Hi, I’m Seth, a Third Year Engineer and the 2019/20 Men’s Captain at DCBC. When I came to Cambridge I knew rowing was something I wanted to try out. I saw the posters for the club around college and threw myself into novice term. After an intense first term of studying, training and lots of socials, I got to Christmas knowing rowing was something I really enjoyed but was unsure as to whether I wanted to commit to the training schedule of the top senior boats. Arriving back early for a pre-season training camp, I received amazing coaching from our Boatman Ian Watson and many of DCBC Alumni who came back to help and relive some of their memories of university. An injury early on in the term meant that I had to drop out of rowing for Lents, and I watched and supported my friends from the bank through their first Bumps campaign. I returned for the summer term, and managed to claim a place in M2 for my first May Bumps. I enjoyed this term so much that I ran for LBC (Lower Boats Captain) and got my chance to welcome Freshers to DCBC and hope that rowing could become as big a part in their lives as it has become in mine.
I returned in second year and started out in M2 once again, balancing this alongside my academics and swimming for the university in the second team, as well as the LBC role. Within a few weeks, Ollie asked me to make the move up to M1 and I soon found myself in the 2 seat for our Fairbairns Campaign. We experienced a very successful term, winning several Head Races and coming 4th overall at Fairbairns; finishing 40 seconds ahead of any other Cambridge college crew over the 4.5km course. Excited for Lents, we went into the next term with dreams of taking the Headship. Alas, our dreams were not realised as a strong influx of arrivals at Caius accompanied by a few returning trialists meant they dominated the Bumps and despite our best efforts we couldn’t quite close the gap to catch LMBC – we remain the 3rd fastest college boat on the river for the Lents. Easter saw the tables turn for M1, with two returning trialists and a postgraduate late arrival, we began to pick up some speed and found ourselves right back in contention with the other colleges. Two gutsy rows on days 2 and 3 saw us bump Clare and Pembroke to move us up to 4th behind Caius, Magdalene and LMBC. I have absolutely loved rowing as a part of all of these crews over the last year and will be sad to see some of them go as they graduate.
Others are looking to further their rowing and are trialing with both CUBC and CULRC and all of us at DCBC wish them the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing many of their faces on the Tideway as they face off against Oxford. M1 is in a really strong position in both the Lents and the Mays and within reach of taking the Headship for both. I can’t wait to get back in the boat in Michaelmas and see what next season has in store for us.
The growing size of the squad has been extraordinary this year and a testimony to all of Ollie’s hard work, with 4 boats in the Lents and 5 in the Mays. M2 started out in Michaelmas posting a solid performance in the senior Fairbairns. An influx of novices in Lents after a successful camp abroad saw them have some success on the river reaching the semi-finals of Pembroke Regatta and earning a bump in the Lents. Throughout the year M2 has continued to display the depth of talent in the club maintaining their position in the second division, starting as the 6th M2 in the Lents and 5th in the Mays.
M3 represented a largely novice crew this year and again had success at both Pembroke Regatta and Lent Bumps replicating the same result as M2. The return of several seniors in the Mays saw them go from strength to strength and produce some outstanding results, most notably in Champs Head where they were the fastest M3 and beat many college M2 crews. They then went on to claim their blades in the Mays and securing their place comfortably within the 4th division. M4 had a difficult Lent term due to a cox shortage within the club but nevertheless persevered with training and entered as time only into the Getting On Race producing a very respectable result. They returned for the Mays, comfortably securing their place in the Bumps and getting a bump on the first day.
The Rugby Club returned to a long standing tradition of fielding a rugby boat for the Mays, proving that raw power really can set a boat (…sort of) and, due to a slight mishap with the kit order, they donned the Churchill colours for their campaign. Nevertheless, they proved their hard work from the term paid off, bumping up on the first two days and rowing over as sandwich boat for the remaining two.
DCBC has been such an integral part of my university experience so far, the size of the squad this year and the success in the lower boats fills me with faith for success in the next few years. Ollie has done a fantastic job as captain this year and will be a very tough act to follow but I am greatly looking forward to leading the Men’s Squad and witnessing the talent of every member progress even further.