SCCRS Newsletter#1, Michaelmas Term, 2003

	St Catherine's College Rowing Society

	Vice Presidents: Don Barton, Richard Peters, Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, Ben Sylvester.

	Newsletter#1, Michaelmas Term, 2003 (1st November)
	[PDF version]

Introduction
Summer Rowing
5 Years Ago ...
News from Alumni
The Accountant's Tale
50 Years Ago ... from the Captain
Michaelmas Term
Coming Up ...
Diary

Links

St Catherine's College

Oxford University Rowing Clubs

St Catherine's College Boat Club

St Catherine's Rowing Society

Introduction

First of all, you will find attached a letter from Don Barton (M.48), Kev Skinner (M.77) and Jen Atkinson (M.89) who have been charged with revising the Constitution of the Rowing Society. Don't worry, you're not expected to examine every clause, but they would like comments on the 'purpose' and 'activities' of the Society - if you want to change (or avoid changing) something, now's your chance. Secondly, the membership secretary would like me to remind those of you who still only pay £10 a year that membership is now £15 a year, so please, please fill out one of the new standing order forms that you have been receiving with the past few newsletters (or on the web: http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/rsjoin.html)

Being only 3rd week, there's not yet much to report on College rowing but fortunately many of our alumni (myself included) have been busy rowing over the long hot summer, occasionally even meeting with success (ah - lost me there).

In the Modern History section we look at the events of 5 years ago (with responses from several alumni from that period) while in the Archaeology section, following the last newsletter, the Captain of Boats from 50 years ago writes to put his side of the story.

Summer Rowing

At Henley Royal Regatta we had a couple of near misses in the qualifications for the Thames Challenge Cup. 'Black Sheep RC', containing our lightweights Mike Bull and Will Mulholland, were 3rd fastest of the non-qualifiers, just behind the Vesta VIII containing Matt Denmark (M.99). Another of our alumni, Matt Pinsent (M.89), who tends only to enter events which don't require qualifying, came away another couple of pots for the Silver Goblets (pairs) and the Prince Philip (coxed fours). However, even his season came a little unstuck at the World Championships in Milan, where the GB pair finished in fourth place. Anyway, now as we enter an Olympic Year, it does at least ensure that we are all going to be glued to the TV every time they race.

Nigel Lloyd coxing one of X-Press Boat Club crews back through Osney Lock. The club was formerly known as the 'Free Press' Boat Club, named after the Cambridge pub, so no guesses where they've been.
[X-Press BC]
We also had a couple of representatives at the World 'Masters' Regatta, held in Vichy: Tony Mitchell (M.78) winning both Vet C 1x (43+ years) and Vet B Mixed 2x (see The Accountant's Tale), while Paul Halfpenny (M.97), rowing for Geneva, came 3rd in Vet C 2x and 2nd in Vet C 4x. I should explain that in this regatta, every 'heat' is effectively a final with some of the more popular events having as many as 10 heats. Floss Williams (M.97) also took up sculling with Wallingford RC this summer, winning her novice pot at Bewdley. More from Paul and Floss in the Alumni News section.

At a more leisurely pace, one sunny Sunday afternoon Nigel Lloyd (M.67) and members of the X-Press Boat Club borrowed a couple of our VIIIs for a 'training' paddle up to Godstow and had a thoroughly pleasant day of it (and if any Catz crews do ever make it across to the Cam, they are keen to return the hospitality).

Finally, in September, Tony Mitchell, Mike Bull and myself all raced in singles in the Isis Sculls: I brought experience, Mike brought training, but only Tony had the good sense to bring both, so there was only one winner.

5 Years Ago ...

The 1999 Men's 1st Torpid, which won blades and finished 10th in Div 1. Pete Murphy (bow), Martyn O'Donnell, Matt Williamson, Richard Law, Tom Wright, Dan Bebber, Paul Halfpenny, Paul Hearn (str), James Stringer (cox).

1998/99 was rather more successful for the men than the women. It would be nice to attribute this to the difference between the Captains - one seriously laid-back to the point of being invisible while the other was very much hands-on - unfortunately they were the wrong way around. More likely, in a year much-interrupted by floods, the men benefitted from having a large pool of experienced oarsmen. Their 1st and 2nd Torpids both won blades and the 1st Eight gained 3 bumps to rise to its (then) highest position since 1883: 11th in Div 1. The women, on the other hand, dropped from 2nd to 3rd in Torpids and from 3rd to 5th in Eights. However, it was the year that Catz finally joined the elite group (along with New and Pembroke) having both men's and women's boats in the 1st divisions of both Torpids and Eights.

