Caius Boat Club (CBC; Caius ) is the boat club for members of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The club has rowed on the River Cam since its foundation in 1827 as the "Caius Wherry Club" and, like the other college boat clubs, competes to gain and hold the headships of the Lent Bumps and May Bumps, contested separately by men's and women's eights. As of 2026, the club's men hold the headship of the Lent Bumps.
Since 1999, Caius has won more headships than any other Cambridge college in both men's bumps competitions. The men have taken 16 May Bumps headships in that period, including an unbroken reign from 2002 to 2007, one of the longest in the event's history, and 13 Lent Bumps headships, the most recent in 2026. In 2000, Caius became the first college to hold both the men's and women's May headships in the same year, part of a run in which the women held the May headship for three consecutive years (2000–2002), later adding a fourth in 2024. The club has won 21 men's May headships in total since 1827, the fourth-most of any college.
History
Early history From its inception in 1827 as the "Caius Wherry Club" the club has been active on the river, becoming properly established with the construction of its own boathouse. Success came quickly: Caius oarsmen appeared in the Boat Race as early as 1836, among them Thomas Selby Egan, who coxed Cambridge in four races between 1836 and 1840, and the club took the headship of the river in 1840, 1841 and twice in 1844 (when one single continuous bumps race existed, raced twice per year).Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, Dr. John (2000). The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827-1999 The club also found early success away from the Cam, winning the Silver Wherries (pre-cursor to the Silver Goblets) at Henley Royal Regatta in 1845, followed in later generations by the Visitors' Challenge Cup in 1896 and the Thames Challenge Cup in 1904 and 1914. These early decades proved a high-water mark, however, and were followed by a long drought: the club would not hold a headship again until 1987.
Notable achievements During the May bumps of 1998, the top 3 men's and women's crews all won Blades by bumping up on each of the 4 days of racing, with the Men's 1st VIII finishing Head of the River. This 'clean sweep' of the top 6 boats being awarded their "Blades" is believed to be unique, having not occurred previously or since.Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, Dr. John (2000). The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827-1999
The following year, Caius took the headship of both the Lent Bumps and May Bumps — the first "double headship" in the club's history. In 2000, the club went one better, becoming the first college ever to hold both the men's and women's May headships in the same year; this was a first across any Bumps in both Oxford and Cambridge. They repeated the feat in 2002: these are the only 2 years of "double Mays headship" in Cambridge rowing history. Caius has since made the double men's headship its own: completing it 11 times in just 21 years (between 1999 and 2019), including five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006.
Between the Lent Bumps 2002 and May Bumps 2006, Caius men became only the second club to take 10 consecutive Headships. According to the popular myth on the River Cam, this earnt CBC the right to erect a clock tower on their boathouse, made reality when the new boathouse was finished in 2017.
The Men's crew of 2010/2011 remained unbeaten on the river Cam in eights for an entire year. This run saw them bump up 4 times to the headship of the Lent Bumps (the first time this had been achieved in either bumps since 1962, and in the Lents since before WW2) and up 2 times to the headship of the May Bumps. They also represented the Cambridge Colleges at the Henley Boat Races, defeating Christ Church, Oxford in a Collegiate Varsity Race.
Caius Boat Club has developed athletes who have gone on to trial for the university boat club CUBC (and formerly CULRC and CUWBC). In 2014 there were Caians in both the men and women's Blue Boat, Goldie, the CUWBC Lightweight boat and the men's lightweight spare pair. This tradition has continued into the present day. In the Cambridge clean sweep of The Boat Race 2023, two members of the Goldie crew, one from Blondie, one from the men's spare pair, one from the women's spare pair, and one further openweight men's spare all learnt to row at CBC.
During the May Bumps 2023, Caius came close to repeating the unique May Bumps Double: the men started Head, with the women bumping up to Head on the first night; the Women rowed over for 2 nights but lost the Headship on the final day.
Current Bumps Positions As of the 2026 May Bumps, Caius Boat Club's crews hold the following positions (overall finishing position, followed by position within division) in the Cambridge Bumping Races:
+ Current positions in the Cambridge Bumping Races Crew Lent Bumps May Bumps O1 Head of the River1st, Div 1 2nd2nd, Div 1 W1 8th8th, Div 1 3rd3rd, Div 1 O2 20th3rd, Div 2 (O2 Headship) 18th1st, Div 2 W2 36th2nd, Div 3 34th17th, Div 2 O3 – 57th6th, Div 4 W3 – 54th3rd, Div 4
Honours
Headships
Caius Boat Club has held the headship (finishing first on the river) of the Lent Bumps and/or May Bumps, for men's and women's crews, in the following years. Headships held for five or more consecutive years are shown in bold.
