Brookes place 3 VIII’s ahead of every university 1st VIII

At the British Senior Championships this weekend, the boat club took 112 athletes to Nottingham for the first race of the new season. Representing the club in 12 eights and a 4x, both the men’s and women’s squads had a very strong showing, with the largest contingent of men & women ever to represent Brookes at any competition.

The women’s 1st VIII finished a solid 5th in a very close final of Elite VIII’s, with the best women’s 8+ field the British Championships have ever seen – only just behind Oxford’s 1st VIII, with the 2nd VIII going on to come a close second in the C-final.

The men’s squad emulated last year’s feat of qualifying 3 crews into the A-final – with 3 eights in front of any other university’s 1st VIII. Olympians Scott Durant, Matt Tarrant and Peter Chambers raced with the 1st VIII, and went on to claim the Silver medal. The 2nd VIII came 4th – 1 foot off bronze – with the 3rd VIII in 5th winning the University Pennant, and breaking the British Championships University record in the process, a long way clear of 6th. An enjoyable part of the day lower down in the squad was watching our ‘young guns’ 4th VIII, having a good tussle with Newcastle’s 1st VIII in the B-final.

With the first GB U23 trials coming in November, OBUBC’s athletes now focus back on their small boat skill & speed, and looking ahead to the final race of 2016 at Wallingford Head, on our home stretch of river.