History of CCCBC

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Corpus Christi College Boat Club was officially founded in 1858 in the Hilary Term owing to the exertions and determination of three CCC members Arthur Carr, Richard Foster, and Lewis Pugh Evans. 

The Women's Boat Club was founded in 1978 particularly through the efforts of Eleanor (Leo) Sharpston. 

Rowing as an organised college sport began in the 1830s but went into a state of suspension during the 1840s. 

We have a few snippets of memories of the origins of the Boat Club, the vast majority taken from the Pelican Record. 

1833; John Peard built Corpus their first Four - '1833 was the first year when little Corpus ever had a four on the river; and when the time for the first race arrived they had neglected to provide themselves with a flag. It was ruled that they would not race without some sort of flag, so one of the crew produced a red pocket handkerchief, which was allowed to do duty not the nonce'. 

1834-5; Head of the River 

Crew: Giles, Brown, Slight, Pears, Renaud (cox)    

“Old Isis has seen in the year that is past
The little red rag at the top of the mast.” 

Pears (Poet Laureate)  

1837; Corpus has its first VIII 

 “Poor old Exeter will Blush a deeper red still,
When she finds little Corpus is creeping ahead;
And the Johnian crew
Grow a ghastlier blue
When they find what a deuce of a dance they are led.” 

George Hext (Poet Laureate)   

 1843-52; 

No Corpus boat except a joint one with Magdalen (“Caudlen”)    

G Hext: “I always held that rowing and reading go well together. The boat gives the health, and never wasters the time
of the reading man. Success on the river with us meant success in the Schools”. 

1868; Corpus carries off the Varsity Challenge Cup 

 "On the last day of Eights we were rowing head and were apprehensive of being bumped by Exeter. To prevent this we started off with a much quicker stroke than we had before, and as the crew rowed all together in perfect time and with a splendid catch we never allowed them to gain an inch upon us, and the eight of the smallest college or even hall on the river rowed in head on the last night of the races and thus carried off the “Varsity Challenge Cup for 1868”  

1877; Corpus Torpids VIII finished bottom of the river, over the next six years they rose nineteen places to finish Head of the River, with five bumps in 1878 and 1881. 

1882; Corpus slipped to 5th on the River. 

188; Corpus secured four bumps to go Head again. 

1884-5; Corpus remained Head of Torpids order. 

1885; Corpus went Head of Eights. The first College Barge was built. 

1899;  Corpus was one of 3 colleges to enter “Varsity Fours” – Sinclair and Marsden of the “4” were picked up in Trials and were in the winning Blue boat.   

1931; Corpus went Head of the River at Torpids 

 Bow: B.G Bourdillon
2:       J.P Kent
3:       C.P.E.Hawkesworth
4:       J.W. Setten
5:       D.C. Quin
6:       E.S. Jackson
7:       I.K. MacAlaster
Str:    C.G.W. Blathwayt
Cox:  W. Merchant     

1978; CCCWBC founded and wins Blades 

The Boat: the shell we ended up sharing with the men’s eight during Eights Week. This was “the Great Grimsby,” a lovely, light boat much cherished by the men, and which they, through the year, refused to let the women use, because they were convinced we would wreck it.  We had to row a clinker called “the Pelican” instead.  Well, we complained to the SCR, who eventually ruled that the women should be allowed to use the boat.  During one of the first days of Eights, the men wrecked the Grimsby and everyone ended up having to use the Pelican!  The women triumphed with five bumps nonetheless, and were treated to our supper at High Table, with much celebration.” (Pat Rae)    

Pat Rae on Women Rowers:
“College will be very different now, I’m sure, but back then the prevailing view wasn’t at all confident that admitting women had been a good thing, let alone admitting a bunch of women who built up their muscles and ran around all the time in stinky sweat-suits!  So — the Bump Supper of 1978 was quite a significant moment in the history of the college, I think, in that everyone came and celebrated the women — and all of this can be credited to Leo, really.”    

