First and Third Trinity Boat Club
Encyclopedia
The First and Third Trinity Boat Club is the rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 club of Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

 in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The club formally came into existence in 1946 when the First Trinity Boat Club and the Third Trinity Boat Club merged, although the 2 clubs had been rowing together for several years before that date. The first boat club associated with Trinity was formed in 1825 and came to be known as First Trinity in 1833 when the Third Trinity Boat Club was formed (a Second Trinity Boat Club was formed in 1831 but did not have a continuous existence until 1840). Membership of Third Trinity was originally confined to Old Etonians
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 and Old Westminsters
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...

. Members of Third Trinity were allowed also to be members of First or Second Trinity and often were.

History

In the nineteenth century the various Trinity boat clubs were very strong and regularly won events in Cambridge, at various regattas around the country, notably the Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

, and regularly contributed rowers to the Cambridge boat for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Indeed in the 1849 Boat Race, all members of the crew were from Trinity, seven from Third Trinity and two, the cox included, from First Trinity. Boats from the three clubs could often be found at, or near, the top of the Bumps
Bumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....

 and they sometimes combined their resources in races against the rest of the University.

In 1876 Second Trinity was disbanded due to insufficient members. However, a legend claims that during the Bumps in that year, the rowers of Trinity's arch-rivals, St John's College
Lady Margaret Boat Club
The Lady Margaret Boat Club , is the rowing club for members of St John's College, Cambridge, England. The club is named after Lady Margaret Beaufort, foundress of the College.- History :...

, attached a sword to the front of one of their boats such that if they successfully bumped the boat in front (which turned out to be one of Second Trinity's), it would be holed and sink. The plan supposedly worked in the sense that the Trinity boat did sink, but in the process the sword also hit and killed Second Trinity's cox, which of course wasn't intended. So the legend claims that this is the reason why Second Trinity Boat Club was dissolved, and why St. John's College is no longer allowed a boat club under its own name. Though a wonderful legend, it is not entirely true. The unfortunate incident did in fact occur - but between boats from Trinity Hall and Clare colleges, in 1888, 12 years after the dissolution of Second Trinity. Also, no sword was involved- the bow of a rowing eight is sufficiently pointed to be dangerous, and the incident led to bow balls being made mandatory. The more prosaic explanation for 2nd Trinity's demise is that membership was restricted to Theology scholars, which over time proved to be an unreliable source of oarsmen.

In the twentieth century the clubs remained competitive and continued to achieve success in various events. The 2nd World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 forced the 2 clubs to combine resources and after the war they formally merged in order to remain competitive with the now larger boat clubs of other colleges. In the same year First and Third won the Visitors' Challenge Cup
Visitors' Challenge Cup
The Visitors Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs and has similar qualifying rules to the Ladies' Challenge Plate. Two or more clubs may...

 at the Henley Royal Regatta and the following year won the Ladies' Challenge Plate
Ladies' Challenge Plate
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the...

. They repeated this feat by winning the Ladies Plate again in 1954 and 1967 which was the last year that a college crew from either Cambridge or Oxford has won the event. The difference in the standard of rowing between Oxbridge colleges and non-University clubs has changed greatly over the twentieth century, possibly due to standards within college clubs falling or to the quality of rowing in other clubs improving, but probably a combination of the two. For example First and Third, like all other Oxbridge college crews, now have difficulty achieving a standard of rowing to even qualify for events at the Henley Royal Regatta, let alone to win these events. In spite of this, rowing within Cambridge remains popular and the Bumps, the main inter-college event, see well over a thousand students competing, typically around a hundred from Trinity.

First Trinity Boat Club

The Trinity Boat Club, the original rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 club of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, dates from 1825 and was usually called First Trinity Boat Club after 1833. It was open to all members of the College.

In 1946, the club amalgamated with the other remaining boat club of the College, Third Trinity Boat Club, to form First and Third Trinity Boat Club, and in this form continues to compete today.

The Club was very successful throughout its history, but especially in the 19th century. Its early history is very well covered by W. W. Rouse Ball's 1908 book, A History of The First Trinity Boat Club, which is available online in its entirety.

