One hundred years ago college rowing was just getting back on its feet after the war, a process described in articles from the Society magazine and The Times. Perhaps the most surprising thing — given the continuing turmoil elsewhere — is how little time it took before Oxford could once again turn its attention to such essentially trivial matters (yes, I said it!) as bumping races and how to actually spell 'Catherine'. So, from that perspective, we can look forward to this term's potential triumphs and disasters.

For rowing it's been about as benign a January as can reasonably be hoped for (although February has just announced its arrival with a sudden dump of snow). The Boat Club hasn't wasted the opportunity and, one week into term, they had twice as many crews racing in the opening IWL as any other college. Torpids will be from 27th Feb – 2nd March, with the RS AGM and Dinner held, as usual, in College on the Saturday after the end of racing.

Folly Bridge, after yesterday's snowfall

The men's 1st Torpid racing in IWL-C earlier this term

Oriane Grant is trialling for the women's lightweight boat. Last term she was one of three Oxford women entered for the GB lightweight assessments (2k ergs followed by 5k in single sculls), where she finished 8th in the U23 category. But for their trial eights race, the Oxford coaches had something rather more demanding in mind: a series of six races over 500, 1000 and 2000m spread between Dorney and Henley over the whole weekend. Ultimately, Faff, with Oriane at no.5, lost out to Speculation by 10pts to 18 (Faff and Speculation being their coaches' pet hates — should one worry about the nature of the athlete-coach relationship here?).

This year the men's lightweight Boat Race will be held, for the first time, on the Tideway, on Saturday, 23rd March. The Henley Boat Races take place the following Saturday, with the women's lightweights as the only remaining varsity Boat Races on programme, along with various intercollegiate and alumni races. The weekend after that, it's back to the Tideway for the four heavyweight Boat Races.

The women's 1st Torpid racing in IWL-C earlier this term

SCM, January 1919

It is satisfactory to be able to report that the Boat Club was revived last term with promising results. There is some talk of races this term. `Cat's' must row and do well.

The Times, Thu 30 January, 1919

Major E. D. Horsfall [a crewmate of 'Reggie' Fletcher in the 1914 Boat Race], R.A.F. (Magdalen College), president of the Oxford University Boat Club, took the chair at a representative meeting of Captains of College Clubs at Oxford yesterday.

An important discussion took place as to the future prospects of rowing at Oxford. It was decided to approach the committee of the Cambridge University Boat Club with a view to arranging an inter-university race, or races, to take place at the end of the Summer Term. It was also decided that the Torpids should not be rowed this year, but that a race for fixed-seat eights should be arranged towards the end of term. It was further determined to make an appeal to old members of the Boat Club for financial assistance. There may be some sliding seat racing next term, but this is very uncertain.

SCM, Hilary Term 1919

After a forced abeyance of five years owing to the war rowing was again started in Michaelmas Term, 1918. Though a lot of tubbing was got through, the Club did not resume its normal activities until Hilary Term, 1919. This term brought back several old members of the Club, including Attale and Osmond. The continued occupation of the Delegacy Building [No.74, High Street] by the Military caused much difficulty in finding suitable men, so that nearly a fortnight elapsed before the Captain (Parry) was able to start work.

The Times, Tue 11 March, 1919

The Oxford University Boat Club began a series of eight-oar and four-oar time races yesterday afternoon as a substitute for the Torpids. The weather was fine, but there was a strong wind, and the stream, which was only just inside the river banks, was running at a great pace and told heavily against the lighter crews. Some of the finishes were very close. The competition is on the American tournament system, and, after three eliminating rounds, the winners in both the contests will race on Thursday.

The Times, Thu 1 May, 1919

The Summer Eights at Oxford this year will be confined to four days [instead of the usual 6]. The racing will be open to anyone who is in residence or who has rowed consecutively for 10 days before the races. There will be two classes of races for best Summer Eights with sliding seats and for Torpids with fixed seats. The result of these races will not affect the position of the boats when normal conditions return next year, when the crews will start in their 1914 order ... Races under the same conditions that govern the Torpids may also be held.

SCM, Trinity Term 1919

The OUBC decided to hold two series of races — Summer Eights as usual in the middle of term and Junior Eights for novices at the end. We could not hope to reach the standard of the former in time, and unfortunately we did not know about the latter races until too late.

The prospects for the future are distinctly good. We are to be back in our Delegacy Building once more, so that we shall be able to get in touch with one another. Furthermore our barge is being repaired, and is to be ready for our use at the beginning of term.

SCM, Michaelmas Term 1919

To our great joy we were able to move back into our own barge after the first week of term. This is a great asset, as it promotes esprit de corps to a large extent. We should like to see more non-rowing members down of an afternoon. The barge is not the property of the rowing men only, but is a club room for all members, and provides a reasonable amount of comfort. It is very stimulating to the rowing men to feel that other members of the Clubs take an interest in their activities, and the presence of non-rowing members in the barge or on the tow-path is tangible evidence of their interest.

The Finance Committee last term solved the problem of an 'a' or an 'e' in the name of the Clubs. They decided that the correct spelling was 'St Catherine's'. We understand that their authority for this decision was mainly classical.

Torpids will be from Wednesday 27th February until Saturday 2nd March, with racing every half hour from noon until 5 pm. If they succeed in Rowing On our men's 3rd and women's 2nd Torpids are likely to be racing at 12:00 and 12:30 respectively. The men's 2nd Torpid start 6th in Div IV (2pm), immediately followed by the women's 1st Torpid (1st in Div III, 2:30pm) and the men's 1st Torpid take to the water for the last race of the day (5th in Div I, at 5pm).

Last year Torpids was hit by the 'Beast from the East', which reduced the event to just two days. which was particularly unfortunate for our women's crews, and leaves the women's 1st Torpid starting at the top of Div III. But at least the plan for their first race is clear. We've not seen much of Mansfield or Worcester so far this term or last (which is generally a good sign), and we'll have a better idea of Brasenose and Exeter's speed after tomorrow's IWL race.

The men's 2nd Torpid racing in IWL-C earlier this term

The men's 1st Torpid have a difficult task starting ahead of Wolfson, who've been consistently faster than them in IWL races and Wallingford Head. As for the crew ahead, Christ Church, again we don't have much form. There are a couple of Christ Church men's VIIIs entered for tomorrow's IWL, but probably not their 1st VIII. The top men's crews tend to train off the Isis, which limits their participation in the IWL races. However, based on their performances at Wallingford Head at the end of last term, I don't expect to see Oriel to be displaced from the Headship, nor Pembroke from second on the river.

Anu Dudhia (email: anu.dudhia@physics.ox.ac.uk )