User:Oliverjwcox

=University College Oxford Boat Club=

University College Oxford Boat Club (UCBC) is the rowing club for all members of University College Oxford. UCBC has had a recent run of successes, notably in the Women's divisions with the Women's 1st VIII winning Blades in Torpids 2008 and the 2nd VIII winning Blades in both Torpids and Summer Eights 2008.

History
According to Robin Darwall Smith's recent publication, the idea of inter collegiate racing was pioneered by Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club in 1815. In 1827 it was decided to form a University College eight. The origins of UCBC can be attributed to one student, William Roper, who supervised the raising of £100 to build a boat and select a crew. Whilst the crew did not compete in 1829 or 1832-8 it has done so almost continuously until the present day, first going Head of the River in 1841. By the mid 1850s the Boat Club was enjoying a centrality to college life that it has not lost. The mid nineteenth century was a period of great success for UCBC being Head of the River in 1869-71, 1874-5 and 1877-8. One undergraduate Charles Cree recorded the celebrations in 1871:

"Univ. Head in the Eights. Univ, though Balliol came near them were never in danger...The Eight supped with Snell and the rest of us joined them after supper, and had a glorious evening. Singing and shouting as well as our voices would let us - Everything went off well no one being drunk."

Univ was most recently Head of the River in 1990/1991.

The Boathouse
UCBC's Boathouse has become an iconic and instantly recognisable architectural statement in and around Oxford. The original 19th century boathouse, designed by John Oldrid Scott, succumbed to arson in 1999. The culprits remain unknown. After eight long years, a new boathouse was finished, designed by Belsize Architects. The Boathouse has recently been awarded a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prize. The £2.7million structure has enjoyed a very favourable reception in the architectural world. Yuli Toh's article describes the structure as not just a boathouse, but "a grandstand of the first order" arguing that it represents a new age in rowing.

Recent News
Summer VIIIs 2008

Univ are fortunate to be in a very strong position in both men’s and women’s divisions coming out of Eights 2008. The Men’s First VIII were always going to have a tricky week, starting sandwiched between arguably the two quickest boats on the river on Wednesday, with Oriel 4th on the river and Christ Church 6th. We had been training against the ghost of Christ Church all term, and coming into Eights Week after some very encouraging sessions with Abingdon School 1st VIII we were eager to demonstrate our ability. However, the Christ Church boat proved to be a formidable opponent and we were bumped just after Donnington Bridge. After being bumped by the Christ Church Boat, who were given the moniker the ‘Gun Ship’ by The Oxford Student, we rowed over the next three days ahead of a very strong St Catz boat, comprising one former Olympian and a good handful of Blues, who were chased very hard every day by a resurgent Hertford crew. Finishing on Saturday down one place was a fantastic result for a crew comprising only two of 2007’s crewmembers and one novice to the sport. The Men’s First VIII successfully proved that you do not need a whole bunch of Blues to make a boat go fast.

The men’s 2nd VIII maintained their position as one of the highest placed 2nd VIIIs, but fell foul of a broken rudder on Friday, which frustrated their aims to continue progressing up the divisions. The men’s 3rd VIII performed admirably in their fantastic fancy-dress, benefiting from several experienced rowers who wanted to row more sociably.

The women of UCBC went into Eights 2008 hoping to build on the success they had experienced throughout the year, and certainly did not disappoint. The Women’s 1st VIII rowed over on the first day but felt positive after putting a massive distance between themselves and the Exeter crew chasing them. In the following two days they gained well-deserved bumps on Queen’s and then Keble, and on Saturday were forced to row over after St Catz crashed, allowing St Hilda’s to bump them within mere strokes. The crew were incredibly happy to have moved up two places in their division, leaving them 4th in Division 2, and with the possibility of moving up to Division 1 next year. On the final day of Eights 2008, the Women’s 1st VIII and many other members of the College gathered at the boathouse for the naming of the new Empacher the girls were racing in – ‘Minnie Coleman’. The girls expressed their gratitude towards their benefactor Jamie Coleman, and posed for photos with the boat they’ve been incredibly proud to train and race in.

The Women’s 2nd VIII necessitated long walks up the tow-path for their spectators, bumping extremely early on in each of their races. The girls pushed off their strong starts to bump St John’s 3rd VIII, Osler-Green’s 2nd VIII, Queen’s 2rd VIII, and New’s 2nd VIII, and were greeted with jubilance and an abundance of cava upon their final return to the boathouse! The girls were absolutely delighted with the achievement, and became the third consecutive Univ Women’s 2nd VIII to win blades.

The determination and commitment of the women of UCBC has been immense this year, and this combined with excellent coaching and equipment has given both crews the success in Eights they deserved.

Equipment
Due to fantastic support from several Old Members, UCBC benefits from having one of the most modern fleets on the Isis.

The men's side of the boat club uses the following shells:

The women's side of the Boat Club uses the following shells:

The Boathouse facilities are the envy of other clubs on the Isis. The Erg Room is equipped with 8 Model D Concept 2 Ergs and streching/exercise mats, along with changing rooms for crews.

Notable Alumni of UCBC
Colin Moynihan, Olympic Silver Medallist Moscow 1980 and Chairman of the British Olympic Committee.

Acer Nethercott, Cox GB 8+, Beijing 2008

Mark Evans, Olympic Gold Medallist, Canadian 8+, Los Angeles 1984

Social Events
UCBC organises several social events per term, ranging from the infamous (crew dates) through to formal dinners held to celebrate both Torpids and Eights.