Of particular note is that in 1839 First Trinity won the Grand Challenge Cup in the first Henley Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 (not made "Royal" till 1851). The crew rowed in a boat named the Black Prince, the bow section of which is still owned by the First and Third Trinity Boat Club but which is on loan to the River & Rowing Museum in Henley. They defeated the other three entries, who were Wadham College Oxford
Wadham College Boat Club
Wadham College Boat Club is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club's members are students and staff from Wadham College and Harris Manchester College. Founded some time before 1837, Wadham has had great success both within Oxford and externally in regattas...

, Brasenose College Oxford and the Oxford Etonian Club. First and Third Trinity Boat Club still names its higher quality men's eight-oared boats as 'Black Prince'. As new boats are purchased, older boats are demoted to lower boat use and are referred to as 'Black Prince II', 'Black Prince III' and so on.

1st Trinity managed to win Olympic gold on two occasions. The coxless-four of Charles Eley, James MacNabb, Robert Morrison and Terence Sanders won gold for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 at the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...

 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 gaining silver, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 the bronze. In the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...

 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

, 1st Trinity managed to successfully defend the coxless-fours title (Richard Beesly
Richard Beesly
Richard Beesly was a British rower who won an Olympic gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.Beesly was born at Bromsgrove, the son of Gerald Beesly and his wife Helen who was a cousin of Neville Chamberlain. He was educated at Oundle School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was a member...

, Edward Bevan
Edward Vaughan Bevan
Edward Vaughan Bevan was a British doctor and rower who won a gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam....

, John Lander, Michael Warriner), with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 getting silver and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 receiving bronze.

First Trinity was also very successful on its home water, the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...

. Between 1827 and 1908 First Trinity was "Head" crew in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

's Bumps race
Bumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....

s thirty-eight times, more than any other Club.

Second Trinity Boat Club

The Second Trinity Boat Club was a short-lived rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 club at the Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Little is known about the club, as very few records survive from 2nd Trinity. 2nd Trinity was reserved for members of the clergy and theology students who were studying at Trinity, and, by 1876 the club folded due to a lack of members.

2nd Trinity competed in the early bumps race
Bumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....

s in Cambridge from 1829 until its demise in
1876, going Head of the River in 1835 and 1849.

The club was originally known as the Nautilus Club, changing its name to Second Trinity, Queen Bess to reflect the name of its boat, a common practice at the time. The name of the club continued as Queen Bess until 1838, when it ceased competing. The club reformed in 1840 as the 2nd Trinity Boat Club, but was often described as Reading Trinity and nicknamed the Hallelujahs, in reflection of its membership. By the mid 1860s, the club was in decline, and despite efforts by the First Trinity Boat Club in 1866 to limit their membership in order to boost those of 2nd Trinity, this failed to help, and the decline continued. 1st Trinity voted to remove their membership limit once again. By 1870, the club had abandoned its original entry requirements, and allowed new students who did not have a connection to theology courses, and this allowed the club to continue for a few years, even rising back up to 7th in the bumps races in 1873. Thereafter, numbers dwindled once again, and by the Easter term 1876, the club had dropped to last but one in the first division. At a meeting of all three Trinity clubs, the 2nd Trinity Boat Club was formally dissolved, with its members given an invitation to join First Trinity.

In 1894, a group of students had claimed to have re-founded 2nd Trinity, and raced in the bumps, but the new 2nd Trinity was not recognised by the CUBC
Cambridge University Boat Club
The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...

 and did not race again.

One of 2nd Trinity's trophies, the Baines Cup is used to day as the main prize of the Second Trinity Challenge Sculls, a sculling race run by the current 1st & 3rd Trinity members.

An account of its history can be found at First and Third Trinity Boat Club.

Third Trinity Boat Club

The Third Trinity Boat Club, was a rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 club which was only open to certain members of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

. Members of Third Trinity had to have been to school at either Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 or Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...

. Due to a lack of members around the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Third Trinity combined with the First Trinity Boat Club, to make up the current First and Third Trinity Boat Club which survives to this day.

Third Trinity rowed with black blades.

Results

Third Trinity competed in the early bumps race
Bumps race
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each boat attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind....

s at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 and also in the Lent
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...

 and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...

 when they became separate events in 1887.

Third Trinity nearly always did better in the May Bumps than the Lent Bumps, achieving the headship of the May Bumps on 9 occasions including holding it for 6 consecutive years between 1901 and 1906. When the club began rowing with First Trinity, the 1st VIII were in 9th position.

