Minerva Bath Rowing Club
{{Short description|British rowing club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox Rowing Club
| ClubName = Minerva Bath Rowing Club
| ClubhouseImage =
| BladeColourImage = File:Minerva Bath Rowing Club blade.jpg
| Emblem =
| Location = Newbridge, Bath, England
| Coordinates =
| Founded = {{Start date|1914}}
| Motto =
| Membership =
| HomeWater = River Avon
| Website = {{URL|www.minervabathrc.org.uk}}
| Affiliations = British Rowing
boat code – MIN
Alkmaar Rowing Club
| Events =
| Distinctions =
}}
Minerva Bath Rowing Club is a rowing club in Bath, England. Minerva is Sport England Clubmark accredited.{{cite web|title=Clubmark|date=24 May 2010 |url=http://www.britishrowing.org/clubs/clubmark|publisher=British Rowing|access-date=31 August 2013}} The club is based in Newbridge, Bath with its home water on the River Avon. The club shares its facilities with the University of Bath Boat Club and the British Rowing START Program.
The club
Minerva is Sport England Clubmark accredited which means it has demonstrated awareness of child protection and safety, along with providing quality coaching, equal opportunities and good management.{{cite web|title=Clubmark|date=24 May 2010 |url=http://www.britishrowing.org/clubs/clubmark|publisher=British Rowing|access-date=31 August 2013}} The club is also a participant in the Mentoring Plus, a youth crime prevention project working with vulnerable young people, living in Bath and North East Somerset.
History
The club was founded in 1914 as Bath Ladies Boating Club (BLBC), although there is reference to a club existing before the turn of the 20th century.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001557/18970814/104/0005 |title=Ladies' Double Sculls |website=Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser |date=14 August 1897 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 February 2025 }} It is one of the earliest women's rowing clubs in England and had strong links with the suffragette movement in the city. This association is still represented with the club's colours of violet and gold.{{cite web | url=http://www.minervabathrc.org.uk/site/pages/history.php | title=Minerva Bath History | publisher=Minerva Bath | access-date=18 July 2013}} The club rowed out of the Bath Boating Station (later known as Maynard's boatyard) during some of its formative years.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001557/18970814/104/0005 |title=The punters paradise |website=Western Daily Press |date=1 June 1990 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 February 2025 }}
Klaus Riekemann competed at 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and Arnold Cooke competed at 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Both competed in the World Masters in 2012.{{cite news|title=Minerva members mark veterans' golden outing|url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Minerva-members-mark-veterans-golden-outing/story-17179312-detail/story.html|access-date=31 August 2013|newspaper=Bath Chronicle|date=25 October 2012}}
In 1992, Bath Ladies Boat Club merged with City of Bath Rowing Club to bring the club into its present form.
The club moved to its present site in 2005, putting in place a boathouse built entirely by its membership. A second boathouse was built in 2010 and named after Arnold Cooke.{{cite web|title=WAGS News|url=http://www.britishrowing.org/upload/files/Regions/WAGS/WAGSNEWSApril2010.pdf|publisher=British Rowing|access-date=31 August 2013}}
Minerva Bath Rowing gained a great deal of positive publicity during the London 2012 Summer Olympics when Helen Glover; a product of the British Rowing START program who learnt to row at Minerva won a gold medal with Heather Stanning in the Women's Coxless Pairs at Eton Dorney.
In 2016, another rowers from the START program Vicky Thornley won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Notable members
- Arnold Cooke{{cite web | url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Cooke-serves-record-row/story-11321372-detail/story.html#axzz2a0fP5OAZ | title=Cooke serves up a record rowing performance | publisher=This is Bath | date=28 April 2011 | access-date=25 July 2013}}
- Helen Glover{{cite web | url=http://www.minervabathrc.org.uk/site/pages/index.php | title=Welcome | publisher=Minerva Rowing Club | access-date=18 July 2013}}{{cite web | url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Minerva-Bath-rower-Helen-Glover-wins-gold-Sydney/story-18509832-detail/story.html#axzz2ZLD58iwr | title=Minerva Bath rower Helen Glover wins gold at Sydney World Cup meet | publisher=This is Bath | date=24 March 2013 | access-date=18 July 2013 | author=Rose, Neil}}
- Klaus Riekemann
Honours
= National champions =
= Henley Royal Regatta =
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=400|Races won | |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Princess Grace Challenge Cup |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs}}
{{Portal|United Kingdom|Transport}}
Category:1914 establishments in England
Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1914
Category:Boathouses in the United Kingdom
Category:Clubs and societies in Somerset