Wadham College Boat Club
{{Short description|British rowing club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox rowing club
| name = Wadham College Boat Club
| emblem = {{scarf|{{cell2|LightBlue}}{{cell|White}}{{cell3|LightBlue}}{{cell2|White}}{{cell3|LightBlue}}{{cell|White}}{{cell2|LightBlue}}}}File:Wadham College Boat Club flag.jpg
| image = Oxford boathouse 1.jpg
| location =Boathouse Island, Christ Church Meadow, Oxford, UK
| coordinates = {{Coord|51|44|19.3|N|1|14|47.0|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| home_water = Isis
| founded = c. 1837
| former_names =
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Georgina Remmer (Women's President)|Sebastian Norris (Open President)|Katherine Land (Women's Captain)|Thomas Haward (Open Captain)}}
| members =
| champs_label = Head of the River
| champs =
| colours = {{color box|LightBlue}} {{color box|White}} {{color box|Black}}
| university = University of Oxford
| affiliations = British Rowing (boat code WAD)
Christ's College BC (Sister college)
| website = {{URL|https://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/current-students/wadham-college-boat-club}}
|acronym=WCBC}}
Wadham College Boat Club (WCBC) is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club is composed of students and staff from Wadham College and the adjacent Harris Manchester College. The club was founded in about 1837 and has since been successful both within Oxford college rowing and in external competitions such as Henley Royal Regatta.
The boat club is based in its boathouse on the Isis, shared with St Anne's College Boat Club and St Hugh's College Boat Club. Training also takes place in Godstow from St Edward's School's boathouse.
History
The earliest surviving record of the boat club's existence are accounts for 1837, although evidence suggests it was founded during the early 1830s.{{Cite book |last=Wells |first=J. |url=https://archive.org/details/wadhamcollege20well/page/n9/mode/2up |title=Wadham College |publisher=London, F. E. Robinson |year=1898 |location=London |pages=194-202}} Wadham competed in the first Grand Challenge Cup in 1839, losing to Trinity College, Cambridge.{{cite web |last=Reid |first=Ben |title=Wadham At Henley |url=http://wcbc.wadham.ox.ac.uk/~wcbc/history/wadhamathenley.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718213758/http://wcbc.wadham.ox.ac.uk/~wcbc/history/wadhamathenley.shtml |archive-date=18 July 2011 |access-date=14 September 2010 |website=Wadham College Boat Club}} In 1849, Wadham competed against Trinity and Oriel College, Oxford in the Ladies' Challenge Plate and the Grand Challenge Cup. Wadham won both races with Trinity coming in second. It is said this victory led to Wadham's right to use Cambridge's blue-green for first VIII colours instead of its traditional light blue, although this is debated.
Wadham began boating from a hired barge near the mouth of the Cherwell in 1886, and permanently purchased a barge in 1897. It was sold in 1973,{{Cite book |last=Sherriff |first=Clare |title=The Oxford College Barges: Their History and Architecture |publisher=Unicorn Press |year=2003 |isbn=9780906290712 |pages=85-87}}{{cite web |last=Reid |first=Ben |title=The History of Wadham College Boat Club |url=http://wcbc.wadham.ox.ac.uk/~wcbc/history/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725004316/http://wcbc.wadham.ox.ac.uk/~wcbc/history/ |archive-date=25 July 2010 |access-date=14 September 2010}} and the current boathouse was built in 1989.
Women were first admitted to the college in 1974, and the first women's crew was formed in 1975. After successful performances within Oxford and externally that year, the crew proceeded to win Head of the River in the first ever women's Summer VIIIs in 1976. The current women's third VIII is named the Spirit of '76 in honour of this event.
=Recent form=
File:Wadham Women Training at Godstow.jpg
In recent years, Wadham has remained successful both within Oxford rowing and externally.
The women's first VIII last gained Torpids headship in 2019 and last won blades in Torpids in 2022. They also held headship in Summer VIIIs from 2014 to 2018. They currently sit 8th on the river for Torpids and 2nd for Summer VIIIs.{{Cite web |last=Vaas |first=Chris |title=Oxford Bumps |url=https://bumps.live/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=Oxford Bumps}} They also frequently compete in external regattas such as Henley Women's Regatta, which was most recently entered in 2024.{{Cite journal |last=Back |first=Lucy |date=11 September 2024 |editor-last=Legge |editor-first=Isabelle |title=Women's Captain's Report |url=https://www.canva.com/design/DAFtJkOXxVc/uFhVLz-6zNmiHkMNoVYoXw/view#17 |journal=Wadham College Boat Club Society Newsletter |issue=51}}
The open (formerly men's) first VIII also remain in Division 1 for both Torpids and Summer VIIIs, currently in 11th position for both. The open second VIII won blades in Torpids 2023 and are currently the highest second VIII on the river. The open side last competed externally at the Head of the River Race in 2024.{{Cite journal |last=Seed |first=Joshua |date=11 September 2024 |editor-last=Legge |editor-first=Isabelle |title=Open Captain's Report |url=https://www.canva.com/design/DAFtJkOXxVc/uFhVLz-6zNmiHkMNoVYoXw/view#13 |journal=Wadham College Boat Club Society Newsletter |issue=51}}
Club life
= Membership =
Membership of the boat club is open to all students and staff at both Wadham College and Harris Manchester College.
