In this Issue ...

Darren Chadwick, Men's Captain.

Darren Chadwick, Men's Captain

In the men's camp, we've had a rather encouraging start to the year. This is largely because I have had the support of an amazing committee, Steve Wicks and Erik Vincent in particular, and the novices were full of enthusiasm, responding well to everything asked of them. As I sat in the Isis tavern with some of the guys on the Saturday of Christ Church, I was proud to feel the club spirit and team feeling which we wanted to aspire to when we wrote our mission statement for the year. The strong club feeling is something that will hopefully be converted in hard work on the gym and results on the water.

Erik has done a brilliant job on organising, cuddling (in some cases!), and waking (in more cases!) the novices this year. Many thanks for your untiring effort. Steve's enthusiasm for the training schedule could not have been further from his attitudes to erg tests last year (for those that don't know, Steve stopped during a 2k test to complain that it hurt!). Steve, I think, now knows that is the point and has found lots of innovative ways to add to the training pain since!

Our main priority this term has been the novices. There was a large intake this year, with nearly 60 names on the men's maillist alone. Well done to all of you. All three boats gave their all and have shown that, with a little hard work over Christmas, we have the potential for not one, but two quick crews in Torpids.

We have also had crews in Autumn Fours, the Isis Winter league, Nephthys Regatta and the Nephthys Head. We entered five men into the National Indoor Rowing Championship in Birmingham which was a chance to race against our Blues boys and the best of British Universities.

Lydia Hutchinson, Women's Captain.

Lydia Hutchinson, Women's Captain

This term, as with any first term, the focus has been on the novices and Christ Church Regatta. The term started with a large number of female freshers expressing an interest in rowing, along with a few already at Catz. Unfortunately, the women's novice programme was slow in getting off the ground, so we only had one Christ Church boat rather than the two I had initially hoped for. Training was going well until disaster struck: one of our girls burst her eardrum, literally days before the regatta. This meant that the girls rowed with a last minute sub, Kate Lampe, who, despite having only had two training sessions before racing, acquitted herself admirably! Sadly, we lost both races and so were knocked out of the Regatta on the second day, but the crew are enthusiastic and will hopefully do better next term!

Cheryl Hardy, Women's Captain 1994/95

Becoming a rower had never been my intention when I first came up to Catz, but having Louise Glasgow as my college grandmother (for those who remember the college parenting system) who was Boat Club captain, meant that by 3rd week I was recruited firmly into SCCBC and hooked! At the end of the year, I was thrilled to be asked to be the next Captain although I panicked somewhat with the realisation that Louise would not be there for advice, as she was a medic and off to Clinical School at the JR. Anu came to the rescue with suggestions for how to start - tub sessions and initial novice outings with experienced crew members and coxes. Before long, the women had 3 novice crews kindly coached by other SCCBC members and the men had 2 crews.

Michaelmas term went well with the experienced women rowers taking part in Marlow Fours Head race. After Christmas, there were four women's crews for Torpids (which was rained off for two of the four days) and many a happy hour (up for debate, of course) was spent training in the gym, including aerobics sessions in the squash courts for all the SCCBC women together, which were great fun. Trinity term was somewhat more successful with 6 bumps gained by both the women's crews and 4 by the men.

Richard Peters, Men's Captain

The 1985 Men's 1st Torpid. Crew: James Sergeant (bow), Russell Bates, Simon Church, Anu Dudhia, Keith Pritchard, Peter Collini, Richard Peters, Bob Coe (str), Helen Sagar (cox). The crew gained blades and returned to Division I after an absence of 10 years.

It does not seem like 20 years ago when I was Captain of Boats. When I arrived in College in 1982 I happened to be on the same staircase as Mark Tucker the then Captain of Boats and fellow Geographer (in that order of priority) who pushed me down to the Boat Club Sherry party with its trademark Co-op British Sedgemoor Sherry and next day, having been appropriately drugged, found myself in a bank tub followed by a tub pair and then a coxed four. At least , I thought, it was a sport you could do sitting down.

I was fortunate in my 3 years to be in good crews whether it be second Eights or first Eights and never got bumped and obtained two blades that are on show in my house in Saigon. In my year as Captain the highlight was taking the 1st Torpid into the First division at a time when the womens crew was also very successful. It was also good having a very supportive Master in Sir Patrick Nairne at that time. This was also the period when the Rowing Society got off the ground having been inaugurated the previous year.

Other memories? Boat club dinners, diligently keeping the Captain's Diary up to date, training at Radley school, getting knocked out early at a London regatta and subsequently winning £50 on the slot machines and getting knocked unconscious whilst punting!

From the Captain's Diary, 1984-85

The 1985 St Catherine's Women's 1st Torpid about to bump Osler to take the Headship. Crew: Gill Rhodes (bow), Hellen Newport, Liz Brooks, Hilary Roberts, Ros Temple, Cathy Panter-Brick, Marie-Clare Sowerby, Sarah Cawthray (str), Jem Brown (cox).

First Day of Torpids

Ladies 1st VIII closed on Osler from the start. Liz Brooks came off her seat and there were one or two minor crabs but nothing bad. Coming out of the Gut our bows were rubbing along their stern, with the bow bobble alongside the cox, Jem [Jeremy Brown, cox] and the crew felt the bump; they did not acknowledge but Jem wound them down to light pressure. Seeing this I asked the umpire if she was giving a bump, she said yes. Within seconds the whole of Timms raft filled up, everyone was applauding as the women pulled in - Head of the River [Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the crew were deposed from the Headship on the last day by St Hugh's.]

Last Day of Torpids

Coming Up ...

In the next newsletter there will be news on preparations for Torpids and our OUBC triallists, a look back at events of 30 years ago when John Whorwood and Ian Todd were Captains. News from alumni of other years also welcome.

23-26 Feb 2005	Torpids
26 Feb 2005	AGM & Dinner
26 Mar 2005	Henley Boat Races
27 Mar 2005	The Boat Race
25-28 May 2005	Eights