Students shine at 2014 BUCS Regatta
On Monday (5th May), for the first time in a decade, the BUCS Regatta came to an end with a new name at the top of the Victor Ludorum table – the University of London (ULBC).
A record 1,071 crews took part the 2014 BUCS Regatta, representing 71 universities from across the UK. As always competition was tough across the board but, as the dust settled on an unusually tranquil National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, ULBC had finally finished at the top of the pile after 10 years of Durham University BC dominance.
“We knew from the season so far that we had a strong squad and some top performers,” said ULBC Assistant Coach Phil Gray. “We felt this year was the year to go for the win.
“We are really happy with the set of results and medals across the weekend and it’s great for the whole club to come away with the Victor Ludorum.”
2014 was the first time that separate Victor Ludorum trophies were introduced for men and women. The women’s trophy was taken by Durham and the men’s by Imperial College.
Wilf Kimberley from Imperial, who won no fewer than six medals across the three days, said: “It was my fourth year at the regatta and by far and away the hardest but good fun as always. It’s always nice to have an event where we’re only racing other students!”
Oxford Brookes demonstrated their huge depth in the men’s sweep events – winning all three medals in the intermediate eights, followed by victory in the championship eights after a very close race with Newcastle all the way down the 2000m course.
In the equivalent women’s events, spectators saw a repeat of the Henley Boat Races with Oxford beating Cambridge in the intermediate eights and Newcastle maintaining their gold medal from 2013 in the championship category.
The championship single sculls proved to be as exciting as expected, with Jack Beaumont of the University of London racing against Stewart Innes from Reading University. Beaumont won the gold by just over a second and then went on to win silver in the championship double sculls the next day. Katie Bartlett from Loughborough University took gold in the women’s event and followed that up with another gold in the championship double scull.
Fiona Rennie, Chairman of the BUCS Rowing Sport Advisory Group summed the 2014 event up by saying: “It was a fantastic weekend. The atmosphere was awesome, the rowing was excellent and the sun shone.”
She added: “All credit to a great team of organisers and volunteers for a really good event and well done to all of those who took part – to London, Imperial and Durham who won the VL trophies, to Oxford Brookes who dominated the men’s fours and eights events and to the likes of East Anglia and Lincoln who won the men’s and women’s beginner eights G finals – but cheered just as loudly. We will remember the smiles for a long time.”
For photo galleries and the full results from all three days at the 2014 BUCS Regatta, visit the British Rowing and BritChamps Facebook pages.
James Lee
