Torpids 2010 will be from Wed-Sat, 3rd-6th March. Racing each day starts at noon with divisions every half hour until 5.00pm.

The women are starting Head of the River, being chased on the first day by Christ Church, and the men 4th are on the river, with Magdalen ahead and Oriel behind. Rachel Loveridge continues to coach our 1st boats but both will do well to hold their positions; the women, especially, have had a large turnover since last year.

Finally out on the water, the Men's 2nd VIII on the Isis yesterday. Only 24 more training-days to Torpids ...

The Catz Women's VIII racing in today's IWL.

Torpids 2010: Wednesday Start times
Crew	Div	Bungline	Time
Men's 1st Torpid	I	4	5.00pm
Women's 1st Torpid	I	1	4.30pm
Men's 2nd Torpid	V	11	1.00pm
*Women's 2nd Torpid	V	5	12.30pm
*Men's 3rd Torpid	VI	3	12.00pm
*Subject to qualifying in Rowing On

I recall arriving at college for the first time for Michaelmas Term 1978. Before I'd had time to register and collect a key for my room I'd been pulled aside 'You're the one who rowed at school aren't you?'. My questioners turned out to be the then Captain of Boats, Rob Hughes and the previous Captain of Boats, Jon Wilmshurst. This set the scene for me for 1978-9; rowing with some experienced 3rd and 4th years in a IV for Christ Church Regatta and then in the 1st VIII for Torpids and Eights.

So it was with some shock that, as the newly appointed Captain for 1979-80, I realised that not only had many of the most experienced oarsmen and women left, but also the slowly dawning realisation of the huge effort that had to go into organising some 8 to 10 crews. With the assistance of a great team consisting of Anne, Women's Captain, and enthusiasts like Anu (then still an undergraduate), Tony Mitchell, Steve Wald and others, the bar (run by Paul Spedding, bar manager and 1st VIII cox - a useful combination of skills!) became a nightly venue for organising crews, coxes and boats.

I recall 1980's Torpids and Eights as a time of great interest in the Boat Club with so many crews actively rowing. We boated from OUBC - the old, pre-fire, boathouse - and had a constant battle to keep the modest number of wooden boats and blades serviceable given the normal mishaps of rowing on the crowded river. The University College boatman of the time, Norman Dix, who helped Catz on a fairly informal basis, was probably not as well appreciated by passing undergraduates as his unstinting efforts on our behalf deserved.

A scene from the 1980 Boat Club Dinner. I have a queasy suspicion that a challenge involving beer and sit-ups is in progress. Gallantry prevents me from identifying the ladies concerned, but the gentlemen aiding and abetting are Kevin Skinner and Ed Parker-Jervis. My gratitude to Nick Taylor for supplying the photo, although possibly those featured may feel differently.

The 1980 Women's 1st Torpid. From bow: Aileen Edwards, Lynn Abercrombie, Julia Hood, Sarah Forster, Cathy Panter-Brick, Christine Baker, Karen Troy, Sally Holden, with cox Jim Skinner. Photo from Jim Skinner.

The view early in Michaelmas Term 1979 was that Boat Club, JCR and College funds could be made to stretch, just, to a new boat. Women's rowing was gaining in popularity and we took the decision to go for a new shell, custom built for the women, a decision which we later realised was surprisingly radical as seemingly no one had thought to build a boat customised for women and had simply used schoolboys' designs. After much research and several visits to see boatbuilders we decided to play safe and use the local builders, Salter Bros. No sooner was the boat delivered in Hilary 1980 than OUWBC, under the forthright leadership of Leo (Eleanor) Sharpston, decided they'd like to borrow it for Osiris. We ended up, one or two JCR meeting debates later, trading the boat loan for some much needed experienced coaching from Leo.

Torpids and Eights weeks saw great enthusiasm, with Chemists, Engineers and Rugby VIIIs helping make up a total of 8 crews taking to the water for Catz. The lack of experience however took its toll with the Men's 1st VIII having something of an ongoing battle of nerves with St~Peter's (our neighbours in the OUBC boathouse) and the Osler House crew. The Men's 2nd VIII fared best with good results in both Torpids and Eights while the Women's 1st VIII had a great Torpids but suffered in Eights week.

A review of my time as Captain 30 years ago should perhaps not go by without mention of the 'duck' incident. While sculling peacefully one afternoon near Donnington Bridge I ran into a few ducks. In my haste to allow them under the blade on one side I caught a crab on the other side - and promptly ended up swimming - with the ducks beating a hasty retreat. Unfortunately for my pride the incident was witnessed and a photo of a duck presented to me at the next Boat Club dinner. Sadly the photo has since been mislaid!

Anne Hollifield, Women's Captain 79/80

I hadn't the first idea about rowing when I came to Oxford and no desire to try it initially, but was persuaded to have a go by someone in the bar who said something along the lines of 'Come on you can't go to Oxford with all these toffs and not have a go at rowing, it'll be a laugh'. And, at less than 8 stone at the time and 5 foot 2 on a good day, I was hardly built for it - in fact I had a go at rowing because I fancied coxing. Of course, once I'd been out on the river I was hooked and that was the end of my plan to go up to Oxford and get a first.