Bumps, Blades, and Bowballs- Cambridge Boatie Chat

Could somebody please explain how the rowing system works within the colleges at Cambridge? Like is there a men's novice and a, erm, non-novice or what?

I'm a complete rowing noob but I'm keen to get involved (if I make my offer that is).

The vast majority of people who row at Cambridge have never rowed before, so that's not a problem (6 out of the 8 rowers in my college's top men's crew this year had never rowed before they came to Cambridge). The system is set up to get people into rowing quickly.

There's only a difference between novice and non-novice rowers in your first term as a rower. All the college clubs run social events to get people into rowing, and teach them to row- first in a stable boat called a tub, but moving into eights very soon after you start.

Queens' Ergs is your first chance to represent your college as a rower, and is four weeks into term. Within 6 weeks of getting in a boat for the first time, you will be racing for your college against crews of novice rowers from other colleges- my college runs Emma Sprints, which is the first race for novices and is a "fun race" where crews wear fancy dress.

The last big rowing event of the term is the Fairbairn Cup in early December. This is a time-trial over 2700 metres for the novices (senior crews race a longer course), which is the biggest race of the term. After this, as at the end of every rowing term, there's Boat Club Dinner- a big celebratory meal in Hall with lots of speeches, drinking, and a party afterwards.

After your first term, you're not a novice any more, and will move into your club's senior crews together with people who have rowed before that year. There are plenty of races every term, including the famous Lent and May Bumps.

Cheers, that was a great help . What would be a 'good' time to get at the Queens' Ergs? Sub-1:30?

Depends how big you are

I'm 5ft 11 and 95-96kg. Pulled 500m in 1:32.2 which isn't great I know but I'd never trained before so I don't know .

That's not too bad with no training, and will definitely help your college's Queens' ergs chances! But it's hard to tell how good you'll be off a 500m erg. When I coached novices, there was a guy who pulled a great 500m erg, but didn't have the stamina to go the whole 2.7k in Fairbairns and hence had to row in the second boat.

And, on an unrelated note, since I haven't been on here since Saturday - BLADES!

if you look on the CUWBC site it says triallists are usually between 8:30 and 7:40 (lightweights) and 8:00 and 7:15 (heavyweights) for a 2k erg at the start of dev. squad. that's the women anyway and i'm not desperately far off that at the moment.

quick question, if i'm 5"6.5 and 52kg does that make me, er, TOO lightweight? one of my friends said it'd be advantageous to have an insane power:weight ratio but i doubt i'd want to take things as far as varsity. and i don't think they have specific lightweight boats at college level, so would i be expected to 'beef up'?

also if i've been rowing since april, would i count as a proper novice at cambridge or not?

...

people who have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

Like me .

Training camp anyone?

Training camp anyone?

I'd love to be on a nearly-all-expenses-paid trip to Banyoles in Spain, but unfortunately this little thing called a degree gets in the way.

I'd love to be on a nearly-all-expenses-paid trip to Banyoles in Spain, but unfortunately this little thing called a degree gets in the way.

A what?