This is my first column so feel free to read and comment, I’ll welcome any constructive criticism via private message on ‘coxie.com’. This is for all those novices out there who are preparing for their first season of regattas.

The idea came to me as I lined up with the stake boat at Strathclyde Park recently in horrendous crosswinds and heavy rain (it was meant to be a training camp!). I’d missed the pontoon on my first attempt and it then took me a further four attempts to get attached. It didn’t help having a number of people shouting differing instructions at me and my crew adding to the confusion of the whole farce. I consider myself to be a pretty experienced coxswain, I’ve raced at all of the major regatta’s in the British calendar, from BUSA to Nat Champs and have steered everything from a women’s novice stern-loading coxed four with no cox-box in shocking weather at Dorney lake to racing in men’s eights in the Thames Cup at Henley Royal during a ‘career’ that has spanned for 6 years with coaching from top British coaches and Olympic/world champion oarsmen/women and at a number of different clubs and at university. However, on this particular occasion I found myself in hot water and struggling to control an eight on a stake boat. Thank goodness it was only a practise and it was my coach shouting orders rather than an irate marshal or umpire. Everyone makes mistakes, its how you learn from them that distinguishes you from others.

So here I am to offer my, hopefully comprehensive, advice to anyone who is apprehensive about their first regatta. I’ll try to write in an order which would follow the order of events from loading the boats to unloading. There are some ideas in here that may seem over the top but this is how I see the responsibility of the coxswain on a race day. I appreciate too that some of these responsibilities my fall on the shoulders of the chief cox (or such like) if the position exists in your club, but take from it what you will.

READ MORE