The men’s crews and squads at Cantabs have had a good season, including good performances from across junior, senior and masters squads. These included good performances for the juniors, particularly their selection to represent the Eastern Region in the 4+ at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta, and the Hills Road boys performing well against senior rowers to win the novice eights during the head racing season. This year, Cantabs sent a J16.8+ to Nat Schools for the first time in recent memory, and stern 4 of that crew will race at the British Rowing Junior Championships this weekend. Masters racing took a step on this year, with the Aquaphobes enjoying their first time at the British Rowing Masters Championships, having done well this season including winning events such as Huntingdon Head. For the Senior Squad, there were notable performances by Jimmy Adams in the 1x at local races, as well as finishing 4th in the Senior category at Scullers Head.

The 2018 Cantabs men’s crews

This year’s men’s first eight will be looking to defend the Headship that they took in 2015 from Rob Roy RC, against St Neots RC who start in 2nd. The crew contains 5 of last year’s M1. The members of this crew have competed in a combined 285 bumps races, earned 17 blades, and 6 of them have previously held a Town Bumps Headship. In 2014, stroke Angus Knights rowed in Cambridge’s men’s reserve crew, Goldie, with Ricci Herreros-Symons racing in the spare pair the same year.

M1 – Senior Men’s Squad – Starting Head of the River:
Sara Russo (cox), Angus Knights, Guy Fiddian*, Tom Wordsworth, Finn Grimwood, Riccardo Herreros-Symons, Andrew Marsden, Harvey Dinkele*, James O’Dell*

Starting 8th behind X-Press M1, M2 consists entirely of men who previously rowed for Cantabs whilst at Hills Road Sixth Form College. The crew’s studies are now over at Hills and continue at university, with crew members now rowing for Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Durham, Leeds Beckett, Imperial, and Fitzwilliam College.

M2 – Hills Road Returners – Starting 8th in Division 1:
Ben Whitelaw* (cox), Eddie Crampton*, Karlo Miracle*/Freddie Barnes*, Angus Beauchamp*, Fin Beauchamp*, Chris Radbone*, Sean Perrin*, Freddie Scott*/Tim Savill*, Alan Slatter*

This year’s M3 contains 2 athletes from last year’s Headship crew. Half of the crew raced in a 4+ or 4- at Henley Royal Regatta Qualifiers last month. Stroke Tom Hetherington is the Irish record holder for the 24 hour erg, having completed one in January and raising over £3500 for UNICEF in the process. Jimmy’s most notable achievement was at Scullers Head last season, when he finished the course faster than double Olympic champion James Cracknell.

M3 – Senior Men’s Squad – Starting 12th in Division 1:
Amy Henfrey (cox), Tom Hetherington, Sean Collins, James Adams, Sebastian Grossmann, James Lindsey, Matt Crowe, Jon McCree-Grey, Jack Goode

M4 this year features a number of former Town Bumps Headship holders from the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Headship crews, including former Club Captian James Price who was in the first ever Cantabs men’s Headship crew in 2007. The crew will be coxed by James’ wife Ro who coxed M1 to 2 Headships in 2013 and 2015, and will also be coxing Cantabs W1 this Friday. Town Bumps will feel like a relatively short race for 4-seat Danny Longman, who took part in the Polar Row last summer, where Danny’s crew – which also contained double Olympic champion Alex Gregory – broke 11 world records including the fastest crossing of the Arctic Ocean.

M4 – Senior Men’s Squad – Starting 14th in Division 1:
Ro Price (cox), Callan Swanson*, Karthik Tadinada, Sebastian Manhart, Peeta Curran, Danny Longman, James Price, Phil Gunning, Atanas Stoyanov

This year’s M5 are from the Intermediate Men’s Squad, who narrowly missed out in winning the CRA Time Race 2 weeks ago when a cruiser ran amok on the racing line and caused the crew to have to stop and restart.

M5 – Intermediate Men’s Squad – Starting 5th in Division 2:
Natasha Michael (cox), Meelis Lootus, Derek Rutter, Drew Foster, Joel Meadmore, Sam Bray, Ben Hanson, James Carter, Petr Arnold

M6 is the 1st eight from Hills Road, who will be chasing City M7.

M6 – Hills Road 1st Eight – Starting 11th in Division 2:
Maria Chukanova (cox), Michael Welsh*, Robert Steyn*, Philip Sosnin*, Harry Selwyn-Smith*, Jed Beynon*, Jeremy Austin*, Laurence Beauregard*, Oliver Brigstocke*

The Aquaphobes were formed in 2010 when a water polo team fancied a go at Town Bumps. Whilst most of them were new to rowing, almost all had competed at high levels in other sports including swimming, cycling, weight-lifting, dancing, rugby, football and cricket. Half of this year’s crew have swum both the Channel and the Straits of Messina. This season has seen good results for the squad at both head races and regattas, though Bumps remains the Phobes’ touchstone and highlight of their racing calendar.

M7 – Aquaphobes – Starting 16th in Division 2:
Emma Smith (cox), Matt Garley, Ali Nichol, Andrea Sangiovanni/Paul Hoeggar*, Paul Casciato/Duncan Gibson, Jan Wildenhain/Dan Sharrock, Richard Baird, Dave Rayment, Lucio Cicolecchia/Mehrdad Ekbatani*

For this year’s Bumps, there is added excitement for several of the Aquaphobes who are either chasing or being chased by their sons in the two Hills Road boys’ crews representing Cantabs. M8 this year is the Hills Road 2nd eight and they will be starting Head of Division 3, and sandwich boat for Division 2.

