Dear friends and supporters of LMHBC,

It had been a very busy few weeks here, both at LMH and on , as we prepare ourselves for the first bumps race of the year – and for many, their first bumps race ever! All of our crews have been hard at work, with training in Hilary term bringing a new set of challenges. Many of our squads have lost water time to wind and high stream, but that hasn’t stopped them putting the hours in on the ergs and in the gym to make sure that they’re all fighting fit ready for .

There was also a lot of racing success this term. The 1st and 2nd VIIIs from both the men’s and women’s sides of the club competed in all the IWL races, with the women continuing their fine form to win the Isis Winter League and assert themselves as some of the fastest boats on the Isis. The men also have shown great form, consistently being one of the fastest boats in the IWL. The men also went to Henley Fours and Eights and put down a marker in a much wider and more competitive field, coming up with a solid time and more racing experience under their belts.

Looking ahead to Torpids, I am expecting to see a lot of success from both the men’s and women’s side of the boat club. To put that to the test, this year we are running a ‘sponsored bumps’ campaign, in which you can choose a crew and pledge a donation for each bump they achieve during Torpids. As part of celebrating 120 years since the founding of LMHBC, and the role that LMH have had in pioneering women’s in , we are launching a fundraising campaign to support the women’s side of the boat club and to finance the purchase of a new boat. The money from sponsored bumps, and other fundraisers and events that the boat club will be running alongside the development office, will all go towards ensuring the continued success of women’s rowing in LMH as we continue our drive into Division 1, and to the Head of the River!

Racing will run as follows:

W2 – 12:30pm (Division 5) W1 – 3:30pm (Division 2)

M2 – 1pm (Division 5) M1 – 4pm (Division 2)

We look forward to welcoming you to the river during Torpids and hopefully to the LMH boathouse for some refreshments on Saturday. Especially if you have sponsored a crew, come down to the river and make sure they get the extra support they need to get the bump!

I am hoping to be in touch more often throughout Trinity term as we continue our fundraising campaign, so look out for invites to LMHBC events, and most importantly to Eights Dinner! If you have any enquiries or if there is any way that the Boat Club or I could assist you, feel free to contact me on [email protected] and I, or another member of our committee, would be delighted to help you!

Best regards,

Aoife