Lents 1960
The beginning of the Lent Term showed a further reduction in the number of people rowing, but the First Eight progressed well under J. R. Black (Emmanuel), H. Jackson, R. Price (Westcott House), and O. S. Tubbs, and remained 13th after going up one and down one (bumped Peterhouse on Grassy, rowed over twice then bumped by Selwyn in the Gut). The Second Eight, after training hard were unfortunate to go down two places (rowed over twice, then bumped by 1st & 3rd III and Pembroke II). The Third (up 3, down 3 – overbumped on second day), Fourth (down 4) and Fifth (Rugger) Eights (down one to bottom of the river) were all formed a few days before the Lent Races.
A J. Taunton came Fifth in the Second Trinity Sculls.
For the Putney Head of the River Race a completely different crew was formed which was not fit for the race, and fell to 62nd position, though still beating several Cambridge College crews.
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Mays 1960
The beginning of the May term once again saw a reduction in the number of oarsmen owing to the proximity of the Tripos examinations. The First May Eight was ably started by J. R. Hope-Simpson, who formed a uniform crew, although the usual competition from the Second Eight was missing. The crew progressed well under R. E. W. Halliwell, Ll. V. Bevan and J. R. Black, and seemed to be one of the fastest Caius boats of recent years. In the races it was unfortunate in having to row over for three nights behind a fast King’s boat with no threat from behind. The fourth night saw a rather unsatisfactory row over behind Magdalene, who we had hoped to bump. As a result, however, the college kept its place as 14th in Division I.
The Second Eight was formed after the Tripos examinations, two days before races, and was not unnaturally bumped on all four nights. The Third Eight was a good and spirited crew, which had trained for the whole term as the Second boat, but agreed to row as the Third boat so that we should be able to keep five of our usual 7 boats on the river. They also kept their place on the river. The Fourth Eight (Potterers) had trained with keenness for the whole term and though losing three places did reasonably well in Division Five. The Fifth boat was formed a few days before the races, and enthusiasm could not make up for lack of skill.
Two changes were made in the crew for Henley, making it the lightest Eight rowing in the Regatta. With two days’ training the Eight entered for Marlow Regatta and beat Vesta before losing to Quintin and King’s College, Cambridge. The racing experience formed a good basis for Dr Joe Bailey to produce, with his usual skill, an able crew, which beat St Paul’s School, Concorde, U.S.A., but lost to a powerful Thames Tradesmen crew in the Thames cup. Of the seven American crews in the Thames Cup, St Paul’s were the only one to be beaten by a British crew. The Four lost to Merton College, Oxford, by one length after an exciting race.
Throughout the whole year, two previous Captains of Caius Boat Club, who were still in residence, had trained hard together in a pair. They succeeded in winning the Senior Pairs event at Walton-on-Thames, but lost at Reading and Marlow. At Henley they made a great improvement under their coach for the year, Ll. V. Bevan, and after an easy win in the first round of the Silver Goblets, they lost to the winners after leading for half the course; a great credit to themselves and the Boat Club.
Despite our misfortunes the Boat Club acquitted itself quite well both in the Mays and at Henley.
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Officers elected for the year 1960-1
Captain A. J. Taunton
Secretary M. E. Drummond
Second Boat Captain J. A. Brooks
1960-1961
There was a marked lack of experienced oarsmen in the club at the beginning of the year, and it was therefore decided to enter one Clinker Four only for the Fours races. This crew improved in practice, but never ready overcame its initial disadvantage of inexperience, and lost in the first round to Downing.
A J. Taunton entered the Colquhoun Sculls. His training was hindered by CUBC trials, and he lost in the first round.
The same fault was evident in the Fairbairn Eight as had been apparent in the Four. Lack of technique and experience could not be completely compensated for by abundant spirit. In fact the boat made some appreciable progress during the term, but never managed to attain a consistently high standard. This was especially apparent in the race, when lack of experience produce a very stiff and nervous start from which the boat never recovered. It eventually finished 25th (14min 55sec, won by Jesus in 14 min 6sec). The Second Eight was largely composed of freshmen novices – an indication of the lack of material available. In the circumstances, they acquitted themselves very well, going down three places. They were very keen and spirited. The Third Eight fell to 64th, mainly due to a remarkably low number of outings.
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At the end of the Michaelmas term, A. T. Collins coxed and C. H. Gallimore rowed three in one of the Trial Eights. Both were therefore awarded their Trial Caps.
