Torpids 2022 Day Three Report
The week is over, and Christ Church Boat Club has successfully completed another bumps campaign. As only the second bumps regatta in the last three years, the club did exceptionally well to field seven competitive VIIIs.
The week in short:
M4 -4
M3 -7
W3 -2
W2 +5
M2 +2
W1 -1
M1 +2
M3 and M4 had a challenging campaign, gaining fame across the Oxford College Rowing community when M4 bumped M3 on Wednesday. Both crews fought hard to maintain their places in the top half of Division 6, but sadly luck wasn't on their side. The boys put in gutsy performances every day of the regatta, and are looking forward to getting revenge in Summer Eights.
Coach: Evan Falstrup
W3 had a good week of racing, rowing over three of the four days. Some bad luck on Thursday saw them get bumped by Wolfson W4 and Osler House W2, but the girls put in great defensive performances on Friday and Saturday, rowing over on both days.
Coach: Jemima Furness
W2 had an exceptional week, bumping Mansfield W2, Wadham W2 (chain bump), Regents Park W1 (overbump), St John's W2 and Queens W1 to win blades. After a challenging term of crew changes and lost training due to covid, the girls put in an incredible performance. Their crew captain, Poppy Sparrow, was sadly unable to compete this week due to the effects of long covid. Poppy was the backbone of the crew throughout the term, finding availability for extra outings, securing last-minute subs, and generally keeping spirits up all the way through to the end of Torpids. She's looking forward to rejoining the crew in their pursuit of a second set of blades in Summer Eights.
Coach: Simon Mungall
M2 bumped Pembroke M2 on Wednesday to secure 2nd Boat Headship. A very determined Wolfson M2 chased them on Thursday and Friday, but in the end our boys proved stronger, rowing over on both days. They ended the week on a high, bumping Corpus Christi M1.
Coach: Max Thompson
W1 had a solid week in the top half of Division 1. Though you wouldn't be able to spot them, four members of the crew have less than 24 weeks of rowing experience. The girls stayed resilient throughout the week, closing Oriel W1 to a canvas (or less!) on multiple occasions.
Coach: James Bracey (Head Coach)
M1 bumped up to 2nd on the River, the first time our M1 has been in this position on a rising pattern for quite some time. They overbumped Pembroke on Wednesday, and after some excellent strategic planning from JB, secured a bump on St Catherine's on Friday. The crew has set up next year's M1 for a chance to win the Headship, and are looking forward to their own Headship campaign in Summer Eights this year.
Coach: James Bracey (Head Coach)
I told the squads in the lead up to Torpids that the Boat Club's aim was to do the House proud. When I first joined the Club in 2019, I thought that the only way to do that was by racing well, and winning those races. I rowed with W2 and coxed W1 at Summer Torpids last year, and those experiences proved my assumption wrong. Our athletes do the House proud by picking themselves up after a tough result, or dubious umpires' decision, and going again. It's the spirit of the campaign, rather than the result on the bumps charts, that defines the crew. Superficially, the results for some boats this Torpids might not be what they had hoped for; however, every single one of our crews this week showed the resilience that Christ Church Boat Club prizes above all else. As we look ahead to Summer Eights, we hope to do the House proud not only with this determination, but also with bumps, blades, and maybe even a Headship.
I feel I cannot conclude this report without extending my thanks to the student committee, senior committee and our coaching team for their incredible work keeping the Boat Club running this term. Their dedication and loyalty to the club is truly remarkable; Tinka Offereins, who coached as a volunteer in Michaelmas, even took a break from her training with the Netherlands national team to cheer on our girls from under Donny Bridge. Thank you as well to the alumni once again for your support throughout the year, and especially to those who came down to the Boat House this week to cheer us on. I look forward to meeting many more of you during Eights week in the summer.
