived in Germany. Various trains were caught and beer, pasta and (surprisingly) Fanta were the order of the day before Dr. French tucked us all up in bed. Scroll down for more...

Terminal 1 Heathrow - discussing tactics...

Terminal A Dusseldorf - KillerPiss all round...

Poor Nick isn't quite sure what to make of it all...

Dr. Top Gun...

You've been like a father to me...

Friday sundowners...

Call that a wash...

Now THAT'S a wash...

Saturday morning and all the signs were good for a fast, competive race. The guys left RGB at 08:00 as usual and drove to Leverkusen, intoning the now-traditional Aspirin joke as they passed under the final bridge. They arrived at the start, poohed (nervously), phaphphed a bit and were off...

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear...

As the start time neared tension mounted...

David insisted on personally getting Mike's seat ready...

"I will tie a nice neat bow for you" he said...

They'll never notice it, quick before they get back...

Barrows via satellite, Bates in spirit...

Ringlet & Small Hole! (c) N.Pickford 2005...

The shots below are taken from the finish line, some 43k later. The coxed 4 did the course in 2 hours 17 minutes (interestingly that's an average of 18.83 kph), the mixed quad in 2:39 (a slightly less interesting 16.23 kph)...

The dream boys...

The dream boys take on a barge...

The mixed quad push for home...

It's a beautiful thing...

We've broken him...

The lone BB Lady holds her own (beer)...

Let the bullshit commence...

Once everyone has showered and had a couple of beers it's time to eat and enjoy the VERY long prize-giving ceremony (which is a lot more fun if your club has actually won something)...

Fermoy and Cygnet cement their new friendship...

Most people enjoyed a civilized picnic...

However Marj ate on the hoof...

Wyatt does a bit of tempting...

The fastest overseas crew (believe it or not)...

What an unfortunate moment to have a good root around in your nostrils...

The fastest overseas crew trophy - Nick (bow), David, Mike, Neil, Christian (cox) in 2 hours 17 minutes...

See you next year (but not if we see you first)...

Benrath, BBLRC and Cygnet in perfect harmony...

The Vaddle commences (but how far to the first pub)...

You may laugh now but it'll be all the rage next summer...

Saturday night started with beer and delicious pig, cabbage and dumplings at the RGB boathouse. For some it continued in town with Heavy Metal and White Bears. We were true ambassadors for our sport...

The chairman says hello...

Excuse me do you know where we are, and who I am...

We were all treated to a fascinating slideshow...

Pimms and filling British beer for our starving coxes...

Wiley schmoozes...

Whash you-a lookin' atch (hic.)...

Two very old men keep each other upright...

Sunday, normally rather subdued, took us to town for a few hours of quiet imbibing prior to our pre-flight Toblerone frenzy, and thence home. Once again a fantastic weekend and once again we were humbled by the welcome from all our friends at RGB. They're blue, they're white, they're Benrath dynamite...

Two iconic images from our marathon adventure...

A lot of people think that giraffes don't make any sounds, but this isn't true. Usually they're silent, but at times they do make some noise!