SBHBC newsletter MT16 3.1

Volume 3, Issue 1

Michaelmas Term 2016

Editor: William Frost

ST BENET’S HALL BOAT CLUB NEWSLETTER

Welcome from the Captain, Marco

Hughes (History 2015-2018)

Greetings! I am Marco Hughes, this year’s Captain.

Having rowed at school, I am in my seventh year of

rowing and am looking forward to using

as much of my experience as possible in

the pursuit of glory for SBHBC. This year

has seen an historic occasion for the

Boat Club; for the first time, a women’s

eight took to the water for Christ Church

regatta. With decent performances put

in by both the men’s and women’s

eights at the regatta (p.2), we now look

to Torpids, taking place towards the end

of Hilary Term (p.11). The men’s squad

has incredible depth this year, with

competition promising to be fierce for

the eight seats. The women’s eight has

also shown signs of greatness,

with motivated and talented

athletes ready to row our new

eight to glory at Torpids and

Summer Eights. I am also

delighted to report of the

incorporation of St. Stephen’s

House (Staggers) under the St.

Benet’s banner, and that they

have become an integral and

monumental part to our current

Boat Club. I look forward to

nothing more than our showing at both

Torpids and Summer Eights and cannot wait

to report back further news of St. Benet’s

success on the river.

In this issue:

Welcome from the

Captain (p.1)

Christ Church Regatta

report (p.2)

Our new coach (p.3)

New faces in the Boat

Club… (pp.4-7)

…and see where our

old faces are at now!

(p.8)

Friends of the boat

Club (p.9)

Upcoming events

(p.10)

“The women’s

eight has also

shown signs of

greatness, with

motivated and

talented athletes

ready to row our

new eight to

glory at Torpids

and Summer

Eights.”

Marco (stroke) winning Henley with St Paul’s School Boat Club

back in 2015, before he turned his expertise towards his

favourite boat club.

Volume 3, Issue 1



Christ Church report If you want the short version, the Benet’s Boat Club took the river by force,

leaving no prisoners, giving no mercy, and allowing the opposition to win only

on the condition that they be pushed by us like they had never been pushed by

anyone before, and indeed would never be pushed again. For the longer

version, we turn to our blow-by-blow account, taken from the wonderful St

Benet’s Hall Boat Club Facebook page (which if you don’t already like, I urge

you to do so!).

Volume 3, Issue 1



Our new coach, Lucy Mason Hi, I’m Lucy Mason and I am the current coach of St

Benet’s Hall Boat Club. In the past, I have rowed for

Nottingham Rowing Club’s High Performance

Centre, and am now studying at and competing for

Oxford Brookes University. Before I was at Benet’s,

I coached novices at Nottingham and even started

up my own rowing club at school. Since joining

Brookes, I have acquired medals from the British

University Championships, London Metropolitan

Regatta, Ghent International Regatta and even

Women’s Head of the River Race on three different

occasions. Most of these events have been in an

eight, a boat for which I have a real passion, which

makes it an exciting task coaching oxford athletes

who race only in eights.

Never before have I coached a squad like the St

Benet’s Hall Boat Club. The sheer enthusiasm from all athletes and the amazing

attitude at the boathouse have been extraordinary. The

novices we have had this year have taken to the sport so quickly

and showed so much potential, that we certainly have exciting

prospects for the future. We have people who started rowing

only a few months ago achieving times on the rowing machine

better than those in other squads who have been rowing for

years, something I have never seen before. Furthermore, the

difference the new boat has made to the women’s squad has

been enormous, and you can clearly see it has had a brilliant

effect on the squad as a whole. I am delighted to say St Benet’s

have been a joy to coach and that they are going to progress

leaps and bounds in the next terms and, crucially, in the coming

years.

Lucy, right, before storming Henley

with Brookes earlier this summer.

“Never before

have I coached a

squad like the St

Benet’s Hall Boat

Club. The sheer

enthusiasm from

all athletes and

the amazing

attitude at the

boat house have

been

extraordinary.”