M8 – Hills Road 2nd Eight – Starting 1st in Division 3:
Hermione Scott*/Maria Chukanova (cox), Alex Hunjan*, Charlie Catmur*, Aidan Bennett*, Joel Thomson*, Sonny Osman*, Mat Melloy*, Omar El-Halawani*, Connor Nichol*

A number of this year’s J16s crew will be racing at the British Rowing Junior Championships this coming weekend. Cox Isabel Nimmo has steered over 100 bumps races in her career, and Robert’s mother Sheena will be racing in W9.

M9 – Junior Squad (J16s) – Starting 9th in Division 3:
Isabel Nimmo (cox), Samuel Askew*, Joshua Pearson*, Robert Almqvist*, Thomas Sharrock*, Joel Newsam*, Ewan Morris*, Borisz Kantor*, Ethan Collier*

The Poachers crew comprises many athletes who have family members racing in other Cantabs crews. Gavin’s son Callan will be stroking M4, Andrew’s wife Katie will be racing in W9, Levente’s son Boris will be racing in M9, Phil’s wife Alice will be racing in W2 and Malcolm’s wife Carrie will be coxing W4 and M13.

M10 – Poachers – Starting 11th in Division 3:
Katrina Purser* (cox), Gavin Swanson, Kelly Bolen*, Andrew Bradshaw*, Levente Kantor*/Dave Meredith*, Emlyn Knight/Noah Tate, Tim Walker*/Phil Brownjohn*, Nick Siragher*, Malcolm Frazer*

The range of experience in M11 is varied, from Creon Taoself who learned to row at Cantabs last season to former Club Captain Mike Ellis who has been at Cantabs for 36 years. 7-seat Joe Ouroussoff is another former Club Cptain, and one of many of this crew who coach at Cantabs or other clubs including Clare Hall, St Mary’s, and Pembroke College. This will be the first ever Town Bumps for Ben and Gordon, and Creon’s 2nd after winning blades last year in this crew shortly after learning to row.

M11 – Past Masters – Starting 17th in Division 3:
Roz Fitzgerald (cox), Chris Dale, Joe Ouroussoff, Mike Ellis, Ben Hayek, Ben Peterson*, Gordon Dingwall*, Paul Meadows/Harry Lyons, Creon Taoself*/Steve McBirnie

M12 will be chasing City M12.

M12 – Activ8 – Starting 3rd in Division 4:
Rosie Tween (cox), Nigel Burrows, Paul Lacey/Daniel Smith, Guy Beauchamp, Paul Beresford, Geoff Moore, Bob Brittain, Howard Griffiths, Ray Gay*

Hunter Crew contains Club President and British Rowing Volunteer of the Year Awards winner Mike Hunter. The crew ranges in age from people in their 20s to their 70s, though most of the crew have less than 5 years’ rowing experience – proof that it is never too late to pick up an oar! 5 of the crew also have children racing in Town Bumps. Last year, the Hunter Crew suffered a week of row-overs, and so are hoping to cover a bit less distance this year!

M13 – Hunter Crew – Starting 5th in Division 4:
Carrie Frazer (cox), Paul Reis*, Mike Hunter*, Pablo Porras Millan*/Dave Meredith*, James Ryley*, Paul Robinson*/John Marshall, Matthew Scott*/Mike Staplehurst, Andrew Featherstone*, Paul Leivers*

InveterEight 4-seat David Winch is also coach of the Women’s Progression Squad, with his son Jon coaching the Senior Women’s Squad. 6-seat Clive Keeler also coaches at Cantabs, and his partner Steph, who heads up the Cantabs Learn to Row programme, will be racing in W5.

M14 – InveterEight – Starting 6th in Division 4:
Emma Metcalfe (cox), Steve Seaber*, Jim Howarth*, Ted Tracey/Clive Keeler, Rob Harvey*, David Winch, Steve Tapping, Mike Walker*, John Railton

M15 is the only mixed crew at Cantabs last year, with 2 J15 girls holding their own with the bots. All of this crew learned to row as part of the Cantabs Junior L2R programme. Age restrictions mean that sweep rowers must be over 14 years old, so this crew have only recently learned to row in an 8+. After just 4 practice sessions, they managed to beat other crews at the CRA Time Race and are looking forward to their first ever Town Bumps, where they will be starting behind the Cambridge Veterans.

M15 – Junior Squad (J15s) – Starting 8th in Division 4:
Zara Parr* (cox), Onum Howie*, Scarlet Barton-Gilheany*, Thomas Downton*/Luke Davies*, Sam Palmer*/Charlie Davies*, Emmanuel Lito*, Harry O’Shea*, Katie Parker*, Tom Hodgson-Kerry*

Most of M16 learned to row at Cantabs, with half of the crew competing in Town Bumps for the first time.

M16 – Motley Crew – Starting 10th in Division 4:
Christian Howard* (cox), Tiziano Caldera, Simon Nesbit*, David Atkin, Peter Rodgers*, Alan Johnson*/Chris Sherwin, Simon Durrant/Tom Halliwell, Gary O’Shea*/Chris Pearson*, Paul Brammar*/Billy Hodge

*indicates someone learned to row at Cantabs.