Susan Rae on coxing: 
“The crew was half comprised of Blues and Half-Blues, several of whom were very tall and very strong. On the second day of Eights, as we were putting the boat in the water to go for our third bump (we’d got two on the first day), some wag from John’s boathouse next door shouted ‘Sex test!.    

Having coxed the women’s Blue boat in Hilary term, my voice was in very bad shape by Trinity.  It had dropped several tones and I could only project by speaking in a monotone.  I was studying for my DPhil in Old Norse sagas, and I had put together a ‘Norse curse’ from some strands of Norse poetry.  In rough translation, it went something like this:  
May this ship speed beneath us as if it has all the winds of the world behind it.  Let us take the example of wolves! 

At the start of each race, immediately after the one minute gun, I would shout this curse in Old Norse with my terrible rasping, monotone voice.  Apparently our boat developed something of a reputation for this war cry.  After Eights Week, I was told by one of the rowers in the Linacre crew (our third bump) that their cox had said to them, just before the race, ‘I don’t care what you do, just get me away from that voice!’  Needless to say, they failed!    

The same Linacre cox was also rather disastrously unwilling to admit defeat at our hands.  We powered up very quickly behind them, and I was expecting a swift acknowledgement, but no hand went up.  I shouted (that terrible voice again) ‘Acknowledge cox!’  several times, but with no result. By that time, we had significant overlap, with our bow rigger just behind their rudder.  In a moment of swift judgement, I shouted ‘Pull on hard two and four’, so that the front edge of our bow rigger hit their rudder and knocked it off.  I then applied our rudder hard to stroke side to pull our bows away and prevent them being damaged on the Linacre boat.  Needless to say, their cox’s hand shot up when he realised he had no steering gear left!”

1978-9; The men's side of the Boat Club 

The men went -6 at Torpids and returned to their starting place of 16th in Eights table (+0). The first VIII was littered with Blues representation and the VIII was coached by Leo Sharpston and Boris Rankov, the Presidents of OUWBC and OUBC. 

B - S. Brosnan

2 - N. Bromfield 

3 - Chris Nugee 

4 - Ian Archibald 

5 - S. Walter 

6 - M. Egan 

7 - R. Twin (Captain of Boats) 

Str - S. Hiscock 

Cox - C. Heyes 

1979-80; CCCBC progress at both Torpids and Eights 

 Torpids went +4 as sandwich boat into Div 2 and bumped Queen’s III, Queen’s II, Lincoln II and Merton (as sandwich boat) did not catch St John’s on Saturday.  There were lots of Blues in First Eight; Boris Rankov (President OUBC), Steve Francis (Blue Boat), Steve Walter (Isis Boat), Leo Sharpston (President OUWBC). The First Eight went +2 bumping Queen’s and Merton - finish 14th, highest in Eights since 1965 (13th).  The 2nd VIII and Rugby VIII both went +2 and MCR VIII rowing over. 

First Eight; 

Bow - E. V. E. Sharpston 

2 - S. G. P. Brosnan 

3 - S. J. Shepherd 

4 - M. J. Egan 

5 - C. G. Nugee (Captain of Boats) 

