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Men's and Women's Coxless Fours and Pairs

CompleteD: May 2018

January 2018 saw the launch of an ambitious fundraising campaign, with the aim of purchasing four new boats for UBBC. UBBC's coxless fours and pairs were all over ten years old and in constant need of repair and maintenance, so a campaign was launched to aim to provide a new racing standard boat of each class. 

UBBC Alumni members donated just over £33,000 in support of the campaign, which in addition to a generous donation from the Rutley family, saw the purchase of a new women's coxless four/quad, men's coxless four/quad, women's pair/double and men's pair/double. The boats are all Hudson Super Predators and convertible between sweep and sculling. UBBC have already taken delivery of three of the boats, with the fourth due to arrive over the summer break. 

Early fundraising efforts were spearheaded by the crew members of two of Gordon Trevett’s successful fours; the 2007 IV- (European Universities Rowing Championship, Gold) and 2010 IV+ (HRR Prince Albert Challenge Cup, runners-up). After recently completing twelve years at the helm of UBBC, the club would like to commemorate G's service by naming the new men’s four “Gordon Trevett”. 

UBBC are particularly grateful for the generosity of Graeme Coulthard (UBBC 1986-88) and Phillip Rodger (UBBC 1996-2000), who kindly donated the funds required for each of the women's and men's pairs. 

Thanks go to all of our members who regularly donate by standing order and Direct Debit, whose donations made a significant contribution towards the campaign. 

“On behalf of the club, I’d like to pass on an enormous thank you to the UBBC Alumni. The donation of these new racing boats has added significant depth to the UBBC fleet, enabling us to train and race competitively in coxless fours, quads, pairs and double. The campaign has proved genuinely transformational already, with the most obvious results at U23 GB Trials in the men’s pair, and at BUCS Regatta. Thank you to all who contributed so generously.

— Caroline Welsh, UBBC Club Captain

A naming ceremony for the boats will be held during the tea break on the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta (7th July 2018). All members and supporters are invited to attend. 

Thank you all for your support.

Raised:

£33,057

Campaign Leads:

Adam Mackenzie & Seb Tjornelund

Donors:

Phillip Rodger

Graeme Coulthard

Sam Browning

Adam Moss

Tamara Tsallagova

Seb Tjornelund

Pete Randolph

Edward Walton

Matt Steeds

Phil Williams

Martin Herbert

Ben Bathurst

Andrew Turner

Ben McSweeney

Matthew Ridley

Henry Sperling

Richard Randolph

Giles Gray

Charlie Lewis

Luke Stevens

Nick McNeil

Jeremy Fitch

Hugh Cooper

Adam Mackenzie

Women's Sweep Oars

CompleteD: June 2016

The beginning of 2016 saw UBBC's Women's Squad growing in strength. They produced the best results at Women's Eights Head of the River Race in 11 years and picked up silver and bronze medals in championship events at BUCS Head. 

In order to continue their success into the regatta season, UBBC identified the need for a new set of oars, specifically for women's use. The UBBC Alumni donated £2,500 (£3,125 after Gift Aid is added) towards the cost of a set of eight new innovative Wintech Reduced Diameter Shaft oars. 

The oars were subsequently used in UBBC's 2016 Women's Henley Regatta campaign, along with a rented Hudson 8 (amusingly owned by UWE, who didn't have enough women to use it themselves). The 2016 regatta saw their top eight qualify 4th in the Academic Eights event, only being knocked out by event favourites Nottingham University. 

Thank you to all of our donors for your support. 

Raised:

£3,125

Campaign Lead:

James Diaz-Sokoloff

Men's Sweep Oars

CompleteD: June 2015

Words by Michael Jeans (UBBC 1961-64):

In September 2014 I attended the opening of the new boathouse at Saltford - what a great event and long overdue - the old one was falling down when I was there 1961-64! I was talking to the indefatigable Gordon Trevett who told me that a new Empacher VIII had been gifted by John Rutley. he then said that it was a shame that there wasn’t a new set of ‘Skinny’ oars to accompany the new VIII (in recent years oar manufacturers have made a great leap forward, dramatically reducing the diameter of a blade’s loom). I spoke to several other attendees on hand at the boathouse opening and the idea was born of seeking sponsorship for a set of oars costing around £3,000. 

I liaised with Chris Hartley and decided that an ‘appeal’ should be targeted at UBBC Alumni from the 1950s & 1960s with whom the University had contact addresses/emails - some 60/70 people. The basic proposition was: ‘donate £200 and I’ll donate a further £50; with Gift Aid of another £50, that will buy an oar with your name inscribed on it’. We got enough to buy the full set of oars - though some gave less than £200. At least 15% of those to whom I wrote responded positively - a great ‘hit rate’ in terms of fundraising!

This appeal followed a similar structure to one initiated about three years ago to purchase a coaching launch - again a successful campaign with the funds being raised much quicker than anticipated. 

The 8 blades went on to be used by the club’s top Men’s and Women’s coxed fours in their respective Henley Royal and Henley Women’s Regatta campaigns. Following the misfortune of Henley Qualifiers 2015 for UBBC the state of the art new ‘skinny’ blades were taken up by Nonesuch BC seeing action in the Wyfold and Britannia Challenge Cups. 

Thank you to all involved for your generous support.

Raised:

£3,000

Campaign lead:

Michael Jeans

Donors:

Michael Jeans

Cill & Peter Page

Phillip Bragg

Roger Preston

Harold Fish

Michael Upstone

Helliodor Biskupski

Tony Rodger

Coaching Launch

CompleteD: JULY 2014

In July 2014, the UBBC Alumni donated a brand new catamaran coaching launch to UBBC. The launch was named after the then Vice Chancellor Sir Eric Thomas.

Raised:

£5,000

Campaign Lead:

Chris Hartley

2013

Refurbishment of Men's Empacher Eight

2011

Wintech Women's Eight

2005

Kiwi International Racing Boats Men's Coxed Four