55-635: Cantabrigian Rowing Club ( / ˌ k æ n t ə ˈ b r ɪ dʒ i ə n / ), known as Cantabs , is a 'town' (or CRA ) rowing and sculling club in Cambridge , UK . Cantabs was founded in 1950 as a rowing club for the old boys of the Hills Road Sixth Form College , then the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. It first accepted general membership in the 1960s and has been an open club since. The club
110-408: A bricklayer, from the 1920 regatta. According to the minutes of the regatta's Committee of Management, Kelly was excluded both because he was not eligible under the manual labour rules and because he was a member of Vesper Boat Club , which was banned in 1906 because members of its 1905 Henley crew had raised money to pay for their trip through public donations – making them professionals in the eyes of
165-615: A course of exactly one mile and 550 yards (2,112 metres). During the whole regatta, during racing hours there are numerous safety boats provided by the Colwick Park Lifeguards to keep competitors safe. The regatta organisers arrange for a first aid provider to be present, who have an on site hospital-style area. At a public meeting in Henley town hall on 26 March 1839, Captain Edmund Gardiner proposed "that from
220-532: A day, each event has a limited number of places. Qualifying races are held on the Friday before the regatta. The regatta's Committee of Management decides at its absolute discretion which crews are obliged to qualify; the Committee will examine the form and calibre of the entrants and may choose to pre-qualify some of them. The qualifying races take the form of a timed processional race up the regatta course, with
275-515: A moving the start of the course to the Berkshire side of Temple Island. At the time this channel was a winding, shallow backwater and it would clearly not be possible to lay a course of the full Henley distance without significant alteration to the bank, the island and the riverbed. For the 1923 regatta, the Stewards therefore decided to try a shorter experimental straight course which started at
330-430: A number of different men's, women's and junior squads which cater for the social rower to those who wish to train and race competitively at a high level. There are a number of different squads which mean that different commitment levels and aspirations can be catered for. The Senior Men's Squad has qualified at least one boat for Henley Royal Regatta in the majority of the last decade and in 2012 qualified two eights for
385-432: A source of amusement and gratification to the neighbourhood, and the public in general." The regatta was first staged in 1839, and proved so successful that it was expanded the next year from one day to two. As the regatta's popularity has grown it has further expanded: to three days in 1886, four days in 1906 and five days in 1986. The regatta has been known as Henley Royal Regatta since 1851, when Prince Albert became
440-401: A special meeting of the Stewards that: This meeting…while fully prepared to promote the establishment of an international regatta upon a proper course and under suitable conditions, is of the opinion that Henley Regatta does not provide either a proper course or suitable conditions for international competitions. William Grenfell He proposed amendments to the rules restricting entries to
495-589: A very close race against Tom Edwards-Moss , the eventual winner. Shoe-wae-cae-mette, rowing with then-unusual swivel rowlocks, reached the final of the Stewards' but lost to London Rowing Club . Columbia won the Visitors' Challenge Cup , becoming the first foreign winners of a Henley trophy. Accusations that both G.W. Lee and the Shoe-wae-cae-mette crew were not amateurs, led to a new, tighter, definition of amateurism in 1879. Any entries from outside
550-476: Is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames , England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course, Henley Women's Regatta , Henley Masters Regatta, and Henley Town and Visitors' Regatta, each of which is an entirely separate event. The regatta lasts for six days (Tuesday to Sunday) ending on
605-686: Is affiliated to the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association and British Rowing . The club is consistently one of the fastest on the River Cam , holding the men's headship in the annual Town Bumps in 11 years since 2010, and the women's headship since 2017. The Cantabs Women's A crew consistently finish as the fastest Cambridge town club at the Women's Eights Head of the River Race , and finished 14th overall in 2017, winning
SECTION 10