6 - S. J. Walter 

7 - S. R. W. Francis 

Str - N. B. Rankov 

Cox - C. R. Hardingham 

It is clear that the 1980s was a significant decade for CCCBC with a sizeable increase in active members on both sides of the Boat Club. Although the Boat Club had a rocky start at the beginning of the decade, with the men’s first Torpids going +1 and the Eight -3 in 1981, the women’s side showed much promise, being one of the better ‘new’ boats along with Keble and Pembroke. 1982 saw the men’s side expand to two Eights at Torpids, where the first Torpids went +3 and the second Torpids maintained their position, even given a steering accident on the first day. It was also an excellent year for CCCWBC, where they climbed to 9th in Division Two at Torpids and also expanded to two boats at Eights. This is owing to the leadership of Ann Colbourne and the Hilary term slogan ‘Calories mean victory’ by Sophie Race, leading to three tea parties that term, and lots of bumps to follow. 1983 was another great year for the women, at Torpids the second boat bumped twice and rowed over twice, and the first boat went +3, only narrowly missing out on a fourth bump due to an oar being tangled. Similarly at Eights, the women’s first boat moved to second in Division Two. The men’s side did incredibly well at Torpids in 1984: the first Eight rowed over at the Head of Division Three and went on to bump Pembroke II as sandwich-boat. On the final day they bumped Trinity in front of the boats houses resulting in +3 for Torpids. The men’s second Torpids also experienced success by bumping Keble IV, Wadham III, St Peter’s II, and Oriel V, resulting in blades for them. 1984 was a pivotal year for the women’s side, where the first Torpids started 8th in Division Two and only ended 10th. That year the club experienced university success as Juliette Bird and Helena Perry both rowed for Osiris. At Eights, the first boat had four bumps until the Saturday where they were then bumped by St Anne’s but they still managed to bump up into the First Division. 

1985 started with less than favourable conditions as the presence of ice on the river shortened the Torpids week’s racing to only three days. Nevertheless the men’s and women’s first Torpids still bumped twice each. That year too the women’s First Eight climbed to 7th in the First Division by bumping LMH. The Schools’ VIII was also impressive that year securing two bumps on St Benet’s and St Catz III. 1986 started with a bit of disaster for the men’s first boat at Torpids; the first day they were bumped by Lincoln II, leading to them crashing into the bank and the rest of the division rowing past. This was redeemed on the final day with a solid row over and a technical bump on Exeter II. The women’s first boat proved more successful at Torpids where they went +3. At Eights, there was a first in enough women for an all women School’s Eight and they narrowly missed blades on the final day. There was an exciting Corpus v Corpus challenge in 1987 where the men’s Second Torpid found they were being chased by the School’s Torpid on the second day, yet both boats rowed over. Eights was successful for the men with the First Eight climbing to head of Division Three and the School’s VIII going +3 for the week. The Torpids of 1987 proved more challenging for the women’s side with lots of disruption with illness and river closures, yet the First Torpids remained in Division Two. That year proved more successful for the Corpus women rowing with OUWBC as the winning Boat Race crew had three Corpus members, Susan Prince, Juliette Bird, and Felicity Meyer. 

 The new decade was seen in by the exciting arrival of the college’s first ergometer which proved fruitful for the Boat Club’s performance. Torpids 1991 saw blades for the men’s first boat which were hard earned having to over-bump everyday until the Saturday when they finally caught Lincoln II. Although Torpids proved more difficult for the women’s side being disrupted by illness, they rowed strongly everyday at Eights to maintain their position. 1992-1994 proved more challenging years for the club with a variety of equipment and weather related problems throughout. 1995 also saw Torpids canceled yet Corpus men found success with lots of representation in the Blues rowing squads. 1996 was a breakthrough year for the men: the first boat at Torpids achieved blades, in the following weeks raced at Head of the River, and only narrowly missed blades with three bumps at Eights. The women also put in strong performances; at Torpids they over-bumped New II and rowed over for the rest of the week, and at Eights they bumped twice and rowed over three times to finish in a fixed division for the first time in a number of years. The men continued their success in 1997, but it was the second boat’s turn at Torpids where they bumped five times and moved up to 7th in Division Six. 1997 was fantastic for the women too. At Torpids they were discretionary blades, having bumped Somerville II, LMH II, Magdalen II, and being awarded a technical row over after a pile up in the Gut. At Eights, the women only narrowly missed blades, bumping New II, Somerville II, and LMH II.  The decade ended with solid performances across the Boat Club: the men’s first boats went up two positions at Torpids and and one position at Eights, the women produced four tenacious row overs at Torpids and again just missed blades at Eights, bumping St Hugh’s, Queen’s, and Worcester. The women also achieved spectacular wins in the Novice and Junior VIII categories at Oriel Regatta.  