Lucy, on the right,

shooing some Tabs.

Volume 3, Issue 1



New faces in the Boat Club… St Benet’s Hall underwent its most radical change in admission process with the

class beginning their studies in October 2016: for the first time ever,

undergraduate women would study alongside the men in our glorious

institution. This was made possible by the acquisition of 11 Norham Gardens.

Although fundraising is well underway and proving extremely successful, all of

us students at St Benet’s Hall are worried for the Hall’s long-term future and

thus keen to see the purchase of the building solidified as soon as possible. If

you think you may be able to help, please do get in touch with the Hall.

Without further ado, let’s meet some of our newest members!

Jenny (Arabic and Islamic Studies) and Josie

(Classics), Benet’s

Hi. This is Jenny and Josie. We are freshers

in the first co-educational Undergraduate

year group at St Benet’s Hall. We have both

really enjoyed our first term, having become

involved with the first Benet’s Women’s

boat. In a typical week, we have two water

sessions, one at the crack of dawn on

Thursday, when the view of the

river is at its most insta-worthy,

and the other, when the sun

typically sets around 4 on a

Saturday. Josie, as cox, has been

responsible for safety,

encouragement and steering, and

Jenny, as a rower, has been

learning the correct rowing

technique, and most recently, good race strategy. We rowers also have

one supervised land session coached by the lovely Lucy on Tuesdays,

which always results in sore limbs for a few days. It’s been great

gaining these new skills, and without the encouragement of the older

years, we would never have become so enthusiastic about this sport.

There’s a certain camaraderie at lunchtime around the Benet’s

“…the crack

of dawn on

Thursday,

when the

view of the

river is at its

most insta-

worthy…”

- Jenny and

Josie with

their novel

take on early

morning

outings.

Jenny (left) and Josie (right) in the Benet’s Calefactory.

Volume 3, Issue 1



common table when we moan about being up for 8 hours already to all the non-

rowers, and need to nap in the JCR before dinner, but the lack of sleep (at times)

has definitely been worth it. The sense of community we have felt through

rowing, not only when training, but also at our first Regatta with all those who

came to support, is something really special, particularly in such a small college.

It’s been great to put down the books and de-stress in the fresh air, helping us

to keep sane through the deadlines and essay crises associated with our two

subjects, Classics and Arabic with Islamic Studies. We are very proud to have

managed to put out a full boat for the Christ Church Regatta and to have

represented a college that we both love.

Dom, Benet’s (Classics) I had never rowed before coming to St Benet's, and so

this world is very new to me! Despite the initial

challenges of being a novice, I soon came to really enjoy

training with the team, and Christ Church regatta was

great fun! I look forward to getting in a boat next term

already.

The women’s eight on their way to a narrow defeat

in the first round of Christ Church Regatta 2016.

Volume 3, Issue 1



Caisen, Blackfriars (Theology) Blackfriars have been officials affiliated with Benet’s for several years now, and

continue to be a crucial component of our Boat Club.

It's great being able to connect and work together with people from

other smaller halls at Oxford. While Blackfriars isn't heavily

represented in Benet's rowing, I've never felt out of place or the

odd one out. Getting in the boat unites us as we work to better each

other, and ourselves, and most importantly to trounce the

competition! That’s what makes rowing for the Benet’s Boat Club

so wonderful.

Sarah, Staggers (English)

Members of St Stephen’s House have been rowing with St Benet’s Hall Boat Club

this term, and we are delighted to say that they will continue to do so for the

foreseeable future!

My name is Sarah Blair and I am a PGCE English

student studying English at St Stephen’s house. I really

wanted to try a new sport when I came to Oxford so

when the chance to take up rowing was offered I was

very keen. The Benet’s rowers have been so

welcoming and I feel that I have learnt so much from

them already and I can't wait to get back out on the

water next term.

Sarah with Tiarnach, also Staggers,

both of whom are members of the

almighty Benet’s Boat Club.

