The Boat Club Report 1997-98

The official Boat Club annual report will be posted on this page in the near future. Until then, a collection of termly rowing reviews, as posted on this web site's news page, is provided.

• Michaelmas 1997
• Lent 1998
• May 1998

Michaelmas term

The Men's First VIII were continually disrupted by crew changes forced by illness and injury, and by a change of captain a few weeks into the term. Both the First IV and the Second IV were knocked out in tight first round contests in the University IVs. The First VIII then took 21st place in both the Cam Winter Head and the Fairbairns. The Second VIII scored 45th place in the Cam Winter Head, but improved significantly to finish 39th in the Fairbairns. Thanks to captain Dave Bulmer for a good job under difficult circumstances, and best wishes to Conrad Dirckx, finally calling it a day after six years of rowing in CCBC crews.

Women's seniors

It was a very encouraging term for Churchill's senior women rowers. The term began well with the First IV progressing to the semi-finals of the University IVs. Once back in VIIIs, the First VIII strung together a great series of top five results -- 4th College crew in the Cam Autumn Head, 3rd in the Cam Winter Head, and 5th in the Fairbairns. With insufficient personnel to form a second VIII, four members of last year's Second VIII formed what became known as the "Fun Four". These women will undoubtedly be back in competition next term's Lent Bumps. Well done to Danielle Kemp for a successful term as captain.

Men's novices

An unprecendented number of new recruits to the boat club meant that five men's novice crews were formed at the start of Michaelmas term. Men's Novice A were Churchill's star crew this term. They looked unstoppable in scoring a convincing win in the Cam Winter Head, were finallists in the Clare Novice Regatta, and finished second in the Fairbairns. Novice B started reasonably well with 22nd place in the Cam Winter Head, and improved significantly after a mid-term crew reshuffle. By the end of term, a third-round appearance in the Clare Novice Regatta and 14th in the Fairbairns placed them as one of the top B boats on the river. Novice B also provided the most comical moment of term, when the two-man crabbed out during an outing and was ejected into the cold and murky Cam. Novice C also improved well throughout the term, their best performance being an excellent 8th among non-A boats in the Fairbairns. Novice D won a round at the Clare Novice Regatta and finished a steady 50th place out of 67 boats in the Fairbairns. Both Novice C and Novice D suffered from large crew turnovers, but were rowing strongly by the end of term. Finally, a word for Churchill's greatest crew-that-never-was, Novice E. Plagued by boat problems, bicycle accidents and absent crew and coaches, E boat struggled along for much of the term, and just when they were starting to row well together, they had to be disbanded to fill some vacancies that appeared in Novice A and B due to illness and injury. Happily, most of the guys managed to get a race at some stage. Well done to Wes Hayes and Rob Thatcher for their work organising the crews, and to Ewan Main for his tireless and always entertaining coaching.

Women's novices

The women's boat club assembled two very strong novice crews, Pink Lady and Dr T. Pink Lady proved the faster of the two, finishing 4th in the Cam Winter Head and 3rd in the Fairbairns. Dr T grabbed 6th (fastest B boat) in the Cam Winter Head and 14th (2nd fastest B boat) in the Fairbairns. Both crews lost early to tough opponents in the Clare Novice Regatta. Thanks to Dimah Fakhouri for a great job organising the women's novices.

Small boats

CCBC's Robert Oeffner scored a convincing victory in the single sculls division at the Cambridge Small Boats Head.

Triallists

Martin Hoather and Alistair Jones trained all term with the CULRC squad. Martin is still in contention for a place in the crew to race Oxford at Henley in March.

Off the water

The Boat Club Cocktails and the Michaelmas Boat Club Dinner were enjoyable and successful social occasions.

Next term

Next term, the excitement of Bumps returns to the Cam. Both the Men's First VIII (7th) and the Women's First VIII (8th) are highly placed, and will need to work hard to succeed among such tough competition. This term's novice rowers will join the senior crews next term, and this blend of enthusiastic novices and more experienced senior rowers should ensure an enjoyable and successful term. Encouragingly, the vast majority of this term's novice rowers plan to continue next term, so Churchill should field a large number of quality crews.

Lent term

Men's First Boat had a successful and enjoyable term. Alistair Jones returned from CULRC trials to stroke, and four Michaelmas VIII rowers were joined by three promising '97 novices and a good new cox. The crew's first competition was at the Head of the Nene in Peterborough, where they scored an excellent 12th place finish overall, second among Cambridge College crews. In the Pembroke Regatta, an understrength line-up beat Girton but lost to LMBC. And just before Bumps, the crew posted a strong second place finish in the Cam Winter League's second leg.

