Churchill College Boat Club
Encyclopedia
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 Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.In 1958, a Trust was established with Sir Winston Churchill as its Chairman of Trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 Students as a national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its...
.
The club colours are pink and brown, chosen as they are Sir Winston Churchill's
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
racing colours. In recent years, the club has become famous for its lurid pink shells. The men's 1st VIII started the trend in 2002, with the women taking delivery of their own in 2006. The trend has continued to the extent that the club now has a pink double. The women also sport pink splashtops and lycra in the summer months.
Churchill College shares an unattractive but practical boat house with Selwyn
Selwyn College Boat Club
Selwyn College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Selwyn College, Cambridge.In the early days of the Lent and May Bumps, Selwyn spent a lot of time in the 2nd division, but rose sharply from the mid-1920s, reaching 3rd in the May Bumps throughout the early 1930s and 2nd in the Lent Bumps...
, King's
King's College Boat Club
King's College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of King's College, Cambridge.-Men's results:The King's 1st men's VIII have spent most of their history in the second division of the Lent and May Bumps. In 1897, King's reached 4th in the Lent Bumps, but subsided back into the 2nd division...
, and The Leys School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
. The boat house is the farthest downstream of all the College boathouses, which is a natural advantage for early morning outings.
Foundation
The men's boat club was founded in 1961, following a remark during the Lent Bumps of that year that a college was not really a College until it was on the River. Frank Maine and Ed Markham lead the effort to get the club on the river, under guidance from Canon Noel DuckworthCanon Noel Duckworth
John Noel Duckworth , M.A., T.D., was a Canon of Accra and the first Chaplain of Churchill College.Duckworth was born at Goole, the son of James Duckworth and his wife Nancy Sumner. He went to Cambridge University and coxed the winning Cambridge crews in the 1934, 1935 and 1936 Boat Races...
, the first chaplain at the college. The boat of postgraduates used the as yet unheard of training time of 6am-9am on weekday mornings, when the river was deserted. The 1st boat started the May bumps in the seventh division in 1961, bumping twice before being stopped by carnage on the third day, and being bumped themselves on the last. Following a successful 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 1962, the Churchill 1st VIII were repositioned up into the 3rd division for 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...
of the same year.
Bumps Progress
By the early 1970s, the men's 1st VIII had risen to the 1st division of the LentLent 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...
but found itself back in the 2nd division by the end of the decade. It achieved its highest ever position at 5th in the 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 1998. In 2006, the crew rose to 6th place 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...
, an all-time high for that competition.
The women's boat club took part in the very first women's bumps in 1974, racing in fours until 1989. The 1st women's VIII took the headship of the 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 and currently reside in the 1st division. 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...
, Churchill have held the headship a total of 6 times, more than any other women's boat club − 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990, although only the latter when the races were held in eight-oared boats. Since then, Churchill have been roughly in the middle of the 1st division. Between 1985 and 1987, Churchill finished Head of the Mays on 12 consecutive days − the longest ever continuous defence of the women's Mays Headship.
Henley appearances
Churchill Women won the 'College A' event at the inaugural Henley Women's RegattaHenley Women's Regatta
Henley Women's Regatta is a rowing regatta held at Henley-on-Thames, England. It was formed as a result of the lack of women's events at Henley Royal Regatta and first held in 1988...
in 1988, and again in 1990. Churchill Men last qualified for the Temple Challenge Cup in 1996 at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
, progressing to the second round.