Words from the Overall Captain

I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work, dedication, and improvement seen by all of our boats this term and throughout the entire year. May Bumps always completes the most special term of rowing on the river. We get the chance to cement everything that has been learned all year and reflect and celebrate our accomplishments. This year, we also honoured 40 years of boatman Kevin Bowles and the departure of our Head Coach, Seb Matthews, in a special Boat Club Dinner.

We returned to Cambridge ten days prior to Easter term to begin our preparations for May Bumps in earnest. It was a wonderful term of rowing, with W1 especially winning multiple races throughout the term. M1 and W1 also gained valuable off-Cam racing experience at Bedford and Metropolitan Regattas. These opportunities built a strong foundation of varied rowing experience and excitement in the lead up to bumps. Bumps did prove a challenge this year for our top two boats, with M1 ending down two and W1 down three. We were up against some incredibly strong boats with many returning trialists, but in true Pembroke spirit we went down with a real fight and there is much to be proud of as we look to rebuild in the coming year. I must offer congratulations to W2, who finished up three and showed real tenacity throughout the term as the crew solidified and improved.

I want to end this year’s gazette by recognising two incredibly important individuals to PCBC. Firstly, to Seb Matthews, who has been our Head Coach for the past five years and added incredible strength and development to our rowing program, as well as created a culture of tenacity and joy in rowing. Secondly, to Kevin Bowles, our Boat Man for an incredible 40 years. Kevin has impacted so many rowers in this club over his time and his dedication to the sport and to Pembroke is admirable. We were lucky to celebrate both of these people for their wonderful contributions at this year’s May Bumps Dinner, joined by over a dozen alumni.

It has been a real privilege to lead and represent this boat club through a fabulous year and I have so enjoyed getting to connect with so many Pembroke rowers, both past and present. I have no doubt that next year’s committee will build off of all the progress made this year and continue the strength and legacy of this great boat club! 

Arden

Men's Side

M1 

An M1 filled with both fresh faces and experienced hands, started their season with some strong performances off-Cam. At Bedford Regatta, they won 2 decisive victories but eventually lost out to a strong Oxford crew - and at Metropolitan Regatta, they won their final in the Open 8+ category!

Though saddened to go down in May Bumps (ending in the sixth place they started last year’s campaign) it’s hard not to be proud of the rows they gave, truly leading the men’s squad from the front in their guts, commitment and dedication; not just in their 4 gutsy rows this Bumps campaign, but throughout the term, this eclectic mix of 9 young men gave their all in every session, and their spirit will remain with the lower boats of PCBC for years to come!

M2

M2 continued their winning streak from Lents, starting the term strong by winning tankards at spring regatta, and continuing to best first and second boats alike in Champs head and Nine’s regatta over the season. Despite their prior dominance over the boats of the second division, M2 were only able to gain a single bump this campaign (on Sidney Sussex M1); the chaos of the lower second division led to re-rows, over bumps and slower crews ahead getting caught far too quickly. This resulted in Emmanuel M2 escaping us for 3 days straight, despite getting within a canvas on each day/re-row. The crew came in incredibly young (5 freshers this term) and matured immensely over the term. Now, all 8 eight rowers are staying on for next year, which bodes incredibly well for the senior boats of Michaelmas 2023. Row on PCBC!

M3

M3 built well on a chaotic start to Easter term posting a strong benchmark at Champs Head, narrowly behind Kings M2 who were chasing us in bumps. This was followed by a gutsy performance at 99s Spring Regatta. Sadly, in Bumps, a series of unfortunate events followed. On the first day we got an overlap of a bowball on FaT M3’s cox, but they refused to concede without us making contact, and Kings M2 came from behind to bump us. The second day came and a bump in front caused carnage and a tricky corner, followed by receiving another bump. Lucy Cav M1 got us on the third day, and more carnage on the fourth led to the final result of spoons. However, with 6 new rowers this year in M3, all keen to stay on, the senior boats will be strong come next year.

M4 

M4 had a fantastic Easter term. Getting the crew set early, they made it their mission to get onto bumps! Starting the term with none of them having rowed in a set crew before, their chances seemed slim. But through their commitment and drive they transformed the boat into a force to be reckoned with. A successful 99' regatta win against Anglia Ruskin M1 gave them hope that their hard work had been paying off. They successfully completed the getting on race in a time unimaginable at the beginning of the term and were all set for Bumps! Their bumping campaign went off to an unlucky start. Despite getting within a canvas of Kings M3 two days in a row, both days were stopped before first post corner and awarded a technical row-over! Unfortunately, Kings M3, terrified of the speedy Pembroke M4 behind theml didn't show up to Day 3! This meant Clare Hall got a technical bump up and left a gap of 11 boat lengths to Cauis M4. Pembroke were not disheartened though and hungry for a bump, chased Cauis all the way to the finish, closing the gap to just 3 lengths. Finally on day 4, Pembroke had their opportunity to bump and bumped Kings M3, bringing the term to a fairy tale finale for them!