So on to Bumps, with Men's First Boat starting from an all-time high of 7th place... Chasing Christ's on the first day, the crew closed to within three feet at Grassy Corner, but then struggled to complete the bump. It took until Ditton Corner to close the remaining distance, by which time Jesus behind (or should I say beside) had overlap! Day 2 brought a row over after crews ahead and behind had bumped out, but day 3 was a highlight with an authoritative bump on Trinity Hall in front of the Churchill fans at Grassy Corner. The fourth day saw a titanic tussle over the full course between Downing, Caius and Churchill. The gaps waxed and waned, but Churchill had closed to within half a length of Caius at the finish. Caius had trailed Downing by just a canvas at Grassy Corner, but were unable to complete the bump.

The First VIII completed the term with a 114th place finish (5th Cambridge College) at the Head of the River Race. The top 5 Cambridge College crews were covered by just 12.5 seconds.

Churchill's current 5th place in Bumps is a new record high for the club's men's crews, and augurs well for a successful May term.

The Men's Second VIII was also very successful. The crew was well balanced with four experienced rowers and four enthusiastic '97 novices. The trip to Peterborough was encouraging, and three victories in the Pembroke Regatta, two against crews higher in Bumps, marked Second Boat as a crew to watch.

Starting 2nd in the third division in Bumps, Second Boat enjoyed a great first day, with straightforward bumps on Peterhouse II and Fitz II elevating the crew to the second division. The second day was always going to be tough, with the slow Clare II crew two places ahead. Sure enough, LMBC III hit Clare early and hard, leaving Churchill with no one to chase. Second Boat gained their revenge on Clare II in First Post Reach on day 3, and completed their campaign with an excellent bump on Jesus II at Grassy Corner.

Second boat rounded off the term with a creditable 277th place finish in the Head of the River Race.

Rising four places in Bumps was a great achievement, but it was the crew spirit and competitive attitude that were the highlights of the term as much as the successes on the water. With the novice rowers having developed well, and several experienced guys also looking sharp, the crew is well placed to continue the ascent of the second division begun by last May's successful Second Boat.

The Men's Third VIII line-up featured three rowers from the Michaelmas Second VIII and five '97 novices. The crew competed in one warm-up race, the Pembroke Regatta, where they lost a close first-round battle.

Starting 6th in fourth division, Third Boat's Bumps campaign got off to a less-than-ideal start when they were overbumped by Christ's III. Day 2 brought a reversal of fortune, with a rapid bump on St Edmund's. The third day brought more variety with a row over after crews ahead bumped out, while a tight battle on the Saturday ended with contact from behind from Caius III, despite Churchill closing to within half a length of Tit Hall III.

It was an up and down term for Third Boat, but with the return of several experienced oarsmen to the rowing scene next term, and the continued improvement of the novice rowers, the crew looks set to be significantly more competitive in Mays.

The Gentlemen's (Fourth) VIII, once described memorably by their veteran stroke man as "comprehensive school commoners from the North - no gentlemen here!", was a motley crew composed mainly of enthusiastic ex-novices. The crew stuck admirably to a training regime of three outings and one land training session per week, and progressed very well over the term.

Forced to compete in the Getting-On Race, they finished 11th out of 30 crews, just one place outside the result needed to get on. However, Homerton I withdrew on the eve of Bumps, leaving an extra place which Churchill IV filled. The news of Homerton's demise prompted scenes of raucous jubilation among the gentlemen, and they duly lined up at the back of fourth division on the Tuesday. The crew settled into Bumps with a row over on day 1 after crews ahead bumped out, and chased Darwin II in vain on the second day. However, the third day saw a good performance to wear the Darwin crew down and claim a well-deserved bump. Fourth Boat's bumps adventure wrapped up with a row over despite closing to within half a length on Clare IV.

Women's crews

Women's First Boat was in for a tough term from the moment the experienced rowers decided en masse that they did not want to row in Lent term. The crew line-up therefore featured six talented '97 novices and two more senior rowers. Understandably, it took the women a while to get up to the speed of other top College crews, but their enthusiastic attitudes and responsiveness to coaching meant progress was rapid. The crew posted respectable results in the Head to Head and the Head of the Nene, and were unlucky to be delayed by an equipment problem in the Pembroke Regatta.

Starting 8th in Bumps, the crew were hit by Christ's on the first day, but produced an excellent row over on day 2, resisting challenges from behind from New Hall and later Caius. Newnham and 1st & 3rd made short work of First Boat on days 3 and 4, so the crew finished Bumps in 11th place.

Women's First Boat also competed in the Women's Head of the River Race, earning a good placing of 152nd overall and 14th in the Novices division.

Although it has been a difficult term, the novice rowers have improved tremendously thanks to their positive attitudes, and they should be competitive in May term.

For the early weeks of term, the First VIII was the only women's crew, but four experienced rowers, including two CUWBC Development Squad members, eventually decided to row with four '97 novices to form a Women's Second VIII. The crew did not race until Bumps, although the four novices competed in the 4+ division of the Pembroke Regatta.

Bumps proved successful, with well-earned bumps on Fitz II, Magdalene II and Downing II on the first three days. The crew missed out on blades on the 4th day, however, when 1st & 3rd II ahead bumped Selwyn II, and Churchill, close behind, proceeded to plough into 1st & 3rd.

