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Newsletter
Trinity Term 2014
From the Editors...
Dear Friends,
We hope you have had a pleasant
Summer. As the weather changes and
a new academic year approaches, the
Boat Club is busy planning to recruit
new crews and start novice training
for another year.
However, do not think that this
has been all they have achieved since
term ended! Indeed, at the end of
July an intrepid group of Hall rowers
undertook to break the 80-year old
record for the 120km challenge to
row to London from the Isis and
incoming Men’s Captain Joe Mackay
is developing a smart new website:
All that remains is to remind you
that the Friends of the Boat Club
Annual Dinner will be on Friday
3rd October this year. It is always
a wonderful Hall occasion, and an
excellent way to meet current crews
and support the Boat Club, at the
same time as having a convivial meal
in the Old Dining Hall! Details for
We look forward to seeing you there.
Floreat Aula!
The Friends of the Boat Club
Trinity Term 2014
Editor: Rachel Adams
Production: Rebecca Ting
Contributors: Graham Baird,
Richard Fishlock, Darrell Barnes,
Gemma Prata, Joe Mackay
Are you in?
Join the Friends of St
Edmund Hall Boat Club
www.linkedin.com
group to keep updated
on Boat Club news,
download previous newsletters and
network with other Aularians.
ROW TO LONDON PHOTO from Megan
Row to London
On Wednesday, 30th July a group of
a tired crew might not be the safest
the Thames from Oxford to London
in a day, a distance of over 120km and
involving the navigation of 30 locks.
This feat was achieved by a Wadham
crew in 1932, who managed the
journey in an impressive 16 hours. This
made with a Lincoln crew but they only
got as far as Maidenhead (100km). The
limiting factor then was waiting for
locks - and on a sunny Saturday, too; the
cunning Hall crew planned to reduce
these delays by going on a Wednesday
and by having also contacted the
Environment Agency in advance to get
preferential treatment at locks.
college boat clubs since, but as far as we
are aware, all have failed to match the
time of Wadham. Indeed, the Boat Club
received a message from one Pembroke
rower advising them of their experience
and the impossibility of the task: the
Hall’s response was simply “yeah - but
that’s Pembroke and we’re Teddy Hall”.
The row was in support of the
Oxfordshire based mental charity
Restore which supports people
struggling with mental health issues
and promotes education to recognise
symptoms of potential illnesses.
programmes and employment and
training support for people with mental
health problems.
Hall boathouse, aiming to get as far as
possible. The intention was to make at
least Teddington lock as they felt that
going further on to the Tideway in what
would be approaching darkness with
So did they make it?
Graham Baird writes:
“In the end we didn’t quite reach
our target of London, making it only
as far as Maidenhead after 17 hours
and 100km. However, the event far
exceeded our expectations. The support
we received, especially from the Friends,
surpassed our fundraising target.
Additionally, with our appearance in the
local paper and a BBC radio interview,
we generated valuable publicity both for
the charity and indeed the Boat Club.
On top of this, everyone involved on the
day thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and
plans are already forming to repeat next
That’s Hall Spirit!
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Men’s Rowing
Squad News
After the disappointment of Torpids,
Hilary Term ended with a piece of
good news for the men’s boat club with
Marcus Henglein securing a seat in the
lightweight boat to face Cambridge at
the Henley Boat Races. Marcus, who
only took up rowing last year, put up
lost to a very good Cambridge crew.
advantageous. Starting from what
most of the crew would agree was a
low base, the regular water outings
paid dividends and the crew continued
the pace of progression seen on camp.
Things really started to come together
in the last week, with some high quality
rowing and excellent practice pieces.
This led to a number of compliments
from some experienced watchers and
the crew entered Eights Week with a
Starting the third day the crew knew
they were staring down the barrel
we were being chased by Keble, now
embarrassed and with a point to prove,
whilst this time we were chasing the
strong Worcester crew we failed to
trouble the day before. As expected
Keble came at us hard and despite
rowing our best so far, we had no
answer to their experience and power,
succumbing just after Donny Bridge.
we could cause some surprises.
Summer Eights
on day one was stark. The chasing
Keble crew were widely fancied for
blades and few gave us much chance of
survival.
Despite this the crew were quietly
Marcus Henglein, far right, at 3 for OULRC
In keeping with the determination
he has shown all year in trials, Marcus
and help OULRC avenge the loss.
Training Camp
Preparations for the Summer Eights
training camp based in Mantova, Italy.
There was some initial rustiness, but
with double outings each day under
the scrutinising eye of our coach
Geordie Macleod, the crew made rapid
improvements.
Despite the gains, the crew left
Italy under no illusions about the task
facing them in Eights. With a strong
Keble crew chasing, featuring Olympic
medallists Tim Foster (Atlanta 1996
Bronze, Sydney 2000 Gold) and Storm
Uru (London 2012 Bronze) as well as
several OUBC squad rowers, it would
be essential to carry the momentum
built on camp into term-time training.