The new century started with less than favourable conditions for the Boat Club with Torpids being disrupted in 2000 and the campaigns at Eights seeing solid rowing with no dramatic rises or falls. 2003 was a much more successful year with the women’s First Torpid achieving blades with bumps on St Peter’s, Mansfield, Trinity, and St Anne’s. The men also had a steady week at Eights where they went up one position with a bump on Somerville. 2003 saw Sam McLennan elected as President of OUBC. 2006 was a stand out year for the women’s First Eight, achieving blades at Summer Eights for the first time since 1982. The men had a consistent year finishing third in Division Three at Torpids, and fourth in Division Three at Eights. 2009 Torpids saw the men enter two boats, with this being the first time a second crew had qualified for three years. The men continued to progress in 2010 where at Torpids the first boat bumped St John’s II, Jesus II, Magdalen II, and narrowly missed the blades-winning Trinity II. Again in 2011, the men’s First Torpids were unlucky to miss blades, climbing five places over the week, and missed blades by mere inches. 2012 was an excellent year for the women’s Boat Club, with W2 achieving blades at Summer Eights, and bumping Somerville II, Mansfield II, Univ III, and Jesus II to do so. That year the W1 four also won Oriel Regatta. 2012 also saw university representation for Joe Dawson, who was victorious in the Isis-Goldie Boat Race. 

2013 was a pivotal year for the club, where the tone of the year was set by the novice men reaching the final of Nepthys Regatta. At Torpids both W1 and W2 won blades, and M1 won blades at Eights. Coralie Viollet-Djelassi was selected for the Reserve Boat Osiris where they triumphed against Cambridge. 2013 was rounded off by Corpus women becoming the first female crew to row 180km to London in order to raise money for the eating disorder charity Beat. This translated to 2014 where W1 finished first in Isis Winter League, and bumped up into Division Two at Eights. Laura Savarese was in the victorious 2014 Blue Boat, in the final Henley race, before the long overdue move of the Women's Boat Race to the Tideway (on the same day as the men too) in 2015. Chloe Farrar was in Osiris for two years, 2014 and the winning 2016 crew on the Tideway. 2016 saw an expansion in the membership of the club with the men entering two boats at Torpids, and an impressive three boats at Eights. 2017 was a vintage year for CCCBC. It began with the men’s first IV winning Autumn Fours where their success continued to Torpids as M1 won blades, and bumped into Division Two for the first time since 1985. Eights saw six Corpus crews all qualifying. W3 and W2 both narrowly missed out on blades on the Saturday. W1 were dealt a tough draw and went down three places. M1 bumped twice, M2 went down one position and M3 went up one. On the final day, rather excitingly, Corpus M3 were chasing M2 but both crews rowed over. The momentum gathered in 2017 was carried over to 2018 where Corpus fielded seven boats at Eights, the most the club has ever seen. M2 and W2 won blades. Over the course of 2018, Corpus bumped 22 crews and only conceded 6 times. 2019 was another positive year for CCCBC. The women’s first IV beat all other colleges at Wallingford Head. Torpids also proved a success; W1 achieved blades, M3 caught five crews, and M1 went +3 to their highest position since 1982. At Eights, six crews were entered, where M2 won blades, W2 only dropped one place, and W1 went up two places. M1 went up one place and finished 24th on the River, their highest Eights’ position since 1988. The success for the club also came after Eights too, as Corpus entered its first ever crew for Henley Women’s Regatta, where they beat several university-level crews in the time trials. 2019 saw great success with the Blues as well; three members trialled for OUWLRC and Fiona Jamieson and Katie Hurt were in the winning Lightweight Boat Race crew at Henley. After a long suspension of the Boat Club’s activities to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 saw a huge bounce back from the club. At Summer Torpids, M1 had a strong week with some close racing with Brasenose M1, and M2 maintained their position in Division Six. The stand-out achievement was on the women’s side where both W2 and W1 achieved blades.