Year Headships 1840 Men's Headship 1841 Men's Headship 1844 Men's Headship (March and May) 1987 Men's Mays 1998 Men's Mays 1999 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2000 Men's Mays, Women's Mays 2001 Women's Mays 2002 Men's Lents, Men's Mays, Women's Mays 2003 Men's Lents, Women's Lents, Men's Mays 2004 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2005 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2006 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2007 Men's Mays 2011 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2012 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2013 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2014 Men's Mays 2015 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2016 Men's Lents 2019 Men's Lents, Men's Mays 2021 Women's June Regatta 2022 Men's Mays 2023 Men's Mays 2024 Women's Mays 2026 Men's Lents
Fairbairn Cup Caius crews have won the following senior divisions of the Fairbairn Cup, the head race organised by Jesus College Boat Club and raced on the Cam each Michaelmas Term.
YearDivisionTime 1985 Men's VIIIs 15:18 1985 Women's VIIIs 18:43 1986 Men's VIIIs 15:19 1987 Men's VIIIs 15:15 1999 Men's VIIIs 14:38 2001 Women's VIIIs 15:13 2002 Men's VIIIs 14:42 2002 Women's VIIIs 16:52 2003 Women's IVs 13:49 2004 Men's VIIIs 14:04 2005 Men's VIIIs 14:32 2010 Men's VIIIs 13:36.8 2022 Men's VIIIs 2023 Men's VIIIs 14:39.5 2025 Open IVs 11:15.9
Henley Royal Regatta YearEvent 1845 Silver Wherries 1896 Visitors' Challenge Cup 1904 Thames Challenge Cup 1914 Thames Challenge Cup 1951 Wyfold Challenge Cup
Committee The Captain of Boats leads Caius Boat Club for one year, from July to July, handing over at the conclusion of Henley Royal Regatta.
Foundation years YearCaptain of BoatsSecretaryTreasurerVice-Captain 1827 R. M. Gillies 1828 J. J. Smith A. C. Paget 1829 J. W. Harman C. Eyres 1830 J. W. Harman W. H. Harrison 1831 W. C. Crawford T. K. Bowyear 1832 T. Smith / T. K. Bowyear A. Ellice / T. Lockley 1833 W. M. Jones W. J. Johnson 1834 W. M. Jones S. G. B. White 1835 E. Chapman T. S. Egan 1836 F. S. Green T. S. Egan 1837 W. B. Brett A. Jackson 1838 W. B. Brett F. Thackeray 1839 W. H. Yatman W. R. Croker 1840 W. R. Croker R. C. Maul 1841 R. C. Maul J. Barry 1842 H. A. Baumgartner J. T. Dove 1843 H. A. Baumgartner J. T. Dove 1844 H. A. Baumgartner T. J. White / J. A. Carmichael 1845 G. Mann / G. R. Turner A. S. Harrison 1846 C. Soames F. M. Arnold 1847 H. Morse Hon. G. R. Gifford 1848 R. Martin M. G. Holt 1849 M. E. Stanbrough R. B. Stewart 1850 E. W. Pittar C. H. Crosse 1851 J. C. Grahame P. E. Miles / A. B. Crosse 1852 T. C. H. Croft L. W. H. Lockhart 1853 S. V. Stephenson E. H. Day 1854 R. Forster J. Milner 1855 R. Forster J. Milner 1856 A. Harrison H. J. S. Winslow 1857 H. H. Lubbock B. Wimbush 1858 B. Wimbush C. W. Roberts 1859 W. Harrison B. H. Reinecker / C. Edwards 1860 H. B. Winter S. Dickinson 1861 A. G. Wailes / E. G. Green T. Garrett / J. W. D. Brown 1862 W. H. E. Bagge C. G. Croft 1863 W. R. Collyer E. H. Harrison 1864 J. D. Finney J. P. Boswell 1865 C. E. Underhill G. H. Murray 1866 J. Still H. L. Anderton 1867 B. J. Shaw F. Lockwood 1868 F. Lockwood / A. S. Murray A. J. Abbey 1869 R. H. Cautley G. W. M. Dale 1870 E. Baggallay