Lents 1961
The Lent Boat went through a variety of styles, being successively coached by E. G. Cooper, P. J. O. Allen (Jesus), H. Jackson and P. J. O. Allen again. By the time of the races the beginning of the stroke was extremely short, without anything positive arising from the shortness. On the first night only a classic piece of coxing saved the boat from being bumped by Kings. On the second and third nights it was bumped by Peterhouse and LMBC II respectively, and it rowed over on the last night (finished 15th).
The Second Eight, which was composed of largely the same men who had rowed in the Second Fairbairn boat, came on quite well in training, and was very fit. Each night it went off the start in a very determined fashion, but then inexperience showed, and it faded badly, being bumped four times (by Queens’ II, Magdalene II, Peterhouse II and Selwyn II, finished 33rd, head of the Third Division). The third Eight was rather overplaced, and also went down each night (bumped by Emmanuel III, LMBC V, Emmanuel III – again after they were overbumped and Peterhouse III, finished 56th).
After the Lents, an Eight was formed to go to the Putney Head of the River Race. It soon adapted itself to Tideway conditions, and at times went quite well in practice. The race itself, however, was a bad row, and the boat fell to just over a third of the way down the list. The Eight was coached from time to time by P. H. Grey and R. Horne.
In the same race, C. H. Gallimore rowed five in the Goldie Boat, which, having won the Reading Head, tied for third place at Putney with Isis.
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Mays 1961
The May boat was started by J. B. Jenkins (Selwyn), followed by P. H. Gray, Rev. G. D. Bayley-Jones (First and Third), L. V. Bevan (LMBC) and D. Hutton (Clare). It started quite well, and finished third in the Norwich Head of the River Race, after three weeks of training. After this is became very ponderous, and never again rowed so well. In the races, it rowed over on the first night, was bumped by Selwyn on the second night, rowed over ahead of Downing on the third night, but on the last night, with a substitute in the crew due to a member suffering an attack of food-poisoning, it was bumped by Downing and thus finished as sandwich boat (17th).
The Second Eight was a lively, amiable crew, which contained several freshmen. It went very hard, and was a little unlucky to be bumped twice (by Trinity Hall III at the Railings and Downing II under the Railway Bridge on the first two nights). The freshman in it developed quite well in the course of the year, and did well in a difficult situation.
From the May Boat, a Four was selected to go to Henley, where it was coached by Joe Bailey and P. H. Gray. At Marlow the Four lost to Vesta by one length, but then proceeded to improve at Henley. However although much was learnt and valuable experience gained, we never fully mastered the art of four-oared rowing, and lost to Imperial College in the preliminary round of the Visitors Cup.
This was a disappointing year for the Boat Club. It started in a weak position, and it is to be hoped that the lessons learnt and the experience gained in the course of the year will be of value in the future.
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The officers for 1961-2 will be
Captain J. A. Brooks
Secretary T.C. Duff
Second boat Captain C.H. Gallimore
1961-1962
1961-2 was the worst year in the history of the CBC, for no very apparent reason. In October two crews were entered for the Clinker Four races: both were eliminated in the first round. Great hopes were held for the Fairbairn Eight which included four good freshmen: the crew covered long distances in training (including a trip to Ely), but in the race after a fast first half they faded badly to finish 22nd, only three places up on 1960. The Second Eight, a scratch crew, did well to finish 44th. C.H. Gallimore and P. J. P. Hartley came into the Lent Eight, and this crew packed plenty of punch: but they never found poise and rhythm, and, visibly checking the boat between strokes, were unable to hold off fast Fitzwilliam and Magdalene crews; after rowing over the third night, they were bumped by Downing on the finishing post on the fourth. The Second and Third boats each went down three places (2nd Boat rowed over then bumped by Pembroke II, LMBC III and Fitzwilliam House II; 3rd Boat bumped by Pembroke IV, Fitzwilliam III, rowed over, bumped by Selwyn III); the Fourth made two bumps (Clare IV and CUWBC on the first two days). K. Haarhoff finished 12th in the Second Trinity Sculls.
The failure of the Lent Eight left only one hope for the Mays, the inclusion of Barrington-Ward at stroke. At first some improvement was shown, and the two eights entered for the new Head of the Cam race finished 14th and 26th. Only three weeks before the Mays, however, two men dropped out of the first Eight and, replacements being taken from the second, neither crew recovered. In the races all five crews were bumped four times, the first finishing its lowest ever at 21st (bumped by Peterhouse at the Stump, 1st & 3rd II on Ditton Corner, St Catharine’s II in the Reach and Fitzwilliam on Grassy; 2nd Boat Churchill I, LMBC IV, Fitzwilliam II and St Catharine’s III(?); 3rd Boat Jesus V, Churchill II, Christ’s IV and Downing III; 4th Boat Churchill III, St Catharine’s V, Clare IV and Selwyn V; 5th Boat Christ’s VI, LMBC X, Magdalene VI and Downing V).
