Caius Boat Club (CBC; ''Caius'' pronounced ''keys'') is the boat club for members of
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of th ...
.
The Club has rowed on the
River Cam
The River Cam () is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely, at Pope's Corner. The total distance from Cambridge to ...
since 1827, and like the other college boat clubs its aim is to gain and hold the headship of the
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had b ...
and
May Bumps
The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of ...
, now held in
eight-oared boats, separately for men and women.
The club had a golden era from 1998 to 2007, finding itself in the top echelons of college rowing on both the men's and women's sides. From the
May Bumps 1998 until the
May Bumps 2007
The May Bumps 2007 were a set of rowing races held at Cambridge University from Wednesday 13 June 2007 to Saturday 16 June 2007. The races were run as a bumps race and were the 116th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held a ...
Caius took 19 headships, 15 of these by the men. In 2000 they became the first college to take a double headship on both the men's and women's side in the May Bumps. In the 2019
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had b ...
, CBC regained men's headship, after having lost it in 2017.
History
From its inception in 1827 as "Caius Wherry Club" the club has been active on the river, and became properly established by the construction of its own boat house. The Club saw some prominence in its early years, holding the headship in 1840, 1841 and 1844 (when only a singular bumps order existed, and there were no women at the university), but this was followed by a long drought. In 1987 The Men regained the Mays Headship but lost it the following year.
[Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, Dr. John (2000). ''The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827-1999'' ]
Recent times
During the golden era from 1998 to 2007, Caius took 5 consecutive Lent Headships (19 days at the top) and so claim to have earned the right to erect a clock tower on their boathouse, a popular myth on the River Cam, that may be made reality when the plans for the college's new boathouse are approved.
After another brief period in the doldrums, the Men's crew of 2010/2011 achieved the unlikely feat of remaining unbeaten on the river Cam in eights for an entire year. This run saw them bump up 4 times to the headship of the
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had b ...
(the first time this had been achieved in either bumps since 1962, and in the Lents since before WW2) and up 2 times to the headship of the
May Bumps
The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of ...
. They also represented the Cambridge Colleges against
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
in a collegiate varsity race at the
Henley Boat Races
The Henley Boat Races were a series of annual Rowing (sport), rowing races between various crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The event included the The Lightweight Boat Races, Lightweight Men's Boa ...
, becoming the only Cambridge men's crew to be successful against their dark blue opponents that year. The men's crew continue to be successful, retaining both the
Lents and
Mays Headship in 2012 and maintained their winning streak in side by side racing by beating Pembroke College, Oxford at the Henley Boat Races.
During the May bumps of 1998, the top 3 men's crews and the top 3 women's crews all secured the awarding of ''Blades'' by bumping up on each of the 4 days with the men's 1st VIII finishing ''Head of the River''. This 'clean sweep' of the top 6 boats being awarded their "Blades" has not happened previously, or since.
The men's first boat lost the Mays headship in 2016 to Maggie, and the Lents in 2017, also to Maggie. The women's first boat is currently second in Mays and thirteenth in Lents.
Caius Boat Club has a strong tradition of encouraging its athletes to trial for the university boat clubs;
CUBC,
CULRC, and
CUWBC. In 2014 there were Caians in both the men and women's
Blue Boat
The Blue Boat is the highest level boat representing the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge in the universities' annual rowing races on the River Thames, The Boat Race and Women's Boat Race. As of 2016, the women's first VIII ...
,
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ.
Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in th ...
, the
CUWBC Lightweight boat and the men's lightweight spare pair.
Notable alumni
*
Josh West, Olympic silver medalist
*
Alison Mowbray, Olympic silver medalist
*
Melissa Wilson, Current GB rower
Alumni club
There exists a club for members who have left the college called
Gonville Boat Club. Although GBC is primarily a recreational club, it occasionally enters regattas and sometimes races the current CBC 1st men's VIII. In 2008 a GBC crew took to the water with a total of 28 Cambridge headships between them.
Honours
Henley Royal Regatta
References
External links
*
CUCBC
Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs (CUCBC) is responsible for the day-to-day running of college rowing in Cambridge. It is also responsible for organising May and Lent bumps which are the main races of the Easter and Lent terms respectively.
...
a
Cambridge University Combined Boat ClubCaius Boat Club
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs
Rowing clubs of the University of Cambridge
Organisations of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Sports clubs established in the 1820s
1827 establishments in England
Rowing clubs in Cambridgeshire
Rowing clubs in England
Rowing clubs of the River Cam