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Magdalene Boat Club
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Mallory Club Spring Update

We're back rowing!

Welcome to a mid-term update of all things Mallory and Magdalene Boat Club (MBC), where we are glad to report that the better weather of Easter Term and easing of COVID-193 restrictions has meant the lavender is once again dominating the sights of the Cam.

Triumph at Ely

Cambridge had a near-clean-sweep over O*ford at The Boat Races, held at Ely this year due to COVID restrictions and ongoing work on Hammersmith bridge on the Tideway. MBC's outgoing Captain of Boats Sam Vosper was the first man over the line in the bow seat of Goldie as they took a decisive win of 6 lengths over their rivals. Congratulations to Sam who missed out on an opportunity to race at all last year!

Success on the Cam

W1 in their first post-COVID-19 racing
W1 in their first post-COVID-19 racing.

Easter term has got off to a great start, with excellent results coming in from the first few races. A few highlights are noted below, with more planned for the rest of term:

Head of the Cam - 2.6km, Motorway Bridge to P&E

M1 VI+ - 1st in category. Beat next fastest crew (Caius) by 30s.
M2 VIII+ - 3rd in category. Pipped to 2nd (Caius) by 0.8s.

Radegund Mile - 2.2km, Motorway Bridge to Railway Bridge

M1 VIII+ - 1st M1. Beat next fastest crew (Downing) by 11s.
M2 VIII+ - 4th M2. Strong base for Mays.

Champs Head - 1.45km, Plough to P&E

W1 VIII+ - 2nd in category. Excellent first race of the season.
M1 VIII+ - 1st in category. Fastest crew overall.
M2 VIII+ - 3rd in category. Stiff competition for the Mays campaign.

And it was all Yellow

The new Empacher VIII on its maiden outing.
The new Empacher VIII on its maiden outing.

It's been spent 14 months on the rack, arriving just before lockdown in 2020, but now it's finally had its time to shine. Magdalene's first Empacher VIII has hit the Cam. And it didn't waste any time showing up the competition. M1 took victory in the Radegund Mile in its maiden race, with the yellow and lavender livery certainly turning a few heads. Along with the Stampfli IVs, the Empacher was a result of very generous donations to the club from alumni and marks a serious addition to the fleet of a strong and growing club. All the new boats are yet to be officially named, with details of naming ceremonies to be circulated when COVID allows.

The new Empacher VIII on its maiden outing.
The new Empacher VIII on its maiden outing.

Upcoming Events

Metropolitan Regatta - Dorney Lake - 5-6 June

MBC currently plan to enter the Met Regatta at Dorney Lake, however unfortunately this year it will be closed to spectators. This is a great chance for the club to continue providing opportunities for rowers and coxes to compete off-Cam, as well as testing where MBC stands on the national stage. This is the first foray into national competition for some time, with previous regattas and HoRR / WEHoRR cancelled for the last year.

May Races - Cambridge - 16-19 June

Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, the May Bumps have been cancelled. This naturally comes as a huge blow to the whole of MBC, from the novices who haven't managed to get in their first set of bumps races to many of M1 who have been gearing up for the headship (some for almost a decade) who now won't get the chance.

Instead, a 4-day regatta is being planned along the Long Reach. We will keep everyone informed as to the full details as they become clearer. We currently do not expect this to be a spectators event but if you are out and about in Cambridge, please feel free to support the crews (as always, abiding by government COVID-19 restrictions).

Henley Women's Regatta - Henley-on-Thames - 2-4 July

HWR currently plan to have a limited spectating area, with the boat racking area taking up more space than usual. As always, this will be subject to government guidelines and we will keep everyone informed about any planned meet-ups!

Henley Royal Regatta - Henley-on-Thames - 11-15 August

HRR currently plan to hold the regatta in mid-August and, COVID-19 restrictions allowing, there should be the opportunity for spectating!

Monster the Loch 2021 - Saturday 18 September 2021

Monster the Loch Magdalene 2019 crew at the finish.
Monster the Loch Magdalene 2019 crew at the finish.

By popular demand, the Mallory Club and MBC will be entering Monster the Loch a second time this September! This is an en-masse race rowing the 21-mile length of Loch Ness, competing against a huge array of boats, from VIIIs to gigs to paddleboarders to pedaloes. We last entered this event in 2019 finishing in a time of just under 2hr 30m, had a brilliant time and now have some interest from other Cambridge clubs in attending as well. 

If you would like to show some initial interest (not full commitment just yet, just a general show of keen), then please contact the Mallory Club.

Student & Athlete: The Boat Race

"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats"

A huge thank you to Magdalene Fellow-Commoner and alumna Pat Marsh (1997), former Chair of the Cambridge University Women's Boat Club and the Alumni & Development Office for the virtual chat with three Magdalene (and Mallory) members about their experience of The Boat Race

Patrick Elwood (Goldie '16, '17, Blue Boat '18), Daphne Martschenko (Blue Boat '15, '16, Blondie '18) and Susannah Cass (Blue Boat '19) all took part in the internationally streamed event. 

Student and Athlete: The Boat Race

We hope you have enjoyed hearing about the latest exploits of the Mallory Club, and if you are keen to become more involved then please get in touch!

We are also always keen to hear more about the post-Magdalene adventures of our members, and would welcome submission for future editions via info@malloryclub.com.

GTF,

The Mallory Club


This article first appeared in the Mallory Club Spring Newsletter update. Sign up at www.malloryclub.com to receive the newsletter directly to your inbox.