Early in Easter term, a reunion CBC dinner was held at the Cafe Royal, Regent Street, and it is hoped to make this a regular event to the held perhaps preferably in Cambridge.
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Under the circumstances, no entry was made in the Henley Royal Regatta.
1962-1963
Officers for 1962-3
Captain E. J. Barrington-Ward
Secretary R. A. A. Brockington
Will this year show any substantial improvement? Certainly the Michaelmas Term results show an encouraging trend. Instead of entering the Fours races, the first three weeks were spent in tub pairs polishing technique: the captain entered for the Colquhoun Sculls, and conceding 1 1/2 stone narrowly lost to Stallard of Pembroke. In the Fairbairns, both crews rowed well and both went up. The second Eight overtook Pembroke Third (starting half a minute behind), but since this caused considerable loss of concentration, they were perhaps a little unfortunate in having a slow boat in front of them: they finished two up at 42nd. The First Eight took the bank in the Long Reach, but recovered well to finish six up at 16th. Though with much less talent than the 1961 crew, this crew was better together and much fitter – a fact which proves that fitness comes not so much from mileage itself, as from good use of the distance covered.
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Fairbairn Cup 1962
1st Boat finished 16th (up 6)
2nd Boat finished 42nd (up 2)
Lents 1963
Cancelled due to severe weather
Mays 1963
1st Boat rowed over, bumped Kings on First Post, 1st & 3rd II at the Wooden House, Peterhouse at the Stump, finished 18th
2nd Boar rowed over twice, bumped by Emmanuel III, Corpus II
3rd Boat bumped Downing III, Christ’s IV then rowed over twice
4th Boat bumped Selwyn V, rowed over, bumped Peterhouse IV, King’s IV, finished 91st
5th Boat bumped Downing V, rowed over, bumped by Emmanuel VI, rowed over, finished 101st
Officers for 1963-4
Captain K. N. Haarhoff, (H. N. Whitfield Easter Term)
Secretary A. G. Munro
1963-4
This year’s activities maintained the promise shown during 1962-3 and ended happily with the Fifth May Eight becoming the first college crew to win its oars for nine years.
No crew was entered for the Light Fours in October, as it was decided to concentrate on the Fairbairn Races at the end of the Michaelmas Term: in these the Second Eight rose one place to 36th and the First Eight four places to 12th.
In the Lent Races the First Eight was unlikely positioned behind a fast crew and could manage only one bump (on Magdalene at Ditton Corner on the third day), thus becoming sandwich boat for next year (17th). Then in the May races a similar starting position proved to be even unluckier for the First Eight, for, although in many ways a promising crew, it was bumped twice (bumped by Peterhouse before the Railings, rowed over, bumped by 1st & 3rd II after the Railway Bridge, finished 20th). The lower boats were more successful: both the Third and Fourth Eights made three bumps, the latter missing a fourth bump by a stroke of bad luck, and the Fifth (Rugger) Eight managed four bumps with ease, thus winning its oars.
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Officers for 1964-5
Captain H. N. Whitfield
Secretary J. M. Bewick
1964-1965
Our results for 1964-5 were: –
Light Fours, lost to Jesus II in the first round.
Fairbairn Races, down from 16th to 20th place.
Lent races, the First Eight rowed over every night as sandwich boat.
May races, the First Eight down three places (bumped by 1st & 3rd II, Corpus, rowed over, bumped by King’s, finished 23rd), the Second Eight down 1, the third Eight up two, the Fourth Eight down one then up three and the fifth Eight up one and down two places.
A small boat club, such as ours, must rely on the enthusiasm of its members, rather than on their experience. We cannot expect more than a handful of Freshmen who have already felt the incredible pleasure of being one of eight men in complete physical accord. Therefore, our crews have to be built up from scratch, taking whatever talent is offered. This naturally puts responsibility on the coaches, and we have been very lucky in having a number of very dedicated men. Their efforts are most apparent in the lower boats where success has been more notable. Let us hope that next year the first two boats can fall into step and make headway up the river, having realised that ability to make bumps requires no magic talents, but simply determination and enthusiasm.
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