Emily Woodeson, Women's Captain 98/99

'Looking for inspiration on memories of my captaincy I had a sneaky peek at what other people had written [in Alumni News]. The words 'scary' and 'iron fist' seemed to crop up a bit which, if I'm honest, probably reflect the year fairly well. I remember being a bit of a psycho about training - sorry everyone! I did carry on rowing after leaving college for Kingston Rowing club, but gave it all up when I returned to Oxford to do my PGCE. I'm now a teacher at Wallingford school and do the odd bit of coaching but have otherwise substituted rowing for ... well ... not really so sure, but I seem to fill my days happily.'

I'm sure that Catz women's crews who've been coached by her in recent years will be relieved to know that they've only seen the 'mellow' version of Emily. I haven't heard from Pete Murphy, the men's captain, but the opening words of his speech at that year's Rowing Society dinner now have their place in Boat Club folklore:

'Under my inspirational captaincy ...'

News from Alumni

Chris Little (M.67)

[working for the Met Office, which is currently transferring from Bracknell to Exeter] I'm now working in Exeter. It's fun. Commuting home to Reading at the weekends hasn't begun to pall yet, mainly because it's better than 5 days a week to Bracknell! Was out in a quad last night with Exeter Rowing Club. Rowing in solid green water covered in duck weed is interesting.

Alan Supple (M.86)

I resigned from Salomon Smith Barney back in March. After three months or so of much-needed relaxation (trying to catch up on 4 years of sleep deprivation!), I started a new position in June at New Plan Excel, one of my long-standing real estate investment trust clients, based in midtown Manhattan. I will be focusing on acquisitions of shopping centers throughout the U.S. to add to the company's current portfolio of almost 400 assets. However to Maria's (and my) delight, I will only be spending 50-55 hours a week on these deals, as opposed to my previous 80-100 hour work schedule with which many of you are all too familiar.

Dan Bebber (M.93)

I've come back to Oxford from Canada, and I'm currently teaching in the Department of Plant Sciences. Got a 4 month old daughter, Alice. Haven't rowed for a while.

Sarah Askew (M.94)

Looks like I've finally been sucked into the rowing scene in Cambridge. I only joined St Edmund's College last week (as an associate member) and I'm already coaching their men's novice crew! Fortunately (?) I don't think I'm eligible to row for college in anything other than the fellows' boat, so I might still get the occasional lie-in (novices aren't allowed out before 7.30 am and are only allowed to do two early mornings a week).

Tom Wright (M.95)

I'm still in Oxford, although road-cycling has now replaced rowing as my sport of choice. A few weeks ago I won the Willesden Dulcie Walker road race near Stokenchurch, and have now been promoted two categories up, which will mean longer, harder and hopefully better races next year. After finishing my DPhil in October of last year (and a month in New Zealand), I started work for a University spin-out company called Mirada Solutions, where I help develop algorithms and software for medical image analysis, working in their science team.

Paul Halfpenny (M.97)

Rowing-wise I am Responsable de Competition, sort of captain, for the Societe Nautique de Geneve and row competitively (well, in competitions) in 1x, 2x and 4x regularly and 8+ when we can. Took a 2x and 4x to the Vichy Vets Circus. Otherwise, my office is at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) looking out from the 10th floor across Lake Geneva to Mont Blanc (for those planning winter ski holidays at Xmas the good news is that a significant proportion of the view I have looking out of the window now - Thurs 30th Oct, 5pm - is already white, I would say down to 1200 metres). Home is an apartment in the seedy part of town (took some finding) and I have just got back (Saturday) from a holiday in Japan where I got engaged to my Japanese girlfriend, planning to get married in Geneva soon.

Martyn O'Donnell (M.97)

Since finishing in 2001 I have been working as a director in the family civil engineering firm. In my spare time I go to the gym and enjoy the odd drink or two. I remember the 1st Torpid getting blades under Pete Murphy's 'inspirational captaincy'. From what I can remember that involved turning up to the training sessions and encouraging us, though Pete never trained himself. In hindsight he must have been a bionic man.

*Florence ('Floss') Williams racing at Oxford City Royal Regatta this summer.*

Floss Williams (M.97)

I'm living north of Oxford and now a science teacher at Burford School. I'm loving teaching but unfortunately not doing much rowing as I'm too busy. However I'm hoping to make time in the summer and possibly go to Henley with Wallingford.

Jan Janssen (M.97)

Oh, I remember those years (98/99) when half of the Boat Club was ruled by the iron fist, and the other half got blades. Just started my PhD at Imperial College. Still doing my ergs, but still haven't cracked the 7min barrier, was asked to row by a boatie at Imperial but, given the ridiculous hours they train, I politely declined. Recently randomly bumped into Louise Herring (M.96), who told me she is at the LSE doing a Masters, and I am still in contact with Chris Toms (M.97) who is more off than on coaching a boat club in east London last time I heard. Hope Catz has a successful rowing year. Maybe I will make it down to the boathouse for Torpids or Summer Eights.