#1732802321054660-639: Is based in Cambridge , UK . It is the administrative body for non-college rowing in Cambridge and since 1868 has organised races such as the CRA Bumps as well as looking after the interests of local rowing by providing facilities and regular meetings to discuss issues. [REDACTED] Henley Royal Regatta 51°32′55″N 0°53′39″W / 51.5487°N 0.8941°W / 51.5487; -0.8941 Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta , its original name pre-dating Royal patronage)
715-496: Is currently a biology teacher at Bedford School The Senior Women's Squad races competitively at the major Tideway heads, as well as local and national regattas and, in 2015, two crews raced at Ghent International Regatta, with the women's pair winning their event (this pair went on to represent England at the Home International Regatta ). Cantabs have had the fastest Cambridge town first and second eights at
770-521: Is flowing, the Berks station enjoys considerable shelter from the stream, particularly in the last ¼ mile. Conversely, when there is a strong south-westerly wind it is better to be on the Bucks station because it is more sheltered from the wind. The course is now piled and boomed along its entire length, except for crossing points. The booms can present a hazard for the inexperienced coxswain or steersman. When
825-670: Is not the same as seeding , the main difference being that there is no 'rank order' as is usually the case in, for example, a tennis tournament. The draw is a public event that takes place in the Henley Town Hall , normally at 3 pm on the Saturday before the regatta. For each event the names of all selected crews are placed on pieces of paper which are then drawn at random from the Grand Challenge Cup. These crews are then placed on pre-determined positions on
880-592: Is recognised by both British Rowing (the governing body of rowing in England and Wales) and FISA (the International Federation of Rowing Associations). The regatta is organised by a self-perpetuating body of Stewards, who are largely former rowers themselves. One exception to this rule is that the Mayor of Henley-on Thames Council is an ex-officio Steward. Pierre de Coubertin modelled elements of
935-590: Is the largest one-day event on the Cam. The club is based out of its own boat house in Chesterton on the banks of the River Cam. The boat house has a purpose-built indoor training space upstairs, with weights facilities installed in 2016, along with static and dynamic ergs, BikeErgs and a SkiErg. Rack space for boats ranging from single sculls to eights is located both downstairs and outside. The club also makes use of
990-490: Is when a crew leads by a sizeable margin and is not deemed by the umpire to be impeding the trailing crew. There are several progress markers along the course. Intermediate times are recorded at two of them – "the Barrier" and "Fawley", in addition to the time to the finish. The regatta has official commentary, which is announced at these points along the course. The commentary is renowned for being unemotional and factual, with
1045-554: The Thames Challenge Cup , a first for any Cambridge town club. In addition, there has been substantial individual success, with John Hale winning silver in the lightweight sculls at the 2012 British Rowing Championships before representing England in the lightweight double at the Home International Regatta and Charlie Palmer reaching the finals of the Diamond Challenge Sculls in 2005 and 2006. He
1100-633: The Women's Eights Head of the River Race (WEHoRR) for the past few years, winning the Provincial Pennant when finishing 14th overall in 2017. Since the 2017 win the Cantabs Women's A crew has consistently placed in the top three Provincial Club crews every time that WEHoRR has run, including pennant wins in 2022 and 2024. In 2016, the senior squad won gold at the British Rowing Masters Championships in
1155-571: The ARA rules; Henley's rules were changed the following day, coming into effect from the 1938 regatta. In September 1997, FISA removed all references to amateurism in its rules and in December 1998 Henley followed suit. The regatta is therefore now entirely open. The first 'overseas' entry to the regatta was in 1870 when Trinity College, Dublin entered the Grand, Ladies', Visitors' and Wyfold. As Dublin
SECTION 20
#17328023210541210-595: The Amateur Rowing Association of Great Britain would also cause a 66-year schism in British rowing, when in 1890 a rival National Amateur Rowing Association was set up, with a less restrictive definition of amateurism under which persons who worked in manual labour as their occupation could still be considered amateur rowers. One well-known incident was the exclusion of future Olympic champion John B. Kelly Sr. , who had served an apprenticeship as
1265-543: The Buckinghamshire bank and provided shelter from the prevailing wind. The course now ran close to this bank and crew on the Buckinghamshire station gained the advantage of shelter whenever a 'Bushes Wind' was blowing. From 1886 to 1905, Bucks took 59% of wins against 41% on Berks. To attempt to reduce the effect of the Bushes Wind, the course was narrowed and pushed further to the centre of the river. The width