Third Trinity never went head of the Lent Bumps, but managed second place in 1902 and 1922 before plummeting into the mid 2nd division just before the merger.

Third Trinity still hold the record for the most wins in the Visitors' Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

, standing at 14, despite the fact that they've not entered for at least 60 years since the merger.

Merger with First Trinity

Third Trinity merged with First Trinity officially in 1946, but the two clubs had been rowing together in the bumps throughout the war period.

In 1946, the newly formed First and Third Trinity Boat Club entered the Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 and won the Visitors' Challenge Cup with ease, and won the Ladies' Challenge Plate
Ladies' Challenge Plate
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the...

the following year.

Following the merger, the new club took the bumps positions of First Trinity's crews, since they were placed higher than those of Third Trinity, but the new club used Third Trinity's black blades for a number of years, before switching to the current blade colours.

Recent Form

Below are tables showing the performance of the men's and women's 1st VIIIs over the last decade in the Lent
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...

 and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...

.

Men

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1999 3rd rowed-over head rowed-over head bumped by bumped by
2000 Head bumped bumped rowed-over head rowed-over head
2001 2nd rowed-over head bumped by (cancelled) (cancelled)
2002 3rd bumped by bumped by rowed-over bumped
2003 2nd rowed-over bumped rowed-over rowed-over
2004 2nd rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2005 2nd rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2006 2nd rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2007 Head bumped rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2008 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2009 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2010 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2011 3rd rowed-over head bumped by bumped by rowed-over


Women

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1999 10th bumped rowed-over bumped by rowed-over
2000 14th bumped by bumped by bumped by bumped by
2001 14th rowed-over (not completed)¤ (cancelled) (cancelled)
2002 15th rowed-over bumped bumped by bumped by
2003 14th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over bumped
2004 13th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over bumped
2005 7th bumped bumped overbumped bumped
2006 4th bumped bumped rowed-over bumped
2007 Head bumped bumped bumped rowed-over head
2008 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2009 2nd bumped by bumped by bumped rowed-over
2010 Head bumped rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2011 4th bumped by bumped by bumped by rowed-over



¤ Girton, 1st & 3rd Trinity and Churchill were scheduled to re-row their race after a dispute, but the Lent Bumps
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...

 were cancelled due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease
2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...

 before the race could take place. In the 2002 Lent Bumps
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...

, , 1st & 3rd Trinity and started in the same position as they had following the first day's racing in 2001, namely 13th, 14th and 15th positions respectively.

Men

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1998 3rd bumped rowed-over bumped bumped
1999 3rd rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2000 5th rowed-over bumped by bumped by rowed-over
2001 9th bumped by bumped by bumped by bumped by
2002 9th rowed-over bumped rowed-over bumped by
2003 7th rowed-over rowed-over bumped bumped
2004 7th rowed-over bumped by bumped rowed-over
2005 7th bumped rowed-over bumped by rowed-over
2006 5th bumped rowed-over bumped rowed-over
2007 2nd bumped bumped bumped rowed-over
2008 Head bumped rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2009 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2010 Head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head rowed-over head
2011 Head Shit Hit The Fan


Women

Year Finish position 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th Day
1998 19th rowed-over bumped by rowed-over bumped
1999 19th rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over rowed-over
2000 17th rowed-over bumped bumped rowed-over
2001 21st bumped by bumped by bumped by bumped by
2002 20th bumped bumped by rowed-over bumped
2003 20th rowed-over bumped by rowed over bumped
2004 18th rowed-over bumped bumped rowed-over
2005 15th bumped rowed-over bumped bumped
2006 12th bumped rowed-over bumped bumped
2007 7th bumped rowed-over overbumped bumped
2008 10th rowed-over bumped by bumped by bumped by
2009 9th bumped by rowed-over bumped bumped
2010 9th bumped rowed-over bumped by rowed-over


See also

  • University rowing (UK)
    University rowing (UK)
    University rowing in the United Kingdom began when it was introduced to Oxford in the late 18th century. The first University Boat Race was held in 1829...

  • First Trinity Boat Club
  • Third Trinity Boat Club
  • First and Third Trinity Boat Club
  • Trinity College, Cambridge
    Trinity College, Cambridge
    Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...


External links

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