History
1980s and 1990s: Consistently High Quality W1 Crews
Homerton College Boat Club first competed in the women's2000s and 2010s: The M1 Surge from Division 5 to Division 1
In the mid-90s, a Men's crew was formed and started working their way through the lower divisions of both Lent and May bumps. In the space of 8 years, the Men's 1st VIII (M1) boat rose over 3 whole divisions to the top of Division 3 in 2002. This included going up an astonishing 21 places between 2000 and 2001, moving from P10 in Division 4 to P6 in Division 3 with a run that included 6 bumps (including one as the sandwich boat), an overbump, a double overbump and a triple overbump. As mentioned below, rising 13 places in a single set of bumps racing in 2001 remains an Oxbridge record. After a few years battling around the top of Division 3, the Men's 1st VIII crew raced twice on the final day of May Bumps 2007, first bumping up in the Division 3 race to move to the head of the Division, and again 90 minutes later, this time starting at the bottom of Division 2 (aka rowing as the 'sandwich boat', a gruelling ask at the best of times). Their second race of the day ended by bumping on Plough Reach in front of the most crowded section of the course, finally bursting through into Division 2 and also winning their blades. Despite the increased level of competition, now racing against mainly other 1st VIIIs, guided by the long-term planning and expert coaching of Sergej Using (also captain of Cambridge 99's Boat Club, Henley Masters medal-winner and ex-pro basketball player) the Men's 1st VIII progressed smoothly through Division 2 over the following few years, winning blades again in 2008 and 2010, and narrowly missing out in 2011 (only going up 3 places). On the final race of the final day May Bumps 2012, again rowing twice in 90 minutes as the sandwich boat and at the end of a grueling week, HCBC M1 bumped Churchill M1 to win their fourth set of blades in 6 years, and with it breaking through into the May Bumps Men's First Division for the first time in the Club's history.2010s: A Resurgent W1
After consistently building the Women's 1st VIII and squad from the end of the 2000s, and a number of hard-fought but unsuccessful battles on the water, W1 results took a significant upswing after the establishment of long term coach Mike Edey and his process-driven approach. InRecord Breakers - Oxbridge Record (2001) and World Record (2017)
Oxbridge Record - Most Places Advanced during one Series of Bumps Races (Mays/Lents/Torpids/Eights)
The Homerton College Boat Club Men's 1st VIII hold the Oxbridge record for the most places advanced during one series of bumps (either Mays, Lents, or Torpids/Eights for Oxford), advancing 13 places in theWorld Record - Longest Continuous Row on a Concept2 Rowing Machine
In May 2017, the Club broke the world record for longest continuous row on a Concept2 rowing machine. Members of the club took shifts rowing on the same machine for 4 days 12 hours and 10 minutes, keeping the flywheel spinning constantly through day and night, and supported by friends and fellow Homertonians in full view in the college's Buttery (bar/cafeteria).University colours
List of known members of University Boat Clubs:CUBC
*2019: Dave Bell (Blue Boat) *2014: Mike Thorp (Blue Boat) *2013: Henry Fieldman (Blue Boat) *2013: Mike Thorp (Goldie) *2012: Mike Thorp (Blue Boat - won) *2011: Mike Thorp (Blue Boat) *2010: Mike Thorp (Goldie - won) *2002: Andreas MacFarlane (triallist) *1999-2000: Dan McSherry (Goldie) *1998-1999: Dan McSherry (spare) *1996-97: Suzie K. Ellis (cox, Goldie - won)CUWBC
*2020: Morgan Morrison (Lightweight - won) *2018: Stephanie Payne (Lightweight - won) *2015: Daphne Martschenko (NB - first Women's Tideway Boat Race) *2013: Alex Courage (Lightweight) *2011: Anna Beare (Lightweight - won) *2004: Rachael Hanley (Blondie), Catherine Sutherland (Blondie) *2002: Ulrike Münch-Klever (Spare) *2001: Hannah Cadman (Lightweights), Ruth Pidgeon (cox - Trial 8s) *1999: Adrienne Ferguson, Emma Wylie (Lightweight) *1998: Emma Wylie (Lightweight) *1996: J Harkins, Anne Rowland, Emma Wilkinson (Blondie) *1995: Siobhan Cassidy (née McKenna) *1994: Anne Rowland *1993: Rachel Crew, Emma Wright (Blondie) *1992: Jenny Wagstaff, Rachel Crew, Francesca Chalmers (Blondie) *1991: Francesca ChalmersCULRC
*2011: Chris Bellamy (Pres) *2009-10: Chris Bellamy (won) *2005-06: Che Meakins (Granta), Richard Harrington (Spare) *2002-03: Dave Pearce (Spare) *1992: Fiona Pritchard (Cox)CUCBC Hon. Sec