1320-531: The Buckinghamshire side and finished opposite the upstream end of Phyllis Court, very close to the current finish line. There were two slight bends (at Remenham and just after Fawley) and a staggered start to compensate for them. The course was also piled for the first time, although not boomed. Unfortunately, it became apparent that in trying to eliminate the unfairness of the Old Course, a new problem had been introduced. Downstream of Fawley, bushes grew alongside
1375-464: The CRA boat house and Fitzwilliam College boat house in Cambridge, primarily for Cantabs' large and vibrant junior squad and for adaptive rowing for people with disabilities. Financial support for this development includes Olympic legacy funding from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund. The club is open to rowers, scullers and coxes of all ages, from the junior level up to masters level. Cantabs runs
1430-621: The Henley Stewards. Kelly's exclusion was widely reported in newspapers in both the UK and USA, with many seeing it as an attempt to prevent an American from winning the Diamonds. Kelly's son John B. Kelly Jr. would dramatically win the 1947 Diamond Sculls, and his daughter would become the famous Academy Award-winning actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly , keeping the incident in the public eye for decades afterwards. In 1936, there
1485-542: The Provincial Pennant. Cantabs' B, C, D and E crews at WEHoRR were also faster than their counterparts from other Cambridge town clubs, and finished as the fastest B, C, D and E crews in the Provincial event. The Cantabs A crew won the Provincial Pennant again in 2022 and 2024. The club runs the Cambridge Winter Head every November, an event that regularly attracts over seventeen hundred competitors, and
1540-588: The United Kingdom had to be made on or before 1 March and had to be 'accompanied by a declaration made before Notary Public with regard to the profession of each member of the crew', which then had to be certified by the British Consul , the mayor, or the chief authority of the locality. Under these new rules, Shoe-wae-cae-mette were refused entry in 1879 as were Hillsdale Boat Club of Michigan in 1882. The Germania Ruder Club of Frankfurt became
1595-500: The bend) and the start to the bottom of Temple Island. This was not popular with spectators as it made previous viewing points obsolete. The sub-committee also recommending reducing the racing lanes from three to two and extending racing from two days to three. The Committee gained support from the Captains of competing Clubs and the changes were introduced for the 1886 Regatta. The New Course started just downstream of Temple Island, on
1650-455: The commentator only allowed to announce the rate of striking , which crew is leading, the distance between the crews, and the progress marker which the crews are passing. Henley Royal Regatta has always been raced over a distance of 'about one mile and 550 yards' from Temple Island upstream towards Henley Bridge. However, four distinct courses have been used over the regatta's history, with smaller changes also being made incrementally. Changes to
1705-488: The course came to be described as "about 1 mile and 550 yards (2,112 metres)", which was the distance covered by an eight. In 1967 the start of the Straight Course was relocated exactly 1 mile 550 yd from the finish. In the same year, moving pontoons were introduced at the start which allowed all boats, from singles to eights, to be aligned with their bows precisely on the start line. Since then all crews have raced
Cantabrigian Rowing Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
1760-472: The course have all been aimed at improving the prospects for fair and safe racing. This ran from a point just upstream of Temple Island. At the first regatta in 1839, the finish line was Henley Bridge itself, but it was presumably quickly realised that this had inherent problems. From 1840 onward the finish was moved downstream slightly; eventually a point opposite the lawn of the Red Lion Hotel became
1815-453: The crews attach to a pair of pontoons. The race umpire will then call out the names of the two crews and start them when they are both straight and ready. Each crew is assigned to row on either the 'Bucks' ( Buckinghamshire ) or 'Berks' ( Berkshire ) side of the race course. The coxswains or steersmen are expected to keep their crew on the allocated side of the course at all times during the race, else they risk disqualification. The only exception