Volume 3, Issue 1



The new boat

And, by unanimous vote, perhaps everyone’s favourite new member of the Boat

Club, our new women’s eight! Purchased from LMH Boat Club for the tidy sum

of £1,500, we are currently launching our biggest ever fundraising drive to not

only rack and insure two boats and two sets of blades, but also to continue to

employ the services of our wonderful coach, Lucy Mason (p.3), who can be down

at the river coaching Benet’s crews almost every day. If you would like to help

us in our endeavour, please do sign up as a Friend of the Boat Club (p.10).

But first, some pictures of the blessing, conducted by Benet’s own Fr Oswald, of

our new boat (still yet to be named), that happened barely an hour before the

women’s first race. (We are immensely grateful to the wonderful Roo Waters

for these fantastic photographs.)

Members of Benet’s, Staggers, and

Blackfriars all pose for a photo after

a strong row at Christ Church

Regatta 2016.

Volume 3, Issue 1



Volume 3, Issue 1



…and see where the old faces are at now! We care about our old members, and are keen to stay in contact with as many

of them as we can. We are very keen to hear from all of you, so please don’t

hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected]. For more

details, see Friends of the Boat Club (p.10), but first, read Nick’s story!

Nick (PPE 2013-2016), Captain 2014-2015 What was clear from the start of my time

at Benet’s was the commitment and

passion, from both students and staff, to

the boat club. As I can attest to, once you

leave the Hall this can slip away as the

concerns of ‘real life’ take hold. I

currently work in a financial technology

company in London streamlining the

operations of banks

worldwide that frankly

consumes most of my

time, but the little time

outside of this that I

enjoy spending on the

Thames is entirely a

result of the passion for

the sport that SBHBC

imparts on its crews.

Doubtless, I would spend little time back in Oxford if it weren’t

for lasting contacts with the crew. My time at the club saw the

Friends of the Boat Club scheme set up and the first set of

blades for a decade. It’s fantastic to see this development of

the club continuing since then with the introduction of women,

expansion of capital and continued commitment to the alumni

from the committee - I know my crew are all looking forward to returning for

the alumni lunch and race against this year.

“It’s fantastic to

see this

development of

the club

continuing since

then with the

introduction of

women,

expansion of

capital and

continued

commitment to

the alumni from

the committee”

Nick, 7-seat, leading his crew to blades in Summer

Eights 2015.

mailto:[email protected]

Volume 3, Issue 1



Friends of the Boat Club The St Benet’s Hall Boat Club survives entirely on donations. We take great pride

in being the only Oxford college boat club not to charge our members to row

with us, costing us valuable income but keeping our wonderful institution as

open and as inclusive as possible, well in keeping with the Benedictine ethos of

the Hall.

With the purchase of the new women’s boat, our costs have increased

substantially as we now must rack and insure two boats, and pay for twice as

many coaching sessions as before as we now have two racing crews. Costs are

saved wherever they can be, but now more than ever we rely on the generosity

of our alumni and our other kind donors.

Please email the President, William Frost, at [email protected] to

find out how you can help. On behalf of the whole Boat Club and St Benet’s Hall,

thank you.


Volume 3, Issue 1



Upcoming events

Races

Torpids: Wednesday 1st March 2017 –

Saturday 4th March 2017. Rowing On

(qualifying) Friday 24th February 2017.

Summer Eights: Wednesday 24th May

2017 – Saturday 27th May 2017.

Come down and support our crews! We

may not yet be head of the river, but we

certainly have the greatest supporters!

Alumni events

Boat Club Alumni Lunch: Saturday 3rd June

2017.

Our annual alumni lunch, held this

academic year on Saturday 3rd June

2017, will be our largest ever. With up

to thirty active members of the Boat

Club, the fifty-five seats of the famous

Benet’s one common table will likely fill

up fast. Likely to be priced around £30

(which includes a small donation to the

Boat Club), spots can be reserved by

emailing [email protected]

as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you there!

Benet’s supporters in full swing!


Documents

SBHBC newsletter MT16 3.1