Women's Side

W1

W1 started the term off strong, winning their first race of the season- Cambridge Head to Head. The crew continued to put in the hard work and determination which paid off again as they won the plate in Nines regatta, another testament to their efforts. The crew used these successes as motivation in on- and off-Cam races, and following weeks of preparation and a gutsy row at Met Regatta, they came second in their final. Unfortunately, W1 was faced with many challenges and blows due to injuries, which led to last-minute changes in the crew. Despite the unfortunate result of Bumps in which the crew went down 3, to end up 7th on the River, they came together as well as they could and gave it their all every day, coming away with a positive attitude all around. They have made us all proud and we hope to see them return to the river as ready as ever come Michaelmas term. 

W2 

W2's dedication and hard-work resulted in some excellent results this term. The crew coped well with changes due to injury, putting in 100% effort during a stressful term. This effort translated into success with their three bumps during May's. Their Bumps campaign cemented their position in Division 2 and has set up future W2 crews for further success. They have made the whole club incredibly proud! 

W3

W3 came on leaps and bounds this term, with the introduction of some promising Easter term novices to the club. After a few falls down the stairs, ejector crabs, and general boat club chaos, the crew came together wonderfully and gave it their all during bumps. We can’t wait to see how the crew use their experience from this term on the river next year! 

Thoughts from the Head Coach

For my final time for thoughts from the head coach, I would like to talk about this term but also my amazing time at PCBC. This term was definitely a product of a good rebuild year for the club. Although we may have been bumped more than everyone would have liked, I believe it has built the foundation for the new head coach to come in and step the club on further than when I joined the club. With the majority of the boats having freshers among them.  

Ultimately that was my main goal when becoming the head coach was to make it a better place than what I found it. Obviously, headships would have been nice but as we all know a good crew goes up three, a lucky one up four. But the main change I have seen at the club is that it is more unified than when I first joined. I always remember telling off the captains for fighting over a brand new cox box we had just bought because one side was using it more than the other. Whereas now our women’s first boat was sharing their even newer cox box with the men’s fourth boat. 

I would put these changes down to a lot of things but I think one of the main driving forces of this was the training camps. Going to Wimbleball and Budapest over the years has really bought the two sides together. For those that were on the training camps, everyone knew I was in my element. Being able to use a powerboat, rowing for ten kilometres without seeing another boat and the crew being able to hear me. Whereas on the cam you try to navigate the towpath, coach the crew and stop them from crashing into crews that were blocking the crossing over point in the pouring rain. I much preferred the latter. I would like to say a massive thank you to Balint and his family for being incredible hosts for those two camps and we are unbelievably lucky to use their boathouse and facilities. 

It’s been a pleasure being head coach at Pembroke and I would like to thank Kev, Sir Richard and all of the alumni that have coached for welcoming me into PCBC over these last 4 years. It’s definitely a place I will never forget! Row on PCBC!

Michaelmas Term Diary Dates

Late September: Michaelmas training camp in Budapest

14th Oct: Autumn Head

1st-3rd Nov: University IVs (TBC)

5th Nov: Head of River 4s (Tideway, London)

18th Nov: Winter Head (TBC)

30th Nov: Novice Fairbairn Cup

1st Dec: Senior Fairbairn Cup

2nd Dec: Christmas Head

Volunteering and Staying Connected

In order to maintain a lively relationship between PCBC and our alumni, and to strengthen the community, we would like to morph the PCBC Association into a full-blown organisation in the form of a trust. If you are keen to get involved, please get in touch with the sponsorship and alumni representatives - particularly if you have any law work experience!

Alumni support is crucial when it comes to coaching of Pembroke crews - we can all think about the alums who sharpened our catches back in the day! If you would like to contribute to the ongoing success of PCBC through coaching, please get in touch with our Sponsorship and Alumni Representative. It would be fantastic to see our current crews inspired by previous successes, especially in these challenging times! 

And, as always, follow our social media for the latest news!

Website: www.pembrokecollegeboatclub.com

IG: www.instagram.com/pcbccambridge

FB: www.facebook.com/PCBCCambridge

Twitter: twitter.com/pcbccambridge

Pembroke Regatta Twitter: twitter.com/pemregatta

We are especially pleased to have rolled out a new Facebook group for PCBC alumni in September 2019.  If you are not already connected, please visit us here to join in order to stay updated with the latest news and alumni rowing opportunities!

Row on PCBC!