University of Exeter Boat Club Break records at BUCS Regatta

The club travelled to Holme Pierrpoint in Nottingham having already accrued more points than their previous season record (set last year) and an impressive medal haul has cemented their position of fourth in the overall rowing table.

The lightweight women, including team GB trials finalist Charlotte Dexter, brought home three bronze medals in the lightweight eight, double sculls and lightweight fours before adding a gold to their medal tally, cruising to an emphatic eight second win in on the last day.

The men also performed well with a number crews, including the Heavy Coxed Fours, Championship Double Sculls and Lightweight Coxless Four, reaching the A finals in a fiercely competitive field.

Overall the club brought home 58 BUCS points from the event, a new record at the regatta which has brought their total tally for the year up to 151, a staggering 59 points more than last year.

Club Captain David Rogal said: “The club has managed to step up another incredible level this season, to have now broken into the top five rowing universities in the country with five times more BUCS points than we had two years ago is testament to the incredible work of the athletes and the university.

“Having two Exeter students in the final stages of GB trials has really turned some heads as well and this success makes the club hungry for more. With Henley still to come at the beginning of July we are really looking to make our mark in the UK rowing scene.”

The Boat Club have seen a strong rise in success following the recruitment of new Head Coach and former Team GB trainer Richard Tinkler in April 2011. Richard commented: “I am very happy with the steady rise that we have seen over the last two years. Fourth is a really good position for the club, especially when you consider that we are the only club in the top eight not to receive external funding.”

In September last year the Boat Club also benefitted from the construction of a new £500,000 boathouse on the banks of the River Exe and a fleet of new Stämpfli boats.

Richard added: “The new boathouse and boats have been a big part of getting us to the position we are in now but I have been also been very impressed with how the University rowers have managed themselves and balanced lectures with training - that’s how you get the best results.”

Despite the BUCS season ending, EUBC are looking forward to a busy summer with the Metropolitan Regatta in June proceeding the biggest event in the rowing calendar: the Henley Royal Regatta in July.

Richard said: “Hopefully we can use our results this year as a platform to build on. It would be brilliant if we could push into the finals at Women’s Henley and bring back a cup this year, then qualify our men’s boats for Henley Royal and maybe get through a round or two.”