The Boat Club Report 1990-91

This has proved more than usual to be an up and down year in the boat club.

With three of last year's May VIII and five from the Henley crew, as well as most of our blades-winning second crew, we had plenty of experience to work with. Our hopes were raised early on when the First IV reached the semi-finals of the coxed University Fours. There we were beaten by Trinity Hall, the eventual winners of the event, in their hardest race. We awarded ourselves a moral second place! At Tideway, however, disaster struck when the rudder and fin of the First IV remained in the mud as we pushed off. Restarting 499th in a borrowed "barge" we must have been one of the highest risers, finishing 212th. The second crew carried the flag to a slightly more successful 196th position. But two good Fours don't always make a good Eight, and the Senior Fairbairns produced a modest 10th place. By this time our traditional hordes of novices were glad to see the end of those cold and damp early morning sessions, and set to work rowing in daylight for a change.

The First VIII were big and fast, and achieved a creditable 4th place in the Fairbairns, with a brilliant 6th place from a smaller but more stylish 2nd crew. A friendly rivalry between these crews was a great asset to their morale. The First VIII looked set to do great things in the Clare Regatta, but they lost in the second round. Second VIII, losing the first round to the winners of the Fairbairns, won the plate event. The novice ladies looked set to provide some useful, if rather small talent. The Lent Term produced less than ideal rowing conditions with two weeks of ice. In the bumps First VIII succumbed to Selwyn (Agghh!!) on the first night before regaining the highest ever position with a bump on the Saturday. Everyone was relieved when 2nd boat managed a row-over on the last night after three less fortunate days - Ken Macrae's first bump down in many dedicated years of coaching. Third VIII dropped one place, and Ladies II achieved spoons in what is rapidly becoming a traditional manner. The antics of 4th boat livened up a less than successful term when after two bumps they managed overlap on the last night, wound down before the acknowledgement, set off again, closing fast, until they collided with a boat on the bank, and were eventually bumped. First and Second boats went to Kingston and the Head of the River, and though disappointed to come in over 100 (120), we were pleased to be the third Cambridge crew. This term also saw the first ever Free Press/Churchill Camarathon; a 31 mile row from Denver to Cambridge - the hardest in the country by our reckoning, just shorter that the Boston Marathon, but upstream, and, unfortunately, upwind - and how! Anything from 4 to 6 hours later, and many sore backsides, the crews arrived in Cambridge. Everybody was extremely impressed by the gallant efforts of our Ladies' crew, who completed the row despite being told that they would be mad to try.

Elaine Anderson was our only trialist this year, and was very unfortunate not to race, being spare pair much of the term. We wish her better luck next year.

Another first for College rowing was the top two mens' crews heading up to York to start the Easter term with a very successful long weekend training camp. We are all indebted to John Ward, Anne Hodgson and Susie Burton for such a fun and useful time. For the last outing we organised a race with LMBC, who had been most upset to find us in York. Second boat promptly defied the selectors by beating both first boat and Maggie! The Ladies also went on a training camp, to Twickenham, where they were reluctantly introduced to the delights of pairing.

The major drama of the year took place three days before the Cam Head, when Sir Winston Churchill, the First VIII, was deliberately rammed. The unpleasant business of statements, police interviews and criminal damage reports followed and the boat was put out of action for three weeks.

Racing in the 3rd VIII the First crew did well to come 7th in the Cam Head, and went on to win the Cam Sprints S3 two weeks later. We also had success in the Cam Regatta, with wins for both the women's and men's novice fours. An experienced Second VIII were showing considerable promise, and were unlucky to meet the eventual winners in the first round. Stern pair of the First VIII, Sam Short and Paul Swainston also won the Magdalene Silver Pairs. Success was following hot on the heels of success. Could it last?

The Mays arrived, but the weather didn't - the wind and rain were worse than the Lents. The First VIII didn't fare much better on the first night, going down to Catz after a dreadful row. The score was settled, however, the following day with an unusual rebump. A row over on day three set the scene for a revenge bump on Selwyn, taking us to our highest ever position on the river, and foiling Fitz's chances of blades. The Ladies were knocked off the Headship by a Maggie crew that would have looked large next to a Czeckoslovakian shot- putter, but did well to slip only two places amid widespread speculation that they would drop much further. Similar predictions faced the second Ladies crew, who also did well to be bumped only twice, given their diminutive size. Second VIII consolidated their hold on the second division, moving up one, Third VIII rose two places and both Fourth and Fifth boats went up three. Fifth boat were desperately unlucky not to get blades as they missed the overbump by half a length on the last day, with the five man rowing at backstops, his seat in pieces in the bottom of the boat.

The Ladies raced at Women's Henley, but with little success, while the men were faring worse at Marlow, and never raced due to the loss of a rigger! The following weekend both a light four and the complete First VIII failed to qualify for the Wyfold Cup and the Henley Prize respectively, the latter frustratingly by only two places. We took delivery of a new restricted Eight just after the bumps. This is aimed to improve the standard of novice and lower boat equipment, with, we hope, later benefit to the senior crews. We have been the first college to recognise that we cannot indefinitely hand down First VIII racing shells, and there is currently a major restructuring of Cambridge rowing under way, this being one of the key problems.

Next year (1992) we hope to hold a large reunion of past and present Churchill oarsmen and oarswomen in conjunction with the Mays Dinner. This had been planned to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Club but due to the lack of basic arithmetical skills by some of those concerned it seems that that occasion passed in 1991! Let that not daunt us - it's time for another get together! If interested, please contact Andy White at College.

Finally, thank you to Jim Cameron and Chris Lloyd, our boatmen, and to Dr Tristram, the Senior Treasurer, and to all those coaches who have dedicated so much time and effort to College rowing.