A. S. Valpy 1871 J. H. Cheadle / W. N. Usher W. Cunningham 1872 A. C. Eyre W. M. Gordon 1873 E. P. Baily C. H. Candy 1874 T. W. Lewis R. R. Cobbold 1875 L. G. Pike F. J. Frankau 1876 C. Brownlow / A. W. Haig F. Baggallay 1877 H. S. Withington H. G. Lacey 1878 H. Swift R. F. Cobbold 1879 E. D. Withers W. H. Caldwell 1880 F. C. S. Sanders G. H. Lenox-Conyngham 1881 J. F. Clarkson E. A. Kinnear 1882 R. W. Michell E. L. Burd 1883 E. J. D. Mitchell M. Pemberton 1884 B. V. Sortain H. O. Beckh 1885 H. V. Stuart H. A. Roberts 1886 H. V. Cobbold P. W. Pilcher 1887 W. H. Fisher J. I. Lee 1888 J. W. Noble H. G. Stewart 1889 G. D. Tripp W. B. Colbeck 1890 C. H. Edwards R. P. Smallwood 1891 A. Pearson R. F. Baird 1892 F. G. Thomas J. C. A. Rigby 1893 H. M. Hart-Smith F. R. Martin 1894 G. E. Orme H. C. Scott 1895 D. Pennington C. R. Pattison-Muir 1896 G. E. P. Cave-Moyles E. C. Hawkins 1897 O. D. Bruce-Payne O. M. Green 1898 T. W. Thompson G. D. Hignett 1899 E. N. French C. Hartree 1900 T. W. N. Dunn B. Le Neve Foster 1901 E. F. Watermeyer B. Day 1902 G. P. Norton H. N. Wegg 1903 H. D. Gillies C. H. S. Taylor 1904 E. P. W. Wedd C. B. Heald 1905 A. H. Gosse T. L. Webb 1906 E. C. Rayner T. More 1907 W. H. Campbell J. N. Peck 1908 F. Jarvis H. A. Watermeyer 1909 H. C. Whittall J. C. Russell 1910 J. C. Russell J. H. Hunter 1911 M. D. Methven C. Grantham-Hill 1912 E. N. Showell-Rogers A. C. Walker 1913 C. W. Beale R. W. Nichol 1914–1917 No racing — First World War 1918 W. M. Walker W. H. Roberts 1919 D. A. McGlashan S. Gaskell 1920 D. B. Petch W. S. Philcox 1921 J. Hamilton D. A. Bickmore 1922 A. W. Spence D. S. A. McDougall 1923 E. R. Gunther F. L. Cave-Penney 1924 P. H. L. Playfair C. H. Fisher 1925 C. H. Fisher J. A. Brown 1926 J. A. Brown G. W. V. Pegge 1927 TBC 1928 TBC 1929 TBC 1930 C. B. Anderson 1931 TBC 1932 TBC 1933 TBC 1934 TBC 1935 TBC 1936 TBC 1937 TBC 1938 TBC 1939 TBC 1940 TBC 1941 A. C. Townsend C. D. Neame 1942 TBC 1943 TBC 1944 TBC 1945 TBC 1946 TBC 1947 TBC 1948 TBC 1949 TBC 1950 J. Walker M. Clark 1951 TBC 1952 G. H. E. Hart H. K. Litherland J. N. Stenhouse 1953 TBC 1954 G. Every C. B. D. Fearn D. S. Mair 1955 TBC 1956 G. W. A. Napier G. D. McKechnie R. E. W. Halliwell 1957 R. E. W. Halliwell A. A. R. Cobbold P. H. Gray 1958 P. H. Gray G. B. Cobbold O. N. Tubbs 1959 O. N. Tubbs 1960 A. J. Taunton M. E. Drummond J. A. Brooks 1961 J. A. Brooks T. C. Duff C. H. Gallimore 1962 E. J. Barrington-Ward R. A. A. Brockington 1963 K. N. Haarhoff / H. N. Whitfield A. G. Munro 1964 H. N. Whitfield J. M. Bewick 1965 J. E. J. Goad D. P. Burgess J. D. K. Hurford 1966 J. F. Lehman R. C. Holman 1967 A. G. D. Duckworth H. J. Elliot 1968 J. W. Clark-Lowes C. R. Hayton 1969 J. R. Warner A. M. Peck 1970 M. J. Adams C. F. Prime 1971 unknown 1972 J. T. Pinfold D. D. Clark-Lowes 1973 J. H. Smith D. A. Lord 1974 D. A. Lord P. C. English 1975 P. C. English W. S. H. Laidlaw O. H. C. Stobbs 1976 W. S. H. Laidlaw A. E. Cooke-Yarborough O. H. C. Stobbs 1977 A. E. Cooke-Yarborough F. G. Gurry / J. P. Treasure W. Brampton 1978 H. D. L. Birley A. N. Williams P. J. Ainsworth 1979 A. N. Williams W. J. Robinson I. I. Nissenbaum 1980 W. J. Robinson R. A. O'Conor T. E. J. Hems 1981 P. J. Dally 1982 T. Rochford 1983 R. A. Warne
Modern era