*2005-06: Sam Farmer *2002-03: Devin-Paul O'Brien *1994-95: Pippa TaylorSenior Club Positions
HCBC President
In May 2004, the position of HCBC President was founded at the Club AGM and written into the Club constitution. The role of President is to oversee the running of HCBC by the executive committee (composed of Captains and other elected and co-opted student officials, ordinarily rotated annually), and along with the Senior Treasurer, a College fellow appointed by Homerton College, to ensure the long-term success of the Club and contribution to College life.List of HCBC Presidents
*2020–present: Jon Rackham and Shruti Cameron *2014–2020: Sam Farmer *2013–2014: Oliver Rubens *2006–2013: Adam Marsh *2004–2006: Ruth Pidgeon *1984–1985: Emma DalsemeHCBC Senior Treasurer
The HCBC Senior Treasurer is a member of Homerton College staff appointed to oversee and help the long term running of the Boat Club, and is the direct conduit between the Club and the College.List of HCBC Senior Treasurers
* July 2021–present: Dr William Fawcett *2020–2021: Alice White *2018–2020: Francesca Moore *1995–2018: Philip Stephenson (now Emeritus Fellow)HCBC Overall Club Captain
The position of overall club captain was introduced in late 2021, to provide overall leadership and support, and to allow the men's and women's captains to focus more directly on their responsibilities.List of Overall Club Captains
* 2023–present Aaron Lennard * 2022–2023 Dylan Pritchard * 2021–2022 James BurrowsClub Kit
HCBC Club kit is based on the colours of the Club, blue with white trim. However (in most years) the colours of the ClubFleet (Past and Present)
''(Details and dates tbc)'' Below is a list of boats that comprise the HCBC fleet, past and present (retired boats are marked with ''retd.''). Alongside each boat is a list of principal crews / dates (where appropriate), as well as any significant or otherwise interesting notes.Geoff
Crews: * Women's 1st VI+ * Men's 1st VI+ Notes: "Geoff", named in honour of former Homerton College Principal, Professor Geoff Ward, was officially launched at a ceremony in December 2021, the same day as the Fairbairn Cup Races earlier that day. Officially naming the new boat with a spray of champagne, Prof. Ward said "I am touched to have had a new boat named after me. I wish our excellent rowers many years of success and pleasure on the water with ‘Geoff’." ----Edey
Crews: * Women's 1st VIII (2017 - ) Notes: HCBC's first Janousek was named Edey named after longtime coach Mike Edey and launched in 2017. ----Stevie Stephenson
Crews: ''(tbc)'' * Women's 1st VIII * Men's 2nd VIII Notes: The Stevie Stephenson was named after the father of the long-serving HCBC Senior Treasurer, Phil Stephenson, in honour of the many years of dedicated service that Phil had given to the Club. After a boat naming ceremony in April 2007, with speeches from both Phil Stephenson and then-president Adam Marsh, Stevie Stephenson was given its maiden paddle in a 'Captain's Row', crewed by multiple past Women's and Men's Captains, alongside 2 other boats crewed by both past and present HCBC members. ----Hilary (retd.)
Crews: * Men's 1st VIII (1995-2006) * Men's 2nd VIII (1998-2010) Notes: The Lady Hilary is for many on the men's side of the Club, the quintessential HCBC boat. Purchased second-hand and over 20 years old when finally retired, she was the first boat purchased by the Club for use by the Men's 1st VIII, and was the only boat used HCBC Men's 1st VIII's for over a decade, also as the principal Men's 2nd VIII boat for an even longer period of time. A burly and far from lightweight shell, Hilary was surprisingly responsive in handling the various twists and turns of The Cam at speed, and was used in countless bumps, rising the best part of 4 whole divisions in the space of 8 years. During this time, Hilary carried HCBC M1 from the bottom of Division 6 when first entering a Men's crew in 1995, to the top of Division 3 in 2002, including rising an astonishing 21 places between 2000 and 2001, moving from P10 in Division 4 to P6 in Division 3 with a run that included 6 bumps (including one as the sandwich boat), an overbump, a double overbump and a triple overbump. As mentioned above, rising 13 places in a single set of bumps racing in 2001 remains an Oxbridge record.References
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