Anglia Ruskin Boat Club
Encyclopedia
Anglia Ruskin Boat Club (ARBC) is the rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
club for members of Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
. It was known as CCAT Boat Club (usually said as sea cat) until 2008. The name CCAT derives from a former name for the University, the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, which is abbreviated to CCAT. The boat club has chosen to retain the name CCAT for historical reasons. It was once thought the club would lose its positions in the bumps races if the name were changed, but that is urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
(as is the notion that a club must retain 'college' in its name).
History
Although not affiliated with Cambridge UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, ARBC have rowed in the Lent
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...
and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
since the 1980s as a guest club. CCAT first put a men's crew on in 1988 in both events, and has risen quickly to lie in the middle of the 2nd division in both sets of bumps race
Bumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....
s, although recent progress has been a little slower. The women first appeared in the May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
in 1983 and Lent Bumps
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...
in 1984, but have only had a continuous presence since 1987 in both events. ARBC 1st women rose to take a place in the bottom of the 1st division in the late 1990s in the Lent Bumps, but since faded to the middle of the 2nd division. However, in Lent Bumps 2007, ARBC 1st Women were awarded blades (up four) and currently sit in the sixth position of the second division. In the May Bumps, ARBC 1st women rose to get into the 1st division only for two days in 2002, and have now fallen to the top of the 2nd division (position 3).
ARBC crews also participate in other races and regattas throughout the year--on and off the River Cam. Some off-Cam locations include: Beford, Peterborough, and London, where crews have enjoyed numerous success over the recent years. ARBC 1st Women won the ARA Novice 8+ Plate Competition in Bedford Regatta 2006, and both the 1st Men and 1st Women won the Sunday Novice 8+ races at Peterborough Regatta 2006, with ARBC women taking first, second, and third place in the final. In 2007 Peterborough Regatta, ARBC enjoyed particular success with the Men and Women's 1st VIIIs winning their Senior 4 8+ events on Saturday, and the 2nd Women's VIII winning their Novice 8+ event on Sunday. As well, the 1st Women finished 97th out of 274 crews from across the UK and Europe in the Women's Eights Head of the River Race in London in 2006.
Currently, ARBC boat club rents space at the Emmanuel College Boathouse, with a fleet consisting of five VIIIs.
