Founded in 1837, Sidney Sussex Boat Club is the student rowing club at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. Any member of the College is eligible to join the Boat Club and use our varied facilities free of charge.
Subscription-free, the aim of SSBC has always been to make rowing accessible to any member of College, and to assist them in competing at whatever level they desire. In the last few years we have been represented in the squads of the Cambridge University Boat Club, Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club, and Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club, with several Sidney rowers and coxes going on to compete at the Henley Boat Races.
On home water, Sidney has always had a strong novice presence, with around six to eight men’s and women’s novice crews training and competing in Michaelmas Term. As the year progresses, we put out at least six senior crews to compete in the Getting-On Race for the Lent and May Bumps. While we primarily race on the Cam, SSBC has attended local and regional regattas, such as Bedford and Peterborough, and our top men’s and women’s VIIIs have attended the Head of the River Regattas as well as the British University Championships. In January 2020, SSBC was able to join Corpus Christi College Boat Club on training camp in Figueira da Foz, Portugal.
The Boathouse
The club shares a boathouse with the college clubs of Corpus Christi, Girton, Wolfson, and Newnham. Designed and opened in 1958 by noted architect David Roberts, it was the first combined boathouse amongst all Oxbridge colleges and has been a Grade II listed building since 1997. It’s about a ten minute walk from College or five minutes on a bike. To get there, have a look at this map.
The boathouse is home to our large fleet of boats, comprised of eight VIIIs, two IV+s, and two single sculls in total. The First Men’s VIII currently row in a Filippi (2020), and the First Women’s in a Wintech (2018). There are two changing rooms equipped with toilets, showers, and lockers on the first floor.
The Erg Room
The club also has the use of eight Concept 2 ergometers, which are used primarily for land training as a full crew. We also own a Model E erg, won by the Club in 2016 after placing first in an indoor rowing competition.