Jesus College Boat Club (Cambridge)
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 Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
. Over the years, it has been consistently successful, with the 1st Men's VIII never having dropped below 12th 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...
and 11th position 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...
. Jesus men have been head 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...
on 39 occasions (finishing Head on 159 days) and head of 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...
on 24 occasions (finishing Head on 98 days) - more than any other boat club, although Jesus men have not been head in either event since 1974. Jesus also held the headship of the early races (before the Lent and May bumps became separate events) for 11 consecutive years between 1875 and 1886 - a feat which has never been equalled. A women's crew first appeared in 1980, and 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 1985, 1986 and 1987, and headship of 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 1988, 1993, 1994, 2005 and 2007.
Performances at Henley
JCBC are also one of the historically successful Cambridge colleges at the Henley Royal RegattaHenley 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...
, winning the Grand Challenge Cup
Grand Challenge Cup
The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
, the most prestigious event at the regatta, on 3 occasions; 1879, 1885 and in 1947. Jesus also won the Ladies' Challenge Plate
Ladies' Challenge Plate
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the...
on 13 occasions between 1872 and 1958, the Visitors' Challenge Cup
Visitors' Challenge Cup
The Visitors Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs and has similar qualifying rules to the Ladies' Challenge Plate. Two or more clubs may...
on 5 occasions between 1877 and 1936, the Wyfold Challenge Cup
Wyfold Challenge Cup
The Wyfold Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club. Boat clubs from any university, college or secondary school are not permitted.The trophy...
on 2 occasions (1882 and 1921), the Stewards' Challenge Cup
Stewards' Challenge Cup
The Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
in 1879 and the Thames Challenge Cup
Thames Challenge Cup
The Thames Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's eights at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club. Boat clubs from any university, college or secondary school are not permitted, neither are squad...
in 1892 (see External Links). Silver Goblets has been won by Humphrey Playford
Humphrey Playford
Humphrey Blake Playford was an English rower who won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta.Playford was born in the Kingston upon Thames district. He served in World War I as a lieutenant. but afterwards attended Jesus College, Cambridge. Playford was 6 ft 5in with a long reach and rowed...
and John Campbell
John Campbell (rower)
John Alan Campbell was a British rower who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.Campbell was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Jesus College, Cambridge. He rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1920. In 1920 he was a crew member of the British boat, which won the silver medal in the...
in 1921 and Thomas Cree
Thomas Cree
Thomas Scott Cree was an Australian rower who competed for Great Britain at the 1936 Summer Olympics.Cree was educated at Geelong Grammar School and Jesus College, Cambridge. In 1935 he partnered David Burnford to win Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta. In 1936 he was a member of the...
and David Burnford
David Burnford
David Wrayford Burnford was a British doctor and rower who competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics.Burnford was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 1935 he partnered Thomas Cree to win Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta. In 1936 he was a member of the winning Cambridge boat in the Boat...
in 1935. Jesus therefore have a grand total of 25 Henley wins, although the club has not managed an event win since 1958.
Events
JCBC runs two events of note. The first is the Fairbairn Cup Races, named after the famous Jesus Oarsman and Coach who began the event in the 1920s, Steve FairbairnSteve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:...
. In 1929 Fairbairn donated a cup and the races have continued ever since in their current form, a long distance headrace. The course has changed over years due to closures for bridge repairs and extreme weather conditions, but in 1990 the start line was made to be Jesus Boathouse Flagpole with the finish at the Little Bridge, some 4.3km downstream. The Fairbairn Cup title is awarded to the fastest finishing college men's VIII (although the cup itself is not presented). There are also divisions for IVs (3.4km) and novice VIIIs (2.7km).
JCBC has also run the Henley Spare Pairs Race on the day before Henley Royal Regatta. This event runs from the barrier to the regatta finish and is open to spare pairs of registered regatta entries.