University of Cambridge Sport

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Cambridge University Boat Club
www.cubc.org.uk
President: Tom Edwards, Gonville & Caius
Secretary: Sam Farmer, Homerton
Since our inception 178 years ago, the Cambridge University Boat Club has endeavoured to reflect and promote the Corinthian
ideals and competitive spirit of our great University. In this respect, not much has changed after 152 Boat Races; eight oarsmen
and their coxswain train all winter, through the dark, cold mornings and through the windswept, barren evenings at Ely, in
preparation for one chance to bring glory to their University. Now, as ever, those nine men do it for the love of the sport.
It was the strength of this passion that helped steer our Club through a year of considerable change and development. With
last year’s departure of Robin Williams and Mark Fagan-Hall, we set in place a fresh coaching line up consisting of new head
coach, Duncan Holland, new Goldie coach, Rob Baker and our new assistant coach Grant Craies. All three have been very
involved not only in producing fast crews for the Boat Race, but in strengthening and uniting the Cambridge rowing
community.
The single most important objective of the CUBC is to win the Boat Race; a yearly short-term objective that requires long-term
planning and investment. To promote the progression of talented young oarsmen, and to improve their chances of trialling for
the CUBC and earning their Blue, the development squad system was expanded this year to provide a greater opportunity for
our college oarsmen to train and race at a high level. The development squad raced at the VIIIs’ Head of the River, and also
competed at Henley Royal Regatta. Giving our best college oarsmen the opportunity to mix with the more experienced Blues
and Goldies, whilst not infringing on their own college boat club commitments, provides an excellent starting point from which
to launch their own campaigns to win a seat in the Blue Boat next year.
In addition to developing our own talent, we have attempted to provide more support for the women’s and lightweight men’s
Clubs. We opened up our land training facilities at the Goldie Boathouse for use by the CUWBC and the CULBC, with whom
we share a common ultimate objective: defeating the other side.
Rowing in Cambridge is in a strong position, but the continued and coordinated efforts from all the boat clubs along the Cam
will be required to guarantee a healthy future for our sport in Cambridge.
Blues Awarded 2005 – 06
Pete Rudge, Hughes Hall,
Kip McDaniel, St Edmund’s
Tom James, Trinity Hall
Kieran West, Pembroke
Sebastian Schulte, Gonville and Caius
Thorsten Engelman, St Edmund’s
Sebastian Thormann, Peterhouse
Tom Edwards, Gonville and Caius
Luke Walton, St Edmund’s
The Varsity Boat Race 2006
2 April 2006 The Tideway, London
The Cambridge University Boat Club suffered a devastating loss on the Tideway in this year’s Boat Race. After making significant
improvements throughout the weeks leading up to the Race, the Blue Boat was feeling prepared and ready to take on the old
enemy. Conditions during the warm-up were terrible, with rough water caused by wind against tide, which disrupted both
crews’ final preparations. Oxford jumped us off the start and pulled out to three quarters of a length by the black buoy. Down
the Crabtree stretch towards Hammersmith Bridge we settled into a great rhythm and pulled back level, and then started to
move in front. I could hear Oxford’s coxswain calling for efforts while we moved back on them with some of the best rowing
we’d done all season. Suddenly everything changed up river of Hammersmith Bridge. Both crews were hit by a squall of
extremely rough water on the exposed Surrey bend. We handled it poorly and took on water in the stern which filled around
Pete and up over Kip’s feet. On the inside of the bend Oxford moved ahead and rowed away to cross the line ahead.
The Goldie boys dominated from start to finish in the Goldie/Isis Race, and never looked threatened by their opponent. The
Glod, led by Vice-President and five man, Kyle Coveny, saved the day for the CUBC and produced the stand out performance of
the season. Next year’s Boat Race on The Tideway is on Saturday 7 April 2007.