1870-404: The deadly inroad of professionalism, which is already making a business of so much that ought only to be pleasure, and threatens to crush the life out of the sports of "merrie England". Let us restrict our Henley pots to the United Kingdom and set up a proper international regatta elsewhere, if that is thought desirable. Edmond Warre, The Times W.H. Grenfell MP proposed a motion for
1925-416: The draw chart, as far apart as possible. The remaining qualifying crews are then drawn from the cup, filling in from the top of the draw chart downwards, until all places have been filled. Each event in the regatta takes the form of a knockout competition, with each race consisting of two crews racing side by side up the Henley course. The course is marked out by two lines of booms (wooden bars which float on
1980-438: The fastest crews qualifying. Times are released for non-qualifying crews only. This does not stop an enthusiastic band of unofficial timers with synchronised watches working out how fast their first round opposition might be. If it is apparent that there are a number of outstanding crews in an event, they may be 'selected' by the Stewards, to prevent them from meeting too early in the competition. The regatta insists that selection
2035-527: The first entry from continental Europe in 1880, losing in a heat of the Grand to London Rowing Club. Foreign entries grew over the next twenty years, to the consternation of some who felt that the regatta should be restricted to domestic entries only. There were also a number of disputes over amateurism and the two issues were often bound up together, as in this letter to The Times from Edmond Warre , headmaster of Eton College in 1901: I most earnestly desire that our amateur oarsmanship may be preserved from
2090-427: The first royal patron. Since his death, every reigning monarch has agreed to be the patron. At the regatta's inception it was intended for amateur oarsmen rather than those who rowed professionally. In 1879 Henley produced its first formal definition of an amateur: No person shall be considered an amateur oarsman or sculler, or coxswain: Henley Royal Regatta, 1879 In 1884, amateur status for overseas oarsmen
2145-599: The first weekend in July. Races are head-to-head knock out competitions, raced over a course of 1 mile 550 yards (2,112 m). The regatta regularly attracts international crews to race. The most prestigious event at the regatta is the Grand Challenge Cup for men's Eights, which has been awarded since the regatta was first staged. As the regatta pre-dates any national or international rowing organisation, it has its own rules and organisation, although it
2200-536: The largest number of crews of any club in the CRA Bumps, reflecting the size of the club. In 2018, 16 men's and 11 women's crews took part, comprising 25% of the overall entry, with crews bumping up a 'net' of 35 places in addition to retaining the two Headships. Cambridgeshire Rowing Association 52°12′42.27″N 0°7′46.73″E / 52.2117417°N 0.1296472°E / 52.2117417; 0.1296472 The Cambridgeshire Rowing Association (CRA)
2255-443: The lively interest which had been manifested at the various boat races which have taken place on the Henley reach during the last few years, and the great influx of visitors on such occasions, this meeting is of the opinion that the establishing of an annual regatta, under judicious and respectable management, would not only be productive of the most beneficial results to the town of Henley, but from its peculiar attractions would also be
Cantabrigian Rowing Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
2310-649: The organisation of the International Olympic Committee on the Henley Stewards. The regatta is regarded as part of the English social season . As with other events in the season, certain enclosures at the regatta have strict dress codes. Entries for the regatta close at 6 pm sixteen days before the Regatta. In order to encourage a high quality of racing, create a manageable race timetable and to ensure that most crews race only once
2365-640: The para event at Henley Women's Regatta in 2015, and representing England at the Home International Regatta on two occasions. The blade colours are dark blue and silver; kit: white, trimmed with blue. Cantabs has held the Women's headship in the CRA Bumps since 2017 and the Men's Headship in 11 years since 2010. The other women's crews all hold higher positions than their equivalent crews from other clubs. Since 2015, Cantabs has frequently entered
2420-604: The standard finish line. A grandstand was erected for the Stewards and their guests outside the Red Lion. Other spectators could watch from the adjacent roadway (in front of the Little White Hart Hotel) while those with carriages surveyed the scene from a vantage point on Henley Bridge. There were three racing stations (Berkshire, Centre and Buckinghamshire). When only two crews raced, the Centre Station
