Anglia Ruskin Boat Club (ARBC) is the

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

club for members of

Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public research university in the region of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by William John Beamont, a Fellow of Trinity College at the Unive ...

. It was known as CCAT Boat Club (usually said as ''sea cat'') until 2008. The name ''CCAT'' derives from a former name for the university, the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, which is abbreviated to CCAT. The boat club kept the name CCAT much longer than its linked place of education – it was once thought the club would lose its positions in the bumps races if the name were changed, but that is

urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...

(as is the notion that a club must retain 'college' in its name).

History

Although not affiliated with

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, ARBC have rowed in the

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

and

May Bumps The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start o ...

since the 1980s as a guest club. CCAT first put a men's crew on in 1988 in both events, and rose quickly to lie in the middle of the 2nd division in both sets of

bumps race A bumps race is a form of rowing (sport), rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and 'bump' the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in C ...

s, although recently have slipped into the lower half. The women first appeared in the

in 1983 and

Lent Bumps The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there ha ...

in 1984, but have only had a continuous presence since 1987 in both events. ARBC 1st women rose to take a place in the bottom of the Lents 1st division in the late 1990s but have since faded to the bottom of the 2nd division. In the May Bumps, ARBC 1st women rose to get into the 1st division for two days in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

but have now also fallen to the bottom of the 2nd division. In the 2003 May bumps, the Ladies 2nd VIII won blades, by bumping an unprecedented 5 bumps (, , , , ). ARBC crews also participate in other races and regattas throughout the year; those off the Cam include

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

, and London. Crews have had quite steady and notable successes, since 2006. The 1st Women won the Novice 8+ in Bedford Regatta 2006. A similar line-up finished 97th out of 274 (including several from abroad) in the Women's (Eights) Head of the River Race that year. The 1st Men and 1st Women won the Sunday Novice 8+ at Peterborough Regatta that year, plus ARBC women took second and third places. There, the next year, the club repeated these wins – in the lowest non-novice category (Senior 4) and the 2nd Women's eight won the Novice eights. In 2014 the women's crew won Blades at the May Bumps, bumping Clare Hall, Fitzwilliam II, First & Third II and Newnham III. In 2017 the men's crew won Blades at May Bumps.

Gallery

File:John Ruskin - Anglia Ruskin University Boat Club.jpg, Rowing boat John Ruskin. File:CCATW12007.jpg, 1st women's blades crew in 2007 & their coach File:CCAT M2 bump Robinson for Blades.jpg, CCAT M2 Blade-winning bump on Robinson M3 in 2007 File:Anglia Ruskin University Boat Club in Cambridge.jpg, Anglia Ruskin Boat Club. File:Anglia Ruskin University Boat Club (ARBC) in Cambridge.jpg, Anglia Ruskin Boat Club (ARBC).

References

* Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, Dr. John (2000). ''The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827–1999'' * CUCBC (various years) – Lent and May Bumps programmes.
Bumps Charts Archive 1992–2004

External links

Anglia Ruskin Boat Club
{{Authority control University and college rowing clubs in the United Kingdom Anglia Ruskin University University and college sports clubs in England Sport in Cambridgeshire Sports clubs and teams established in 1980 Rowing clubs in Cambridgeshire Rowing clubs in England Rowing clubs of the River Cam