Trinity Term
Arriving back in Oxford and after
a short hiatus for undergraduate
held the gap fairly constant. Any time
Wadham gained on us we were able
rowing well together and that our start
the Wadham crew put in a strong push,
like a bullet out a gun, we held Keble
at the initial starting distance, whilst
the gap to the Hertford crew ahead
was rapidly closing. As we closed
on Hertford the water became very
rough and the rowing did deteriorate
somewhat. At this point Keble did
begin to close, however it was too
us. Despite the gap closing up towards
the line, the race was always under
control and the crew maintained their
composure, rowing with assuredness
on Hertford just before Donnington
Bridge. Jubilant celebrations followed
from the crew, as months of built-up
pressure was relieved in an instant.
Going into the second day we
from behind and therefore decided to
Overall, I feel it was a successful week,
holding our place, maintaining top
division status and denying Keble’s
Olympians their blades in the process.
Second Eight
The year was a tough one for the Second
Eight, as most of the crew entered
under their belts. Having said this the
squad was strengthened by the return
of some experienced rowers as well
as an infusion of novice talent and
strengths having trained for short quick
races with an eye on avoiding Keble,
also we wished to deny Worcester
the chance of bumping out ahead.
Although we did close up on Worcester
the crew made good progress under
the supervision of their coach Chris
Fairweather (Isis stroke 2014).
Eights started well for the Second
Eight with a strong row over on day
within striking distance, perhaps
crew. Coming in to the boathouses
Linacre were closing and it appeared
they might catch M2. However, a
strong push re-opened the gap and they
crossed the line with a good margin.
Buoyed by their performance on
business was to get the men’s new
name chosen for the new eight was
‘The Worthington’ in recognition of the
generosity of Stuart Worthington and
as a successor to the old men’s third
eight.
With the Eight training six days a
week on the water it was decided that it
would be best if they stayed on the Isis
advantages of convenience and gaining
familiarity with the course were
ahead the chances of a revenge bump
were slim and therefore the primary
goal was to defend against the chasing
well, gaining on the New College crew
ahead and opening the gap on Linacre.
Unfortunately a misjudgement led to
to escape and Linacre to close. Despite
Women’s Captain Gemma Prata does the
honours christening ‘The Worthington’
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compounded the problems and Linacre
bumped soon after.
Marcus Henglein, George Spill, Jonathon Connolly (cox).
Knowing that they were faster
Magdalen II behind were strong, the
plan for day three was simple: go out
hard and look to bump before being
quickly and without the mistakes of
the previous day were moving hard
on Linacre ahead. Coming up to the
Green Bank the race couldn’t be more
exciting, with the three boats in close
succession, the only question being
for the M2 things didn’t go their way
and they were caught by Magdalen.
Sandwiched between two crews on
for blades with the quick Magdalen
II behind. Disappointingly the week
ended with another bump, as Wadham
II secured their blades.
Overall the week was a case of what
might have been for M2. Down three
was a disappointing result and given
for M2. On a positive note many of
the rowers showed strong progression
during the term and most are set to
continue rowing in the men’s squad
next year.
Third Eight
For the second year running a third
men’s boat was entered in Eights.
With a strong line-up featuring many
of the fastest times of the day. Starting
13th in Division VI, they swept all
crews from their path, bumping each
day. The only complication they faced
was on the second day when the two
crews ahead bumped out leaving them
to chase down the St Hilda’s II crew
which started three positions and six
and a half boat lengths ahead. Finally
catching them outside the boathouse,
it was rather further than many of the
crew expected to row. In total the crew
moved up six places over the four days,
building on the blades won by M3 last
year. Hopefully this run of success
can be continued maintaining the
Overall I feel that the year was a
step forward for the men’s side in terms
rowing. Maintaining Division I status
in Eights was essential in order to
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continue being seen as a serious sports
club both within College and the wider
Oxford rowing community. It was an
honour to serve as captain and I look
with pride on what we achieved over
the year.
I would like to thank all those who
backed the men this year including
College and the Friends. Special
mention must go to Richard Fishlock
for all his support in so many areas; the
results wouldn’t have been possible
without it. I would also like to thank
with our bad rowing for so long and
Finally I would also like to thank the
know at times it was frustrating, but it
was great to row with you guys in what
was the truly the best Hall crew I’ve
been part of.
Building on the foundations laid
this year and with a large contingent
of rowers returning hungrier, stronger
and more experienced, I’m certain that
next year will prove highly successful
for the men’s boat club. I also believe
that with Joe Mackay as Captain the
Graham Baird, Men’s Captain
Women’s Rowing
Squad News
Suzanne Cole, Women’s Captain 201112, was once again selected to represent
Oxford for the Lightweight Women in
the Henley Boat Races for the 2nd year
in a row. This time Suzanne stroked
the crew to a convincing victory over
race for many of our W1 due to the
cancellation of Torpids. Starting in
3rd position in Division I, we held our
closing half a length on Wadham by
the gut.
