Cambridge University Boat Club

The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882.[1] Nowadays, training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely.

Cambridge University Boat Club
Image showing the rowing club's blade colours
LocationCambridge, United Kingdom
Coordinates52°12′40.2″N 0°7′50.5″E / 52.211167°N 0.130694°E / 52.211167; 0.130694 (Goldie Boathouse)
Home waterRiver Cam and River Great Ouse
Founded1828 (1828)
Key people
  • Seb Benzecry (Openweight Men's President)
  • Jenna Armstrong (Openweight Women's President)
  • Ben Jones (Lightweight Men's President)
  • Lauren Britten (Lightweight Women's President)
  • Rob Baker (Men's Chief Coach)
  • Patrick Ryan (Women's Chief Coach)
  • Annamarie Phelps CBE (Chair)
AffiliationsBritish Rowing
Websitewww.cubc.org.uk
Events
Notable members

The prime constitutional aim of CUBC is to beat Oxford University Boat Club in the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and Lightweight Boat Races.[2] CUBC's Openweight Men's squad currently lead Oxford in the series by 86 races to 81, with 1 dead heat in The Boat Race 1877, while the Openweight Women's squad lead Oxford by 45 races to 30.[3] The Lightweight Men's squad lead Oxford by 29 races to 19, and the Lightweight Women's squad lead Oxford by 22 races to 17.[4]

History edit

The inaugural meeting of Cambridge University Boat Club took place at Gonville and Caius College on 9 December 1828.[5] Following this meeting, it was agreed that a challenge be sent to the University of Oxford to organise a race between representatives of the two universities. A letter was sent to Oxford in which they were challenged "to row a match at or near London, each in an eight-oared boat during the ensuing Easter vacation".[6] Consequently, the first Boat Race took place at Henley-on-Thames in June 1829.[6]

The first Women's Boat Race was raced in 1927 on the Isis at Oxford, Cambridge was represented by a crew from Newnham College in front of hostile crowds. They were later joined by students from Girton College to form CUWBC for the 1941 Boat Race. CULRC was formed in 1974 to provide a lightweight crew to race OULRC in the first Lightweight Boat Race in 1975. In 1984 CUWBC fielded a lightweight women's crew for the first Lightweight Women's Boat Race at Henley. These races remained in Henley until the Women's Boat Race moved to the Championship course in London in 2015, followed by the Men's Lightweight Boat Race in 2019 and the Women's Lightweight Boat Race in 2020.

CUBC was one of five clubs which retained the right until 2012 to appoint representatives to the Council of British Rowing. The others were Leander Club, London Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club and Oxford University Boat Club.[7]

On 1 August 2020, CUBC formally merged with Cambridge University Women's Boat Club and Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club to form a new combined club to compete against Oxford clubs in the annual boat races.[8] This followed a vote in April 2020 by members of all three clubs which was overwhelmingly in favour of the merger.[9] The merger and subsequent rebrand led to a new visual identity for Cambridge University Boat Club. The new logo kept the old colours of red and black, but added yellow, the traditional team kit colour of the men’s and women’s reserve crews, Goldie and Blondie.[10]

Notability edit

CUBC has produced numerous Olympic-level rowers in its history.[11][12] During the Boat Race period both the Men's Blue Boat and Goldie crews boat from King's College School's Boat House on the Putney embankment while the Women's Blue Boat and Blondie crews boat from Thames Rowing Club. During the Lightweight Boat Race period, CUBC Lightweight Men boat from London Rowing Club and Lightweight Women boat from Thames Rowing Club.

Honours edit

British champions edit

Year Winning crew/s
1972 Men 2+
1973 Men 2x
1980 Women 8+
1984 Men 2-, Women 8+
1986 Women 8+
1989 Men Lightweight 8+, Men Lightweight 4x (Goldie)
1990 Women 8+
1991 Men 4- (Goldie), Women 8+
1992 Men 4- (Goldie)
1993 Women 8+
1997 Men 4-
2002 Men Lightweight 4x, Men U23 1x[13]
2003 Women 4-
2016 Men 4- [14]
2018 Men 4- (Goldie),[15] Women 4- [16]

Key = 2, 4, 8 (crew size), x (sculls), - (coxless), + (coxed)

Henley Royal Regatta edit

Year Races won
1845 Grand Challenge Cup
1851 Stewards' Challenge Cup
1855 Grand Challenge Cup
1858 Grand Challenge Cup
1888 Silver Goblets
1889 Silver Goblets
1973 Double Sculls Challenge Cup
1984 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
1991 Visitors' Challenge Cup (Goldie)
1992 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup, Britannia Challenge Cup (Goldie)
1995 Stewards' Challenge Cup
1996 Ladies' Challenge Plate (Goldie)
1997 Temple Challenge Cup (Goldie)
1999 Ladies' Challenge Plate, Temple Challenge Cup
2000 Britannia Challenge Cup
2003 Britannia Challenge Cup (Goldie)
2005 Ladies' Challenge Plate
2008 Stewards' Challenge Cup
2018 Princess Grace Challenge Cup
2019 Visitors' Challenge Cup
2021 Stonor Challenge Trophy

Gallery edit

References edit

Notes

  1. ^ "Cambridge Boathouses" (PDF). Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  2. ^ "Sports Yearbook 2012" (PDF). University of Cambridge Sport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  3. ^ "The Boat Race: Results". Boat Race Company Ltd. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  4. ^ "The Lightweight Boat Races: Results". Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  5. ^ Dodd, p. 49
  6. ^ a b "Boat Race – Origins". The Boat Race Company Ltd. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Corporate Governance Structure". British Rowing. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  8. ^ "The new Cambridge University Boat Club welcomes the Vice-Chancellor to Ely Boathouse - CUBC". 3 September 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. ^ "University Boat Clubs to combine – CUBC". 27 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  10. ^ Cambridge University Boat Club unveils new logo | https://www.transformmagazine.net/articles/2021/cambridge-university-boat-club-unveils-new-logo/
  11. ^ "Olympic medals for Cambridge rowing alumni". Cambridge University Alumni Relations. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Tom James profile". British Rowing. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  13. ^ ""The results service." Times, 22 July 2002, p. 26". The Times. 22 July 2002. p. 26.
  14. ^ "2016 British Rowing Senior Championships" (PDF). British Rowing.
  15. ^ "2018 British Rowing Senior Championships results" (PDF). British Rowing.
  16. ^ "2018 British Rowing Senior Championships results" (PDF). British Rowing.

Bibliography