SSBCSidney Sussex Boat Club

Race reports

Bumps, head races and regattas, written up by the crews who raced them.

2026

Race report

Pegasus Cup for SSBC in May Bumps 2026

Sidney was the best-performing boat club on the Cam, moving up 14 places in total.

2023

Race reportM1W1

Report: 99s Regatta 2023

M1: Sidney M1 had a showing against Girton M1 who pulled away just under the bridge and the boys didn’t quite bring it back. They set up well for their next race which was also…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

Report: Champs Eights Head 2023

Results: Joe Shaw, W1 cox: Best cox (pot) for his line around Ditton corner W1: 4th in Mays W2 division M1/2: 8th in Mays M2 division W2: 7th in Mays W4 division despite some…
Race reportW1W2

Report: Head of the Cam 2023

Sidney entered a scratch women’s and non binary crew into Head of the Cam during Easter rowing week. This composite of W1 and W2 members blended well together and managed to place…
Race reportM1

Report: M1 Lent bumps 2023

Day one: After starting right next to the cannon, Homerton M1 were right on M1’s heels as Corpus M1 was with theirs. They held on against homerton long enough until Corpus bumped…
Race reportM1

Report: M1 May bumps 2023

It’s time for the most talked about crew on Rowbridge, with the most interesting bumps chart, and the most determined, genuine and strong crew I have ever had the pleasure of…
Race reportM2

Report: M2 Lent Bumps 2023

Day one: Sidney M2 were placed at the bottom of division 3, being chased by the Sandwich boat Wolfson M2. Having been unable to change the shoes in an unfamiliar vessel, as soon…
Race reportM2

Report: M2 May bumps 2023

Sidney M2 started May Bumps on station 8 in division 4. On the first day, the boys pursued Clare III while being chased by Wolfson II, whom are both well drilled crews. Despite…
Race reportW1

Report: W1 Lent bumps 2023

Day one: Despite Sidney having two whistles on Fitz, Fitz W1’s fly and die technique led to them nabbing Catz W1 on grassy and stepping out. Having pulled away significantly from…
Race reportW2

Report: W2 Lents bumps 2023

Day one: After a Valiant start, W2 managed to get a whistle on Queens W3. Unfortunately poor clearing from a bump ahead meant a re row just after Newnham bridge. W2 had an equally…
Race reportW2

Report: W2 May bumps 2023

W2 bumps report… Blades!!! And a spot in division 3 for the first time in a decade. A brief summary of the week: On day one, despite best efforts for free speed from dyed armpits…
Race reportW1

Report: XPress Head 2023

A strong showing from Sidney W1 through the 2100m course despite an oddly called start gained them second place overall (Mays second and first division!) at X press head. Only 3…

2022

Race reportM1M2W1

Report: 99’s Regatta 2022

Back in May, three Sidney crews rowed in 99’s regatta. This was a crew against crew 1000m race up the reach. M2 Starting off with M2 who first raced Fitz M3. M2 lead off the…
Race reportM1W1

Report: Champs Head 2022

The long awaited Champs head race summary is here! W1 and M1 both competed in this 1.45k time trial. W1 got off to a slower start than normal but picked it up in time for Ditton…
Race report

Report: Emma Sprints 2022

Emma sprints regatta was a head to head race primarily aimed at novices. The crews race 500m down the reach and it is customary to dress up in outfits for this head to head race.…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

Report: May Bumps 2022

W1 Rowbridge had termed the crew a force to be reckoned with, predictions landed on this crew to emerge stronger than any Sidney crew had in recent years. Following blades in…
Race report

Report: QErgs 2022

Early in Michaelmas, the novice boats competed in an erg competition called Queens’ Ergs (QErgs). This is made up of eight 500m sprints carried out on an erg by all members of the…
Race reportM1W1

Report: Uni IVs 2022

Uni IVs was a knockout competition, with the two boats in each race starting 100 yards apart near Baitsbite Lock and continuing to just before the railway bridge (around 2km). W1…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

Report: Winter Head 2022

Winter head was a 2.5km time trial race from the motorway bridge to the P&E. Four Sidney crews took part in this race with the results as shown below. M1 Sidney’s M1 arrived at…
Race reportW1

Report: XPress Head 2022

Rounding up SSBC’s 2021/22 race reports, Fizz McNally shares one final race in which W1 obtained headship as the fastest women’s crew on the river: Xpress head. This race was…