Additionally, both current boat club members and alumni make up the Wadham College Boat Club Society (WCBCS). The Society provides support to the boat club including advice, fundraising and donations. It also runs an annual regatta and President's Dinner, as well as an annual newsletter.{{Cite web |title=Boat Club Society |url=https://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/alumni/my-wadham/boat-club-society |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=Wadham College}}
= Social events =
Beyond the aforementioned President's Dinner, members of the boat club enjoy a variety of social events. Both Torpids and Summer VIIIs are typically appended with formal dinners. Frequent informal social events occur throughout the year including "Captains' Cocktails", "Presidents' Prosecco" and crewdates with other colleges.{{Cite journal |last=Legge |first=Isabelle |date=11 September 2024 |title=WCBC Committee |url=https://www.canva.com/design/DAFtJkOXxVc/uFhVLz-6zNmiHkMNoVYoXw/view#21 |journal=Wadham College Boat Club Society Newsletter |issue=51}}
Equipment
=Fleet<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Andrews |first=Rod |last2=Legge |first2=Isabelle |date=24 September 2023 |title=Fleet on Fleek |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=828565999271274&set=pcb.828567595937781 |journal=Wadham College Boat Club Society News |issue=50}}</ref>=
Open boats
- 2022 Filippi 8+ "Spirit of Niccolo"{{Cite journal |last=Owens |first=John |date=24 September 2022 |title=Niccolò Boat Naming |url=https://admin.wadham.ox.ac.uk/media/documents/Rowing_Newsletter_2022.pdf |journal=Wadham College Boat Club Society News |issue=49}}
- 2018 Salani 8+ "Sir Ralph Waller"
- 2016 Filippi 4+ "Paul Bowen"
- 2014 Filippi 8+ "Kristanne Claire"
- 1996 Janousek 8+ "Spirit of Nelson"
File:Wadham W1, Summer Eights 2023.jpg
Women's boats
- 2022 Filippi 8+ “Dorothy Wadham”
- 2018 Salani 8+ "Spirit of 76"
- 2016 Filippi 4+ "Alpha"
- 2014 Filippi 8+ "Rod Andrews"
- 1997 Janousek 8+ "Mary Margherita"
Small boats
- 2017 Falcon 1x "Vere Ducker"
- 2016 Falcon 1x "Dorothy"
- Pre 1994 Janousek 1x "Harry Fawcett"
- Pre 1994 Janousek 1x "Ben Arber"
=Ergometers=
The boat club has eight dynamic Concept2 ergometers in the Wadham College gym, and eight static Concept2 ergs in its boathouse. File:Wadham College Boat Club at Eights Dinner 2023.jpg
Honours
=Henley Royal Regatta=
File:Wadham Women at Henley Women's Regatta 2022.jpg
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=300|Races won | |
|---|---|
| 1849 | Grand Challenge Cup, Ladies' Challenge Plate |
| 1908 | Thames Challenge Cup |
| 1909 | Thames Challenge Cup |
=Torpids=
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=300|Results | |
|---|---|
| 2012 | M2 Blades |
| 2013 | W2 2nd VIII Headship |
| 2014 | M2 Blades |
| 2015 | W1 Headship, M3 Blades (3rd VIII Headship), W2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
| 2018 | M3 Blades |
| 2019 | W1 Headship |
| 2022 | W1 Blades |
| 2023 | M2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
=Summer Eights=
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=300|Results | |
|---|---|
| 2013 | W2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
| 2014 | W1 Headship, W2 2nd VIII Headship |
| 2015 | W1 Headship, W2 2nd VIII Headship |
| 2016 | W1 Headship, W3 Blades |
| 2017 | W1 Headship |
=Tamesis Regatta (Formerly Christchurch Regatta or Michaelmas Novice Regatta)=
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=300|Results | |
|---|---|
| 2016 | NM1 Winners |
| 2017 | NW1 Winners |
| 2018 | NW1 Winners |
=Oriel Regatta=
| class="wikitable" | |
| width=70|Year
!width=300|Results | |
|---|---|
| 2013 | W1 W 8+ Winners |
References
{{Reflist|35em}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100724200641/http://wcbc.wadham.ox.ac.uk/~wcbc/ Wadham College Boat Club (archived)]
- [https://ourcs.co.uk/ Oxford University Rowing Clubs]
- [http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/history.html A General History of Oxford College Rowing]
{{Oxford University Rowing Clubs}}
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs}}
Category:Rowing clubs of the University of Oxford
Category:Wadham College, Oxford
Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1837
Category:1837 establishments in England