UYBC’s senior men’s squad have had one of their most successful seasons ever. Going from a crew that only ever posted mediocre results, to being branded as one of the top university crews in the country, their sights are now set on the Henley Regatta which takes place at the end of this month.
Their achievements this year have seen the squad begin to build a reputation as a strong competitor against some of the best schools, clubs and universities in Britain.
They started the season strongly in the York Small Boats Head in November and the BUCS Head in February, where they won a silver medal in Intermediate 4+. Over Easter, at the Head of the River race in London, UYBC started in 309th position and finished in 78th, the highest finish ever by the university and placed them in the top ten 1st VIIIs in the country.
At the BUCS Regatta, the top four and eight reached the final of their Intermediate categories, just missing out on medalling, but proved worthy competitors. They then raced at Nottingham City Regatta, reaching the Final of Elite 8s, the highest category of racing, showing their worth against a collection of the country’s best crews. Last weekend the two men’s squads reached both finals at the Metropolitan Regatta, hosted at Dorney Lake.
These races have all been a stepping-stone towards the crew attempting to qualify for Henley Royal Regatta, the most prestigious rowing regatta in the world. This year, UYBC senior men will be going for the Temple Challenge Cup, specifically for student coxed VIIIs. Last year the senior men narrowly missed out at Henley and were the fastest non-qualifier.
However, this year they seem set on qualifying. The competition is strong with international crews such as Harvard, Yale and Washington University attempting to win the prized Temple Challenge Cup. Henley is unique. It is one of the oldest regattas in the world, being first held in 1839 and held annually ever since; bar during the two world wars. It is an opportunity for spectators to watch International Crews come over to compete for one of the six Open Event categories.
It is also considered a great social event; with supporters cheering everyday across the 2.1 km course. This level of support is unparalleled by any other international event across the world. If UYBC qualify this year, it will be the first time since 2006, and round off a great year.
This is the best squad many existing members are known the university to have. If UYBC qualified for Henley Royal Regatta, which is now very likely, it would be such a fantastic achievement and really help increase the reputation of UYBC across the country.