For Catz' part in all this ... we'll let the Captains tell it their own words.

The Boat Club had their dinner on the Sunday after the end of Eights, at which we had the presentation of this year's Ben Sylvester Award. It is in the nature of this award that nobody should be surprised to hear the winner's name and, duly, no one was.

And before those of us attending the Gaudy paddle this coming Saturday shake our heads in bafflement at the folly of youth, it should be noted that a current student and a recent alumna were already old enough to compete in the Master's category at Reading Regatta, and even met another Oxford college.

The Women's 1st Eight, on the Friday

Trinity Term 2023 started with the now annual training camp in Varese, Italy. We were fortunate to be blessed with lovely weather, and a thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all. Unfortunately however, turnout from the women’s side was poor, with just 3 women attending. The men's side were very accommodating in organising mixed sessions, however the inability to train as an 8+ entirely of women meant we missed essential preparation for the coming term. This was then compounded at the start of the term by injury and exams, which meant that the total number of person-sessions was down 40% compared to Trinity term last year (when W1 won blades). Expectedly, this showed during Summer Eights, with W1 falling 5 places (including one penalty bump for a klaxon which denied numerous other crews from getting blades) and W2 dropping 3 places, in spite of substitutions from several ex-blues and alumni. On the whole, the rowing itself was not bad, we were simply not quick enough. Persistently poor turnout to erg sessions throughout the year is the most likely culprit for this.

Despite the challenges of this term, it is possible to derive some positives. At the start of this academic year our squad was composed of just a few returning rowers — to go from this to being able to enter two boats into Torpids and Summer Eights is a substantial achievement. This has enabled many more people to get a taste of rowing — something several have said has been a highlight of their time at Oxford. While there are positives, it would be delusional to argue that this year has been a success. There are many reasons for this, and lessons have been learned, with the hope that we can look forward to brighter days in the future.

Emma & Cecilia

The Women's 2nd Eight, on the Friday (having got clear of the bank)

The Men's 1st Eight, on the Friday

Trinity Term began off the back off our Easter training camp in Italy, with the technical improvements many of the squad made on camp still very much evident when we returned to the Isis. We also had a few more experienced rowers join the squad, and quickly set about making the most of the light, warm evenings in the lead-up to Summer Eights.

The Men's squad had a somewhat mixed Eights in the end. M1 was the unfortunate party in a three-boat sandwich in the Gut on the Wednesday, as Magdalen managed to get the swipe on us while Univ had overlap on their stern. The next two days we unfortunately fell victim to two very quick crews from Univ and L.M.H. as well. On the Saturday, an incredibly gutsy row coupled with some excellent coxing as we recovered from Jesus having overlap under Donnington Bridge to walk away through the Gut and up Greenbanks and secure a row-over at the final attempt. This was a personal highlight for me and was a nice way to cap off what has been a fairly challenging year for a relatively inexperienced Catz M1.

As I sign off after what was ultimately a challenging year, I'd like to thank in particular my co-captain Tom (who retired this term to focus on Finals) for all his efforts throughout the year, the several alumni who helped out directly by subbing into sessions, and the entire RS committee and membership for their continued support. As I hand over to our successors James and Matt, I anticipate a significant amount of continuity within the squad, and can see that many of those who are returning have gained valuable racing experience this year. I wish them all the best and am confident that Catz will come back stronger next year, hungry to regain places lost.

The Men's 2nd Eight, on the Friday

Eugenio Vecchi

He has continued to support members across both the men's and women's squads. He always encourages anyone to go to him for support in his role as President, and more generally encourages a very inclusive atmosphere. He is very open and easy to approach, and always very willing to give his time to any issue that arises within the club.

He has also gone above and beyond what would be expected of a president, almost single-handedly organising the Italy training camps for two years running. Thanks to him, these camps have proven to be highly successful, enjoyable and memorable training opportunities for both sides of the boat club.