2475-437: The start and finish positions of the Old Course had become established, the distance between them was found to be 1 mile 570 yds (2,131 metres). However, boats were aligned by their sterns at the start and judged by their bows at the finish. This meant that the course was slightly longer for shorter boats (such as single sculls) than for longer boats (such as eights). The length of an eight was assumed to be twenty yards and as such
2530-474: The top of the island. This produced 53.2% wins on Bucks and 46.8% on Berks, deemed enough of an improvement on the New Course to justify a permanent change. The consent of the landowners of the Berkshire bank and Temple island (Lord Hambleden and W.D. Mackenzie respectively) was obtained to widen and deepen the Berkshire channel; 10,000 cubic yards (7,600 m ) of material were excavated. The Straight Course
2585-413: The water, secured between vertical poles), which are placed along the river to form a straight course 2,112 metres long. The course is wide enough to allow two crews to race down with a few metres between them. As such it is not uncommon for inexperienced steersmen or coxswains to crash into the booms, possibly costing their crew the race. The race begins at the downstream end of Temple Island, where
2640-716: The women's A1x and C4-, won W.MasC.4+ at the Veteran Fours Head of the River, and won the IM1 pairs event at Pairs Head, where they were also the 2nd fastest W2- overall. In 2017, Cantabrigian won the Club 8+ event at Henley Women's Regatta , setting a new course record in the process. At Henley Royal Regatta , Cantabs have qualified an 8 for The Wargrave Challenge Cup each year since its inception. The club has also had success with adaptive /para rowing, with Claire Connon winning
2695-402: Was 135 feet in 1887, in 120 feet in 1888 and then progressively until by 1914 it was down to 100 feet at the start tapering to 80 feet at the finish. In 1899, floating booms secured between the pilings which mark the course were also introduced along part of its length in an attempt to keep spectators from obstructing races. In around 1920, the Stewards carried out a survey canvassing the idea of
2750-589: Was a further controversy when the Australian national eight, preparing for the Berlin Olympics, was excluded from the Grand Challenge Cup because the crew was composed of policemen, deemed to be 'manual workers'. The resulting embarrassment persuaded the Amateur Rowing Association and the Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta of the need for change. On 9 June 1937, the offending references to manual labourers, mechanics, artisans and menial duties were deleted from
2805-672: Was at that time within the United Kingdom , this was not a foreign entry. TCD won the Visitors' and reached the final of the Ladies'. The first international competitors came in 1878 when G.W. Lee of New Jersey and G. Lee of Boston entered the Diamonds, Shoe-wae-cae-mette BC of Monroe, Michigan , a crew of French Canadian watermen, entered the Stewards' and Columbia College entered the Stewards' and Visitors'. Lee of Boston made little progress but Lee of New Jersey lost his heat in
SECTION 50
#17328023210542860-440: Was not boomed or piled, although between 1871 and 1873, poles were roped across the bay on the Berkshire side upstream of Poplar Point, in an attempt to minimise the advantage given to the crew on the Berkshire station. In 1884, a sub-committee of the regatta's Committee of Management discussed options for reducing the unfairness of the course. Their recommendation was to move the finish line downstream to Poplar Point (thus avoiding
2915-407: Was not used. The Old Course had a large lefthand bend in the last quarter-mile. This benefited the crew on the Berkshire side of the course not only because they raced a shorter distance but also because they avoided the worst of the river's current. Between 1866 and 1885, 57.7% all races were won by the crew on the Berkshire station, with the Buckinghamshire and Centre crews sharing 42.3%. The course
2970-467: Was now ready for use. The Straight Course runs from the upstream end of Temple Island to a point opposite the upstream end of the Phyllis Court. It is 80 feet (24 m) wide. The Straight Course has generally addressed the problems of unfairness: for example, between 1975 and 1984, 50.52% of races were won on Bucks and 49.31% on Berks (with the remainder dead heats). However, when a strong stream
3025-414: Was put on the same basis as for home oarsmen, thus ending the concession on racing for money prizes. By 1886 a phrase had also been added debarring any person "engaged in any menial activity". These rules would become the cause of growing controversy as international entries to Henley increased; most foreign countries having a different definition of amateur. The adoption of Henley's definition of amateur by
#53946