Trinity Hall Boat Club (THBC) 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 at ...

club of Trinity Hall, a college of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. Founded in 1827 it is amongst the oldest college boat clubs in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

, England. Historically, it is the most successful Cambridge college at

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

with a number of wins, including winning all the events but one in 1887. The club has produced numerous rowers for the

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men' ...

and various national teams, including

Tom James Thomas James MBE (born 11 March 1984) is a British rower, twice Olympic champion and victorious Cambridge Blue. In a British coxless four in 2012 he set a world's best time which still stood as of 2021. Background and early life James was born ...

, who stroked the 8+ from Great Britain to the B-final in the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...

and won gold with the 4- at the

2008 Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...

in Beijing. The club colours are black and white, its nickname is "Black and White army", its motto "Our power's a crescent" (the college crest showing a crescent ermine. The motto used to be "Our powers are crescent" taking the old meaning for crescent meaning growing – i.e. a crescent moon is a waxing moon), and its supporters shout "Row Hall" to encourage the rowers. Unlike other boat clubs, whose

scarves A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of differ ...

are derived from their college scarves, its scarf is made in a black and white tartan. THBC has a senior rowers' (alumni) club called ''The Black and White Society''.

History

The college first boats, both men and women have been Head of the

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and L ...

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 of ...

on numerous occasions in the history of the races, dominating the Mays in the 1890s and both events in the early 1990s. From 1890 until 1898, Trinity Hall stayed Head of the Mays for 33 consecutive days, which remains to this day the longest continuous defence by a single club of the bumps headship since the Lent and May Bumps became separate events. Trinity Hall were eventually deposed from the top spot in 1898 by First Trinity, who held the headship for 10 days, then Third Trinity who held the headship for a further 24 days, then again by First Trinity for 2 more days, meaning that boats from Trinity College held the headship for 36 consecutive days, but until the 1940s, Trinity maintained more than one boatclub. THBC blades Lent2009

Trinity Hall M2 bump Clare M2 lent bumps 2011

Honours

Henley Royal Regatta

References

CUCBC
(various years) – Lent and May Bumps programmes.

External links

Trinity Hall Boat ClubCUCBC (Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs)
{{Authority control Rowing clubs of the University of Cambridge Boat club 1827 establishments in England Sports clubs established in 1827 Rowing clubs in Cambridgeshire Rowing clubs in England Rowing clubs of the River Cam