Welcome to CCBC! Whether you’re super sporty or not, join us as a rower or as a cox. Read further to find out more about rowing, coxing and life at the boat club.

Why should you row?

Keep fit! Rowing uses the whole body, you’ll get toned and master the technically challenging skill of wielding an oar. Rowing is a diverse sport that offers opportunities both on and off the water, whether in a boat or in the gym. Rowing is a team sport and you will undoubtedly form strong bonds with the people you row with. It’s really exhilarating to feel how much power you can generate, alone and as a crew. If you like a challenge, have a competitive streak, but also like to have fun, rowing is the sport for you.

As an aside – which is no less important – if you like nature, you’ll have a great time rowing. We’re on the river at the most magical time of the day when the sun is rising (and in the summer, we make the most of long summer evenings) and you’ll spot herons, coots and maybe even a kingfisher… but don’t get too distracted, else you might hear a shout, “eyes in the boat!”

Why should you cox?

There’s nothing like coxing – you’re completely in charge of the boat, coaching from the river rather than from the bank. You’ll gain skill in leadership, communication and teamwork as you control the boat to win all sorts of races! You could have eight amazing rowers in the boat, but without the cox they’re going nowhere – you need to remember that. Skills in steering, leading, teaching and commanding will all set you ahead in the boat and on the shore too – coxes are well-respected because it takes a very special person to lead the boat – could it be you?

Why should you join CCBC?

There are countless reasons! Here are some…

The community – everyone here is ridiculously friendly, we support each other, we know how to have a laugh and we gel as club during training and during our socials.

The boathouse – we have our own boathouse (the oldest wooden framed boathouse on the river) which has recently been renovated to an impressive standard with a well-equipped gym, a common room, a balcony, incredible showers and our very own dog, Sammy… OK, it’s our boathouse manager’s dog but he practically lives there!

Training camps – every January, we spend a week training on the Lac d’Aiguebelette in the French Alps where the 2015 World Rowing Championships were held. It’s a fantastic opportunity to dramatically improve our rowing in a short space of time and get to know everyone in the club. It’s seriously beautiful there (look up some photos). We also spend a day at Peterborough in November to make the most of a straight, quiet stretch of water and really hone our rowing.

Socials – who doesn’t like a bit of fun? A few things to look forward to are a cocktail night, a pub row, meals out and a termly unmissable boat club dinner (BCD), to name but a few. Look out for our term card with all the events for the term!

Bumps – this quintessentially Cantabrigian race takes place at the end of Lent term and May term and sees all the colleges compete against each other. There is so much hype around Bumps that even non-rowers get invested in the outcome. It’s a chance to let loose college rivalries as boats chase each other down the river. Yeah Christ’s! To find out more about bumps, visit the CUCBC website.

How do we train?

Training largely depends on which boat you’re in – higher boats typically train more than lower boats. We use a mixture of water sessions, ergs, weights and flexibility and conditioning (F&C) sessions. While outings and ergs take place with your crew, weights and F&C happen as a club and give the men and women’s sides a chance to mix.

What next?

If you’re coming to Cambridge as a fresher this October, look out for us at the Christ’s Freshers’ Fair!

To find out more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Lower Boats Captains here.

Get a sense what CCBC is about with our new video

https://www.facebook.com/christsbc/videos/1728009217494728/