We are overjoyed to announce that the UBBC Alumni has purchased a new eight for UBBC’s Men’s Squad.
The boat is a Hudson Ultimate SHARK Predator (USP) which is Hudson’s top of the range model of the same type used by top international crews. The boat features the latest innovations in boat-making technology, with revolutionary hull construction and carbon fibre wing-riggers. The purchase will have an immediate impact on UBBC, allowing the Men’s 1st VIII to race in a competitive shell and remaining boats in the fleet to trickle down to other crews, allowing more rowers out on the water at any one time.
Since the launch of our online Direct Debit donation platform in 2017, over 150 alumni, friends and supporters of UBBC have generously donated every month to collectively raise over £30,000 for the purchase, making this one of the largest donations the UBBC Alumni has made to UBBC.
“On behalf of the whole club, I cannot thank you enough for your support. The success in fundraising for this new boat is a result of your collective support and commitment, reliant on every single contribution to build to this achievement.
The UBBC Alumni have consistently shown the students of UBBC that being part of our club is about more than just rowing; it’s about being part of a unique and powerful community, and the commitment to seeing us flourish - the value of which I never appreciated before joining UBBC.”
The boat will be named in memory of Piers Robinson, UBBC’s 1991 Henley winning captain, who sadly passed away in April this year after his recent battle with cancer. In 2016 many UBBC students, alumni, friends and supporters gathered together to help celebrate UBBC’s 25th anniversary victory at Henley Royal Regatta and had the chance to meet Piers.
Piers was an inspirational and visionary leader that helped put Bristol and South West rowing on the map with UBBC’s first ever Henley win. Piers returned to UBBC as a volunteer coach the following year and more recently wrote an inspirational recollection of his time in UBBC in our Winter 2016 magazine from which it is clear to see he embodied the values of UBBC.
We hope to hold an official boat naming ceremony and celebration at the UBBC Head Race in early December 2021. All donors, alumni, friends and supporters of UBBC are invited to attend.
Thank you to all of our regular donors for your generous support. Achievements like this simply wouldn’t be possible without you.