We got onto the water early for our first race to go through the starts that were going to make our day. After much backwards-ing and forward-ing on the line we started our first race with Ben on the back in his first race ever! It was a cracking start and the timing locked in perfectly, we were third over the line with a 53.58; less that half a second off Secklow 100.

Our first rep came up very quickly so we were on the water without a break, this time with Suzie on the back. We knew to be seeded well we had to give it all and so our start was flying and Suzie almost came off the back, we accelerated so fast! This effort meant we were the third fastest runner-up in the reps which put us into tail race 1 against Notts Anaconda, Cool Runnings and Kingston Pretenders.

So with Ian helming and knowing that this would be our last 200m race we set off like we meant to finish, strong and in time. At the finish line there was just over a second between first and third with each team pushing each other not wanting to let the other get ahead. Notts Anaconda just took first place with 53.46s, then our Exe-Calibre crew with 53.56s, then Cool Runnings with 53.68s and Kingston Pretenders with 55.84s. This placed us 14th overall in the 200m races and 14 points into our Standard league 'bank'.

We had two virgin race paddlers; Jenny and Curtis; who found that their first races were 'over just a bit too quickly' but are both now hooked to the adrenalin rush of close and consistent racing. Also, special thanks to our helms Ben, Suzie and Ian for keeping us going in a straight line. They have gained experience towards their racing qualifications and experienced the thrill of close competition.

The 500m races started a little slowly for us when our start did not have the snappiness to it that we had in the morning, however the transition to a 500m rate was excellent and we powered on to a time of 2:15.86, just a second off our best time last year. Finally we had a decent rest break of a whole hour so we sat back and enjoyed the racing, there is nothing like watching a team going at full pelt while still being in perfect timing, each paddler totally synchronised with the next.

We went into our reps knowing that we had a faster time than every other crew in our race and that we could give more in our start. Our start was excellent with a build like nothing seen before and Henley on our left matching us stroke for stroke. Every call that Chrissie gave spurred us on, we even discovered a new call for a 'Smile' helped us relax and go bigger! The result was decided with a photo finish with Henley getting 2:14.09 and us 2:14.29, so close!

This amazing effort got us into the cup competition and Semi 3, and with another great time we fought our way into the Cup Tail race. Once again we were up against Henley, and two other Premier crews Typhoon Tigers and Secklow 100.

With nothing to save we went forward without hesitation, war cries, deep blades, long strokes and with a belief in ourselves as a crew. The racing was fast and furious but the crew focussed on our game plan - surging off the start and locking in to huge, long, relaxed strokes. This Exe-Calibre crew recorded our fastest ever time over 500m - taking us under 2 min 14 secs and beating both Henley and Secklow 100. Typhoon Tigers took first place, with us making them work for it every stroke down the course. An absolutely well-deserved 16 points for our Standard League quest!

The last event of the day was the women's race where our Exe-Calibre ladies joined forces with Notts Anaconda to be the 'Execali-conders'. This combined team fought their way to a very respectable third, with a time very close to the Amazons in first place and just behind the second placed Kingston Ladies.

What a way to end the day in glorious sunny London (where no planes were flying). A fantastic start to Exe-Calibre's season - and this is just the beginning!