Lent 1996 Issue

In this issue:

A Message from the Men's Captain

Welcome to this, the biggest issue of Henry's Eight yet. The Alumni Association is now into its third year and continues to grow, thanks to the efforts of Mark Galle, Barbara Romer and Tim Granger (the Boat Club Secretary and computer specialist who also maintains the Boat Club's World Wide Web pages on the Internet). Following the King's tradition of computing excellence, our WWW pages are certainly one of the best pages of any UK rowing club and I highly recommend them to you as a source of constantly updated information on the club's fortunes.

Mirroring this effort on the water, the Men's 1st VIII is once more a force to be reckoned with on the Cam: the 1st Lent division will soon be within striking distance, and there is only one more second boat (Downing II) ahead - and soon to be in the wake - of King's. In a recent training race, King's beat Downing I (the head crew) decisively and next term King's will become truly international, when the men will be going to Germany for a one week training camp (where they will be coached by Rainer Reichert, a German international coach with prospects for the Atlanta Olympics), and a few weeks later to France where King's will be representing Cambridge rowing at an international regatta in Valenciennes.

I would like to end by thanking you for your support which has helped this rebirth of King's rowing and finally banished the late 80s days when King's could barely manage in the 3rd division.

Mike Dell

Henry's Eight? - an explanation for new Alumni Association members

We owe King's as we know it today largely to three Henrys: Henry VI as the founder in 1440; Henry VII, whose architect was responsible for the chapel's van-vaulting, and Henry VIII, who supervised the completion of the chapel in 1536. To mark these historic figures and because the newsletter's main concern will be eights rowing, the title Henry's Eight was chosen. The logo shows the outline of Henry VIII (taken from a portrait which hangs in the hall of Trinity) in front of the new style so-called 'cleaver blades' (perhaps especially appropriate for Henry VIII).

Dates and Events for your Diary

Men's 1st VIII:
The Men's 1st VIII will be on a training camp in Wurzburg, Germany from 15-21 April 1996. The 1st VIII will race at Nottingham (5 May), Valenciennes, France (1-2 June), the May Bumps (see below), the Henley Qualifiers (28 June) and, if successful in the qualifiers, at Henley Royal Regatta (3-7 July). If you would like to attend any of the above, please write to the Alumni Association Secretary for further details. We would be pleased to make arrangements for you to come and meet the crew in regatta surroundings.

May Bumps (12th - 15th June 1996):
Everyone is invited to come and watch King's crews race informally on any day of the bumps (the Men's 1st VIII races at 7.00 p.m. (5.00 on Saturday), the Women's 1st VIII at 5.30 p.m. (3.30 on Saturday). Please make yourself known to anyone in King's attire and you will be introduced to the Alumni Association Secretary, the Captain or a member of the Development Committee

The boat naming ceremony together with a formal reception for members of the Alumni Association will take place at the boathouse on Saturday, 15th June at 5.30 p.m. There will be a black tie dinner in College (28.50 pounds per person) the same evening and alumni and their spouses and friends will be given the chance to spend the night in College (19.50 per person) and have a champagne breakfast (7.50 per person) followed by a rowing outing on Sunday morning.

Please make your booking by 31th April using the form provided with the bumps invitation or by writing to the Alumni Association Secretary with your requirements.
If you would like to join the Development Team and add your thoughts and ideas to our fund-raising efforts, please contact:

The Development Team Co-ordinator, King's College Boat Club,
842 King's College, Cambridge CB2 1ST.
Tel. 0468-344065. Fax 01223-331347.

Please address comments and questions to:

The Newsletter Editor, King's College Boat Club,
842 King's College, Cambridge CB2 1ST.
Fax 01223-331347.

Written contributions to Henry's Eight on any Boat Club topic would be gratefully received and should be sent or faxed to the editor.