Sarah Boddy (M.98)

I have just started a DPhil in the Department of Human Anatomy and Genetics investigating the role of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein in the disease spinal muscular atrophy. I'm back at Catz, playing football for the Catz Birds :) I guess that's about it really. Someone pointed out to me last week the comedy value of someone called 'Boddy' working in 'Human Anatomy', I can't believe I'd missed that!

Carla Crifo' (M.98)

Is it really that long ago? And me with my DPhil still not finished ... OK, you know the story up until 2 years ago: the mighty 2001 Head of the River crew, the first time a Catz women's VIII went to Henley (and came back quite soon). I'm sure it was all due to Emily's influence and selfless devotion to the cause (and the fact that she was scary! You probably can get much more detail from Sarah Boddy on just how scary ...). Having reached those dizzying heights, I drifted away from rowing - also because of an increasingly out-of-hand thesis. I've been doing mountaineering (indoor climbing mostly), martial arts (Sulkido at Oxford), running (Race for Life, Blenheim 10k, trying for a half-marathon sometime next year), and, while trying to finish my thesis, I am now a full-time lecturer at Leicester. Yes, I do know there is a boat club here, but I promised my supervisor I would not go near a river until I'm finished!

The Accountant's Tale

*Tony Mitchell, winning Vet C in the Isis Sculls.*

Emails from Tony Mitchell ...

(30th June) Managed to win S4 1x at Egham yesterday beating Windsor Boys' School by half a length. A well-organised regatta but dodgy course: 650m with an S-bend slalom finish. Basically the umpire has to steer you over the last 200m! I'd forgotten all about juniors: they all blast off the start leaving me for dead and then, as me 43-year old bones start to warm up, I approach cruising speed and steal back the 2 lengths I'm down, ease ahead and think 'Thank heavens for that' but NO! they get a sniff of the finish enclosures, their mums, dads and school mates all cheering, and they pop into Jonny Searle 'Kamikaze' mode and hurl their lean muscular frames back at you at breakneck speed. Show some respect please, boys, for someone who is closer to collecting his bus pass than you are to your birth. Anyway great fun and made the Boat Race clashes look like a picnic as I had to steer his boat and mine over the finish, locked in mortal combat, with the umpire shouting 'Both scullers, get back on the course!' or risk a headline in the Egham Chronicle, 'Chartered accountant and Windsor schoolboy in rowing bush melee.'

(8th Sep) Raced in the Vet C 1x on Saturday at Vichy and got a gold: crap start, then rowed the field down but had to hold off a mad, mad Searle-like German to win by 1.5 seconds. Fastest Brit there, and did my fastest ever time, which was pleasing. I came 11th in time out of 101 crews (the biggest event entry). Raced in Vet B Mxd 2x with Sarah on Sunday (in a borrowed Ox City boat) and destroyed the field. including Brit doubles containing some pretty decent Internationals, so got another gold. Sadly, Sarah had entered the crews as Wycliffe Sculling Centre so was unable to race as 'Catz' which is shame but the 1x was definitely a Catz win in my mind.

50 Years Ago ... from the Captain

Ian Parkin (M.51) writes

I am around, but somewhat alarmed to be featured on the front page of your excellent May Newsletter. I'm not sure you chose a great year to look at. In 1953, we rowed from the old Salter's Barge, a large, style and comfort-free, rectangular affair, moored near the end of the course. Our boats were kept in Salter's yard and looked after by Tom, a Salter's boatman, who made good our breakages with resigned good humour.

The main thing I remember when I began coaching at Caths - I come from Melbourne - was the 'Lady Margaret' style the Oxford College crews were attempting. The oarsmen would almost disappear from sight at the end of the stroke and then slowly emerge to try again. I tried (tactfully) to modify this a little.

I was a non-rowing Captain and spent all my time coaching. Torpids and Eights Week then lasted for 6 days. Our First Torpid boat rowed over for 5 of them but bumped St Peter's on day 5. St Peter's went from 8 to 16 so I can't claim our bump was a great achievement, but it cheered us a bit. We needed some cheer as our 2nds went down each night.

Eights Week was much about the same for us and I'll spare you the details. But it was a good year for all in many ways and well remembered as an exciting yet not a very successful rowing time. I was married, as was my predecessor Tony Hancox. Our wives, and others, produced teas at the Barge every Saturday and all through Eights Week and these were splendid social occasions.