Unfortunately the Wadham crew
didn’t collapse under pressure as they
were moving hard on St John’s who
Training Camp
year with a very successful training
camp in Sabaudia.
The crew made steady
improvements in technique and
during Hilary Term thanks to Harriet
Keane’s fantastic erg programme.
Over the Easter break we all kept tabs
on each other by means of a shared
spreadsheet in which we recorded our
that when we arrived in Italy we were
Magadalen at 5th managed to bump
Pembroke that day, which meant that
on the Thursday we would be being
Our fantastic W2 crew (left to right):
Brynne McGarry, Jessica Davidson, Ashley
W2 started Wednesday on bungline 12 in Division IV and rowed well,
but were unfortunately caught at
Donnington Bridge by Balliol W2 who
were simply the stronger crew on the
day.
On Thursday W1 were once again
chasing Wadham, but sadly didn’t get
as close as on Wednesday, as Wadham
Lipika Ramaswary, Katy Wiseman and
Dana Thompson.
John’s. They managed to bump at the
beginning of the Green Bank causing
us to refocus, go for the row-over and
stay well away from the Magdalen
crew, who at this point were more than
two lengths behind us.
This row-over felt like a real
achievement for the W1 crew and gave
crew of mostly blues rowers.
For our W2 crew, the
disappointment of being bumped on
slightly more nervous than the
previous day, but managed to stave
where they were eventually caught by
St Catherine’s W2.
On the Friday W1 were going for
the bump on St John’s. We had a fast
start and had moved half a length on
John’s before the Gut. We kept closing,
and by the time we were exiting the
However they fought hard and
managed to hold us as we approached
the Green Bank. Unfortunately, a
combination of fatigue after our initial
push and lack of experience of the crew
meant that we lost them and ended up
rowing over. Pembroke managed to
gain back their place at 4th
Friday and once again made it to
training.
Trinity Term
back in Oxford was the dreaded 2k test,
which overall saw fewer personal bests
than the previous test in Hilary Term,
but there were huge improvements
from this year’s intake of novices.
Sadly we lost a couple of our
star rowers to exams (Silke Rieger,
Women’s Captain 2012-13) and injury
(Susana Hancock), but gained Suzanne
Cole after her successful season with
OUWLRC.
of the eight W2 crew members had
never been in a boat, the other three
only a handful of times in Michaelmas.
They showed absolute commitment
and dedication when they took on the
challenging task of producing a racing
crew by 5th week under the guidance
of Mariann Novak.
Summer Eights
Wednesday of Eights was a very
Iona Horton, 2: Ellie Crossley, Bow: Gemma Prata (Captain). Courtesy: Gary Power
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W2 fortunately managed to avoid
The girls fought well and didn’t allow
nerves to get in the way despite the St
Anne’s crew coming within a canvas.
Donnington Bridge before being
bumped by Regent’s Park.
After Friday’s disappointment at
coming so close to bumping St John’s
we were determined to get the bump;
however it seemed as if they had
the day before. We rowed well but just
didn’t have enough to be able to make
the move we needed. Pembroke behind
us fought well and came within half
a length of bumping us as we rowed
past Boathouse Island. This made for
an exciting race for spectators, but
thankfully with the help of the roar of
applause from Teddy Hall Boat House,
we managed to hold our ground and
started at 3rd.
Overall the women have had a
fantastic year and I have thoroughly
enjoyed being Captain. I wish all the
best to our new Women’s Captain
for 2014-15, Megan Carter, who I’m
this year’s achievements.The women
would like to thank the Friends for
their generous support allowing us to
have our training camps in Italy and
for providing us with the fantastic
coaching team we’ve had this year.
Special thanks to Richard Fishlock
coaching and supporting the women’s
side of the Boat Club. Thanks also to
our coaches, Harriet Keane and Victoria
Stulgis for W1 and Mariann Novak for
W2, and to Ollie Holt and Tim Grant
who coached us in Michaelmas Term.
Finally, a huge thanks to the
oarswomen of Teddy Hall who have
shown incredible commitment to the
Boat Club this year and have made my
job as Captain an absolute pleasure.
Gemma Prata, Women’s Captain
2014 Diary Dates
3 October
Friends of the Boat
Club Annual Dinner
26-29 November Christ Church
Constitution
At a Special Meeting of the Friends held
on 31st May, a new constitution was
approved and has now been registered
with the Charity Commission. The new
in appointing Trustees and members
will still maintain a close and cordial
link with the college.
For updates, pictures and the current squads’ latest training plans (!), visit the new SEHBC website: http://www.sehbc.org
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