BUCS REGATTA JUNE 2021

Not even COVID could stop the UWBC from competing and thriving at BUCS regatta in June! After a tumultuous couple of seasons rowing due to the pandemic, UWBC managed to utilise the easing of restrictions and the longer days to put together some strong crews to go and represent the University of Warwick up in Nottingham. Senior Men doubles of Will Baker and Peter Barlev vs Balint Feher and Paolo Romanengo went head to head, with Will and Peter just steaming ahead of Balint and Paolo in the E final.

Onto the Novice women… After a rocky start to the year, they really proved that all it takes is hard work, grit and determination to get you to where you need to go. The Nov women 4+ managed to get to the A final, finishing 5th overall. What a result after such a testing year. The Nov Women 8+ also placed 2nd in the C final. Massive well done to everyone who competed and helped out at BUCS.

BUCS Head

Our senior men and coxes had a great weekend venturing north for BUCS Head.

UWBC entered 3 boats: 1st and 2nd VIIIs and a 4+. The novs were very disappointed that the weather ruined their opportunity to show off their hard training but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the next few races before WeHORR and HORR. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Photos courtesy of Angela’s Rowing Photographs - visit our instagram for videos of the race (@warwick_rowing).

Quintin Head

UWBC entered four boats into Quintin Head: Senior Men’s 1V; Senior Men’s 2V; Senior Women’s 1V and Novice Women’s 1V.

We saw some fantastic results including our SM 2V placing 1st in their division and our SW 1V placing 2nd in their division.

Very proud of all our crews! Thank you to friends and family for offering encouragement from the banks.

BUCS Indoors

We saw an absolutely brilliant performance from our novices at BUCS Indoors hosted by Sheffield Hallam University.

Our rowers dominated every category that they entered. UWBC came first in Men’s Beginner 1K, Women’s Beginner 1k and Mixed Relay events.

We can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for them.

Dresden Cup 2019

Coventry is twinned with the German city, Dresden, as both suffered extensive bombing during WWII. Being the sole student rowing club in Coventry, UWBC has thrice attended the annual Dresden Cup since its inception. Have a read of Greg’s (our SM Captain) account of the trip... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The time trial: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Drawn against the burly Dutch of Eindhoven, the boys’ eagerness to rip big watts only increased when it was revealed our two substitute rowers from Dresden had competed in the Junior World Championships. A spirited performance from the boys gave us the 5th qualifying spot with an average 500m of (1:23.95). ⠀⠀⠀⠀

Race day: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The flag dropped and 9 crews set off toward Dresden at a blistering pace, aided by the swift current of the Elbe. Sandwiched between two Dresden Universities, Warwick quickly settled into a pounding rhythm and easily overtook a crew containing a former Olympian to put themselves into 4th position. At the front of the pack, Grasshopper Club Zurich pushed out to a healthy lead. Meanwhile our plucky Warwick lads and their German brethren rapidly closed in on the Polish behemoths of Wroclaw. The gap was reduced to under a length but unfortunately a strong headwind decided to blow down upon the race. There was no change in positions as the crews crossed the finish line but our Warwick boys were pleased with the outcome. After a terrific medal ceremony in the city centre, the boys decided that food and alcohol was required to round off the experience. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Overall a great rowing event, UWBC Men were honoured to be invited and will gladly return to support the Dresden Cup in years to come.

Cambridge Winter Head

Cambridge Winter Head

A massive ‘well done’ to both of our Senior Men’s VIIIs at Cambridge Winter Head.

The 2V placed 1st in their category while the 1V came 3rd in the top student category!

Check out @ warwick_rowing for a video of the race.

Huntingdon Head

We saw a fantastic start to the head racing season at Huntington Head. Our men’s 1st VIII placed first in their category and were the fastest crew of the day, followed by the men’s 2VIII. The women’s VIII also placed 2nd in their category.

Overall some great results that we hope to continue through the season!

Check out our instagram @warwick_rowing for videos.

Joe's Week @ BUCS Sculling Camp

In August 2018, Joe Timmins joined the England Talent Pathway which identifies high potential athletes for GB rowing. The process to enter GB pathways began with initial testing at BUCs regatta during his novice year of rowing with UWBC; including anthropometric tests and maximum force tests. Head Men’s Coach, Carl Willott, and Joe were then invited to a talent confirmation day at the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake in Caversham- the home of GB rowing. Further testing included additional anthropometric measurements and max power output on dynamic weights machines. This was followed by a Schwinn bike test, testing both mental stamina as well as physical fitness, as you increased the RPM during the exercise, the bike increased resistance as the test progressed. Finally, the testing day was concluded with a 1000m rate capped erg and a 250m sprint erg. Following a successful day of testing, Joe was invited onto the BUCs sculling camp at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham with Carl.

      During this one-week training camp, the programme included extensive water sessions, land based fitness sessions as well as numerous land based technique sessions, coaching perfect ergo technique, nutrition, anti-doping and healthy lifestyle information. Only having had a couple of outings in a single sculling boat prior to the camp, this week presented a huge learning curve. Joe was able to take all that he learnt over the previous week into the British Sculling Festival at the weekend, where he was able to showcase his increased technical ability. The festival included some less conventional skills such as standing 360’s in the boat and standing rigger dips as well as more standard side by side racing, which ended up being even more unconventional as bad weather meant the conditions felt more like rowing out at sea!

Since completing the camp, Joe has been linked with an England Talent Pathway Coach who works with me and Carl to further develop Joe as an athlete, offering him the best chance of progressing into the GB rowing squad. I have been supported with comprehensive training plans and information to help me fulfil my potential in later periodic testing, monitored by my Pathways coach. He looks forward to seeing what the future holds!