Boat Camp 2014

In preparation for regatta season Grey college Boat Club went down to Maiden Head for a gruelling week of rowing. The camp tested our crews to their limits but, with three training sessions a day, led to vast improvements for all squads. Crews were shaken up and rearranged as the coaches tried to find the optimal line up, that would hopefully secure victory in the regatta season soon to begin.

The fresher men's eight practicing blade placement 

Many members got their first taste of sculling, unfortunately leading to quite a few capsizes. Others enjoyed the chance to scull and quickly got better. Josh Goswell also exhibited his impressive skills in a single scull.

Laura Fitzgibbon and Hannah Bettridge in a double

Josh doing the Gondola

The use of launches allowed more personalised coaching, which quickly yielded dramatic technical improvements. The open river allowed us to practice side by side racing for the first time and let the freshers experience a wider variety of boats. 

After a week of intense training we left Maiden Head, feeling more confident about the regatta season to come. We would like to thank Maiden Head rowing club and Michael Cannon for their help in making the camp a possibility.

Boat Club Ball

22nd February 2014
The club's ball is part of GCBC's great traditions. As the last event organised by the outgoing social secretaries it had a great atmosphere. Many members of the club returned for a fun night and met people they used to row with and coach, as well as the new members of the club.

The evening started with a reception in Grey college, which welcomed members old and new to the annual ball. After everyone had arrived we headed for Bowburn Hall hotel. Once there we enjoyed an exquisite three course meal followed by the speeches signalling the official hand over of power to the club's new executive. Next the dance floor was opened up, to continue the festivities. Even when the coaches returned everyone to durham most people carried on having a great time by heading straight for the clubs in durham.

Members of GCBC at Bowburn Hall Hotel

The club would like to thank the triad of Jonny Davies, Tim Long and George Hutchinson for their work on this event and on the other events during their year as social secretaries. We would also like to welcome the new club executives to their roles.
Thank you to all who came and we hope you had an entertaining time.

Head Season 2013/2014

The senior squads took part in the Senate Cup on 11th December 2013. Training for this had been hindered by high levels on the Wear, severely reducing water time. Despite this Grey entered two IM3 women's coxed fours, a novice women's coxed four and an IM3 men's coxed four. All crews performed admirably finishing with similar times to some of the best crews in Durham.


On 5th March 2014 it was a chance for the fresher crews to show what they could do after 6 months of training, in Butler Head. The women's four of Milly Alexander, Miriam Cogni, Florence Cook and Katie James and cox Anna Kenton looked like an experienced crew who completed the 1800m course  in a respectable time (beating some of the male crews). They showed promising technique but lacked the raw power which some of the other crews displayed. It was time to hit the gym for the Freshers.

First races for the fresher women

The Fresher men showed some great rowing putting out two novice fours. This was the first time that Robert Cooper, James Quitmann, Harry Dodds and Toby Weston raced together, and it proved to be the beginnings of a very good four.

The fresher men getting ready for the final push

 The highlight of the day was the senior men's four of Tim Peterson, Richard Pearce, Sean Waring Mitchell, Andrew Loucks and cox Rebecca Moore. They won their event with an outstanding performance. They showed great stamina and technical prowess to record a very impressive time.

The Butler Head crew which won the novice coxed fours

The Head season showed off the hard work and effort that the coaches had put in to their squads. Laura Fitzgibbon, Ipek Akay, Richard Pearce, Tim Peterson, Callum Stayton and Josh Goswell used their experience to mould a very impressive collection of squads.