An intensive rowing course over the summer with top class coaching. For those who carry on, the first step on the road to winning the Women’s Boat Races.

C.U.W. Dev. Squad will be held this year from Monday June 21st to Sunday July 18th. Introduction sessions will be held on the mornings of Monday (14th) and Tuesday (15th) of May Week.

Female rowers and all coxes are welcome to apply.

This is a really good opportunity to do some intensive rowing in decent weather, without the pressure of study, and when the Cam is uncongested. No special level of prior experience is required.

• Bow: Helen Umpleby, Girton
• 2: Ella Palmer, Darwin
• 3: Hannah Peel, Magdalene
• 4: Sarah Cochrane (lightweight captain), Trinity
• 5: Uli Forster, LMBC
• 6: Hannah Buckley, Queens’
• 7: Emma Court, Sidney Sussex
• Stroke: Tamsin Van der Ven, Darwin
• Cox: Renae Domaschenz, Darwin

Blue Boat:

• Bow: Jesse Stanley, Newnham
• 2: Camilla Waugh, LMBC
• 3: Anna Reinicke, Darwin
• 4: Patricia Keegan, Peterhouse
• 5: Nicola Payne, Jesus
• 6: Rachel Smith, (president) Newnham, previous blue
• 7: Jennifer Northover, Emma
• Stroke: Kate Hillier, Jesus
• Cox: Meadhbh Boyle, Lucy Cavendish

Blondie:

• Bow: Chloe Baker, LMBC
• 2: Rachael Hanley, Homerton
• 3: Alla Doubrovina, Trinity
• 4: Laura Massey, Clare
• 5: Elizabeth Laws, Pembroke
• 6: Catherine Sutherland, Homerton
• 7: Emily Thompson, Magdalene
• Stroke: Celia Bryant, Pembroke
• Cox: Laura Sutcliffe, Clare

The Henley Boat Races 2004 Boat Races between Oxford and Cambridge Universities take place on Sunday 21 March, when crowds of up to 10,000 are expected to line the 2000 metre course at Henley to witness another battle for supremacy between the Dark Blues of Oxford and the Light Blues of Cambridge.

Race Day
The schedule is as follows:

• 1.30pm Lightweight Men’s Reserves Boat Race (Nephthys v. Granta)
• 2.00pm Reserve Women’s Boat Race (Osiris v. Blondie)
• 2.30pm Lightweight Women’s Boat Race
• 3.00pm Women’s Boat Race
• 3.30pm Lightweight Men’s Boat Race

This Saturday was the Fullers 4′s Head of the River. We entered three crews into the event:

CUW I – WS2 4+

• Alex Lee (cox), Trinity
• Rachel Smith, (president) Newnham
• Kate Hillier, Jesus
• Celia Bryant, Pembroke
• Nicola Payne, Jesus

CUW II – WS3 4+ (i)

• Laura Sutcliffe (cox), Clare
• Camilla Waugh, St Johns
• Anna Reineke, Darwin
• Jess Stanley, Newnham
• Alla Doubrovina, Trinity

CUW III – WS3 4+ (ii)

• Renae Domashcenz (cox), Darwin
• Hannah Buckley, Queens
• Uli Forster, St. Johns
• Sarah Cochrane, (Lightweight captain),Trinity
• Jen Northover, Emmanuel

All crews performed well, and the results show that all crews concerned seem to have beaten their Oxford equivalents (athough direct comparisons are hard), despite both CUW I and CUW III being involved in a crash and blade clashes with other boats, and CUW II and III having very last minute substitutions.

CUW III came 347 in a time of 22.33.54, 2nd in WS3+ division, missing out on a win by less than a second
CUW I came 353 in a time of 22.37.37
CUW II came 396 in a time of 23.21.66

(Osiris as OUWBC being placed 365, 399, 412 and 503)

Congratulations to all involved – it shows promise for the coming year!

Reigning world champion oarswoman Catherine Bishop returned to Cambridge on Saturday hoping to inspire the latest generation of university rowers.

The former light blue, who seized gold in a nail-biting final at this year’s Milan world championships, spoke at a special reception held by Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club, and attended by this year’s squad.

Taking time out from training for next year’s Olympics in Athens, Cath told guests that the formative moment in her own sporting career was losing to Oxford in the 1991 women’s boat race.

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There will be a meeting for anyone wishing to trial for a place in the CUWBC Boat Race crews to race Oxford. It will be held on Saturday 11th October at 5pm at the Winstanley Lecture Hall, Trinity College.

Having reorganised the club we have a very different coaching team from last year. Ron Needs and Roger Silk achieved victory in 10 out of 10 Blue Boat races and 8 out of 10 lightweight races between 1989 and 1999.

The training plan has changed to give rowers who have academic commitments in the afternoons an opportunity to participate. In addition, much of the training in Michaelmas Term will take place in Cambridge.

Directions to the Winstanley Lecture Hall:
Standing with your back to Trinity Great Gate, go through the gate directly in front (into Whewell’s Court). Take the first open archway on the right, up some stairs (NOT ‘A’ staircase). At the top, there will be a large grey building in front of you. Bear Left around the far side of the building, and the Winstanley is in front of you. It will be signposted.

• President: Rachel Smith, Newnham (rjs88@cam.ac.uk)
• Vice President: Clare Philbrick, St. John’s (chp27@cam.ac.uk)
• Lightweight Captain: Sarah Cochrane, Trinity (sjc66@cam.ac.uk)
• Honorary Secretary: Laura Sutcliffe, Clare (lfrs2@cam.ac.uk)

• Head Coaches: Roger Silk and Ron Needs

The Sponsor a Seat Campaign has raised £2837 for CUWBC as a whole. The Lightweights, working separately, raised over £6000 in sponsorship. This made a huge difference to the girls, for which we would like to thank all our sponsors.

On Saturday 19th October five of the CUWBC squad travelled to Boston for the first set of GB trials of the year. Nicola Gardener, Annie Vernon, Ruth de Las Casas, Mary Hood and Angela Laycock (as well as Ruth Harbitt, who was injured for trials) are part of the World Class Start programme and have been learning to scull over the summer, coached by Adrian Cassidy. Nicola Gardener put in a good performance over the 5k distance to come in 7th of the U23s, in a time of 21.43.79. All five look forward to significant improvements at the next set of trials in December.