2020

Race reportM1W1W2

Report: Last day of Lent Bumps 2020

Here it is, the slightly belated last report from Lent Bumps 2020. — And don’t you dare complain, Joe Shaw (dear Captain), it had nothing to do with me. It is a thankless job,…
Race reportM1W1W2

Report: Third day of Lent Bumps 2020

The OVERVIEW: Another day has past on the river Cam, and Sidney is proving impressively consistent across boats. W2, true to their habits, put the bump in the bag as fast as they…
Race reportM1W1W2

Report: Second day(s) of Lent Bumps 2020

In accordance with Bumps tradition, out of the five days of Bumps, one day is a rest day. The rest day does not occur on the same day in all divisions: As the first boats…
Race reportM1W1W2

Report: First day of Lent Bumps 2020

Yesterday, on Tuesday 25 February, Marked the beginning of Lent Bumps 2020. Sidney competed with three crews: W1, M1 and W2. M2 participated in the Getting On Race, but despite a…
Race reportM1M2W1

Victory at Newnham Head

The Newnham Head of 2020 took place last Saturday, and it was a great success. Sidney participated with its W1, M1 and M2 crews. For most members of the M2 crew, this was their…

2019

Race report

Your Holiday SSBC Digest – Belated race reports from Fairbairns ’19

From us all to each and every one of you, a merry Christmas! Here’s a gift for your digital stocking. Reading and reminiscing belongs to the festive season. Reading and…
Race report

Emma Sprints – Great experience for novices, great entertainment for seniors

Contrary to this website, the club has actually been very active. Especially, as always at this time of the year, with regards to novice rowing. We can confirm that the newly…
Race report

Creating lasting memories at Queens’ Ergs 2019

Having been a crew for less than a month, it was time for Cheadle’s first competition: Queen’s Ergs. Our heat was at 4pm. Loaded up on carbs and anticipation, we nervously headed…
Race report

May Bumps 2019, Day 4: A last effort

May Bumps was coming to an end. On Saturday, 15th June, SSBC gave it all in a last effort before the beginning of celebration. It was another day of less than exhilarating…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

May Bumps 2019, Day 3: Putting in the mileage

It was a long day of racing for SSBC. M1, W1 and W2 all rowed over, and the rowers’ bodies were again pushed to their limits. Coming up to the last day of racing, one is lucky if…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

May Bumps 2019, Day 2: Never-ending challenges

Day 2 resulted in similar outcomes as the first day of racing, with the difference that W2 were the one’s to pick the shortest straw, whereas M1 pulled a joker out the sleeve. All…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

May Bumps 2019, Day 1: A mixed bag

It has been a day of ups and downs for Sidney, this first day of the 2019 May Bumps. Both women’s crews maintained their position, W1 rowing over with conviction and W2 receiving…
Race reportM1M2W1W2

Mid term racing: time for a summary update

This time of the year is a hectic one for most people, not least for Cambridge students – and rowers. Despite the silence, SSBC has been up to a lot of fun in between revision…
Race reportW1

Victorious women’s first boat brings back tankards from Nines Spring Regatta

Sunday 26th of May saw W1 competing in Nines Regatta, a 1000 metre long side by side knockout race from the Reach to the Pike & Eel. Four members of the current crew had won the…
Race reportM1

SSBC at BUCS: 100% rowing when M1 travel to Nottingham

2019 sees SSBC M1 returning to BUCS Regatta. A successful time trial and a second place in the F final of the Men’s Intermediate VIII+ – together with some first class team…
Race reportM1

M1 on the Tideway – A full day at the Head of the River Races

On Saturday, 30 March, M1 raced the Head of the River Race. For the SSBC boys, this was a full day of adventure, much more than just the rowing itself. This is bowman Tim…
Race report

Sidney students in the Boat Race

Sidney undergraduate and former SSBC W1 stroke Florence Alexander has been selected to race with the CUWBC Lightweights against Oxford. Hugo Durward, also an undergraduate at…
Race reportM1

SSBC holiday training in full swing with success in the Winter League

Winter League is a town league with monthly time trials raced between the A14 Road Bridge and the Railway bridge, 2.6km in total. 175 crews raced today in glorious sun that made…
Race reportM1W1

Sidney first boats climb the charts in this year’s Lent Bumps

Sidney’s women’s and men’s first boats excel in 2019 Lent Bumps. With a net result of +2 for the women and +3 for the men, SSBC is on the rise. Read about the eventful four days…