As for next term, Women's Second Boat should be even stronger than last May's excellent crew, provided that Churchill's experienced women rowers come out of winter hibernation for some summer rowing.

Varsity crews

Churchill's Martin Hoather rowed in the CULRC crew that beat Oxford in the Henley Boat Races on 22 March.

Martin learned to row from scratch on the Cam, starting in Churchill's successful "Novice A" boat in 1994. He has rowed in the Churchill First VIII in Lent '95, Lent '96, May '96 and May '97. He made the CULRC crew for the first time in 1997, and is the first Churchill rower to achieve Lightweight blues twice in succession. Well done!

Small boats

Churchill sculler Robert Oeffner finished second in the Cam Winter League, and reached the semi-finals of the Fairbairn Junior Sculls.

May term

Men's First Boat had another enjoyable term. There was just one change from the Lent crew, with Ewan Main coming up from Second Boat to fill the vacancy left by the departing Jake Begun. The crew's first competition was in Nottingham, where they finished in an excellent second place in the S3 final, just 2" behind Downing. In the City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta, though, they were knocked out in the first round.

First Boat started 10th, between LMBC and Pembroke, in May Bumps. The opening days were very difficult. The crew went down to Pembroke I at the Plough on the first day, and succumbed to Emmanuel I in the Reach after a long battle on the second day. However, the crew recovered well to row over on the third day, and put in a courageous performance to elude Fitzwilliam and bump Robinson on the final day. With the whole crew staying on next year, the stage is set for a successful 1998-99 season.

The Men's Second VIII was Churchill's most successful crew. Like First Boat, Second Boat's line-up was largely intact from Lent Term. Second Boat beat Caius II en route to second place in Nottingham, and then beat Pembroke II, Fitzwilliam II and 1st & 3rd II to win their division in the City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta. A week later, they beat 1st & 3rd II and Queens' II to win the 99's Regatta, and could rightfully claim to be one of the very best second boats on the Cam.

Starting 15th in the May Bumps second division, Second Boat completed three rapid bumps on Clare II, Pembroke II and Jesus II on the first three days. Each time, the crew bumped before the gunshed! On the final day, Corpus Christi I provided a little more resistance, but Second Boat completed the bump in First Post Reach to justifiably earn their blades and round off an outstanding term.

The return of several experienced rowers meant that the Men's Third VIII was a much stronger crew than in Lent term. They competed in just one warm-up race before Bumps, losing in the first round of the City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta.

Bumps started on an unfortunate note with an overbump at the hands of a St Edmund's crew stacked with Blues rowers. However, the crew came back to bump Pembroke III early and hard on the second day, and then completed an excellent bump on Clare III at the Railings on the third day. On the final day, Hughes Hall ahead bumped out, and Third Boat rowed over ahead of Clare. Third boat improved greatly throughout the term, and several crew members will challenge for seats in Second Boat next term.

Men's Fourth Boat was comprised of four undergraduates and four postgraduates, with several seasoned campaigners and other less experienced rowers. The crew was delayed by a crash ahead on the first day of May Bumps and was overbumped by 1st & 3rd Trinity V. They showed improved form on the second day despite going down to Fitzwilliam III, and were able to row over on the third day. On the final day, being chased by the Darwin II crew on course for blades, the crew put in an excellent performance to bump Trinity Hall IV in First Post Reach.

Men's Fifth Boat was a gentlemen's VIII made up largely of novice rowers. They failed to qualify for May Bumps, but they certainly enjoyed their training sessions on the river on sunny Saturday afternoons!

Women's crews

Women's First Boat benefitted from the return of most of Churchill's experienced rowers for May Term. The crew reached the S3 final in Nottingham, and beat Selwyn I and Emmanuel II to win the City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta.

However, starting way up in sixth in the first division, it was a tough May Bumps for Women's First Boat. They were bumped by LMBC, Newnham, Caius and Queens', and were awarded spoons.

Women's Second Boat, by contrast, had a wonderful term. They were knocked out at Nottingham, but beat 1st & 3rd II to win their division of the City of Cambridge Sprint Regatta.

Starting ninth in the May Bumps third division, Second Boat completed an excellent bump on St Catharine's II past the Railway Bridge on the opening day. They then hit Magdalene II on the second day, and overcame Wolfson I just short of the finish line for a courageous overbump on the third day. On the final day, the crew had closed on Jesus III when they were forced into the bank by an accident ahead. However, they restarted, kept their cool and reeled Jesus in for a superb bump at Ditton Corner to earn their blades.

Women's Third Boat was forced to compete in the Getting-On Race for May Bumps. Although they rowed well, bad luck and several incidents cost them valuable time, and they failed to qualify.

Varsity crews

Churchill's Martin Hoather continued to row in the CULRC crew that will compete at the Henley Royal Regatta and the National Rowing Championships over the summer.

Small boats

Racing in VIIIs dominated May Term, although the men's coxless pair of Soren Mogelsvang and Cory Sutela competed in the Free Press Head.