Jesus College Boat Club (often abbreviated to JCBC) is the rowing club for members of Jesus College, Cambridge. It is the most successful Cambridge college boat club, holding the record number of wins for both the May Bumps and the Lent Bumps. It has also had numerous successes at other races, such as Henley Royal Regatta and has provided a large number of rowers for The Boat Race.

The club also run the Fairbairn Cup, the biggest race on the Cam (other than bumps), and is named after the alumnus Steve Fairbairn.

History

The club was founded in 1827 and appeared in the first six-oared bumps race that year but performed indifferently. During the early years it rose on occasion to be second and achieved Head of the River in 1841, but remained a minor force until the late 1860s. By 1875 it held Headship again and continued to for eleven years (until 1886) - a record not since equalled. In this time they refurbished the boathouse including the addition of a weathervane and, some years later, a clock tower. Both of which were transferred to the current boathouse. After this period the club's success declined with Trinity Hall Boat Club and Trinity having an almost monopoly of the Headship, until Jesus recovered it in 1909 and 1912-14.

During the inter-war years the club was coached by Steve Fairbairn and held Headship on twelve occasions in the Lents and occupied a top three position for the entire period.

Jesus men have been head of the Lent Bumps on 39 occasions (finishing Head on 159 days) and head of the May Bumps on 24 occasions (finishing Head on 98 days) - more than any other boat club, although Jesus men have not been head in either event since 1974. Jesus also held the headship of the early races (before the Lent and May bumps became separate events) for 11 consecutive years between 1875 and 1886 - a feat which has never been equalled.

In the women's bumps, Jesus took the headship of the Lent Bumps in 1985, 1986, 1987, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 and headship of the May Bumps in 1988, 1993, 1994, 2005, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2025 and 2026.

Henley Royal Regatta

JCBC are also one of the historically successful Cambridge colleges at the Henley Royal Regatta, winning the Grand Challenge Cup, the most prestigious event at the regatta, on 3 occasions; 1879, 1885 and in 1947. Jesus also won the Ladies' Challenge Plate on 13 occasions between 1872 and 1958, the Visitors' Challenge Cup on 5 occasions between 1877 and 1936, the Wyfold Challenge Cup on 2 occasions (1882 and 1921), the Stewards' Challenge Cup in 1879 and the Thames Challenge Cup in 1892.http://www.bfronline.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=9 The JCBC & Thames Challenge Cup (1892) at BFRonline.biz Silver Goblets has been won by Humphrey Playford and John Campbell in 1921 and Thomas Cree and David Burnford in 1935. Jesus therefore have a grand total of 25 Henley wins, although the club has not managed an event win since 1958.

Events

JCBC runs two events of note. The first is the Fairbairn Cup Races, named after the famous Jesus oarsman and coach Steve Fairbairn, who began the event in the 1920s. In 1929 Fairbairn donated a cup and the races have continued ever since in their current form, a long distance headrace. Historically, this is raced on the Thursday and Friday after the end of Michaelmas term, Thursday being the novice races and Friday being the senior races. The course has changed over years due to closures for bridge repairs and extreme weather conditions, but in 1990 the start line was made to be Jesus Boathouse Flagpole with the finish at the Little Bridge, some 4.3 km downstream (although the novices race a shorter race, finishing at the railings). The Fairbairn Cup title is awarded to the fastest finishing college men's eight (the cup itself is now again presented, having been lost for a period but found again in 2015). There are also divisions for fours (3.4 km) and novice eights (2.7 km). The race is also entered by other local clubs and university crews, notably the Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club (CULRC) normally enters, but recent years have also seen entries from the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club (OULRC) and occasionally the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) itself.

JCBC has also run the Henley Spare Pairs Race on the day before Henley Royal Regatta. This event runs from the barrier to the regatta finish and is open to spare pairs of registered regatta entries.

Honours Henley Royal Regatta YearRaces won 1872 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1873 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1876 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1877 Ladies' Challenge Plate & Visitors' Challenge Cup 1878 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1879 Grand Challenge Cup & Stewards' Challenge Cup 1882 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1885 Grand Challenge Cup 1892 Thames Challenge Cup 1902 Visitors' Challenge Cup 1908 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1921 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup & Wyfold Challenge Cup 1926 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1928 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1931 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1932 Visitors' Challenge Cup 1934 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1935 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup & Visitors' Challenge Cup 1936 Visitors' Challenge Cup 1946 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1947 Grand Challenge Cup 1953 Ladies' Challenge Plate 1958 Ladies' Challenge Plate

Boat Race representatives The following rowers represented the club at the time of their participation in The Boat Race.

Men's boat race

YearName 1829 W. T. Thompson 1836 Edmund Stanley 1839 E. Stanley 1840 John M. Ridley 1841 John M. Ridley 1842 W. Watson 1842 John M. Ridley 1859 H. J. Chaytor 1860 H. J. Chaytor 1861 H. J. Chaytor 1869 J. H. Ridley 1870 J. H. Ridley 1872 C. H. Roberts (cox) 1873 E. Hoskyns 1873 W. C. Lecky-Browne 1873 H. E. Rhodes 1874 G. F. Armytage 1874 W. C. Lecky-Browne 1874 H. E. Rhodes 1875 E. A. Phillips 1875 H. E. Rhodes 1876 P. W. Brancker 1876 C. Gurdon 1876 T. E. Hockin 1876 H. E. Rhodes 1876 C. D. Shafto 1877 B. G. Hoskyns 1877 C. Gurdon 1877 T. E. Hockin 1877 C. D. Shafto 1878 Ll. R. Jones 1878 C. Gurdon 1878 T. E. Hockin 1878 E. H. Prest 1879 E. H. Prest 1879 C. Gurdon 1879 T. E. Hockin 1879 C. Fairbairn 1880 E. H. Prest 1880 C. N. L. Armytage 1880 W. W. Baillie 1881 P. W. Atkin 1881 A. M. Hutchinson 1882 Ll. R. Jones 1882 A. M. Hutchinson 1882 P. W. Atkin 1882 Steve Fairbairn 1883 P. W. Atkin 1883 Steve Fairbairn 1884 F. Straker 1884 C. E. Tyndale Biscoe (cox) 1886 Steve Fairbairn 1887 Steve Fairbairn 1892 R. G. Neill 1898 A. W. Swanston 1902 T. Drysdale 1906 J. H. F. Benham 1906 H. M. Goldsmith 1907 J. H. F. Benham

YearName 1907 H. M. Goldsmith 1908 F. H. Jerwood 1908 G. E. Fairbairn 1909 H. E. Swanston 1910 H. J. S. Shields 1910 C. A. Skinner (cox) 1911 G. E. Fairbairn 1911 C. A. Skinner (cox) 1912 J. H. Goldsmith 1912 C. A. Skinner (cox) 1913 G. A. Fisher 1913 L. E. Ridley (cox) 1914 L. E. Ridley (cox) 1920 Humphrey Playford 1920 John Cambell 1921 Humphrey Playford 1921 John Cambell 1922 Humphrey Playford 1923 S. H. Heap 1924 G. E. G. Goddard 1925 G. E. G. Goddard 1926 J. B. Bell 1927 J. B. Bell 1930 P. N. Carpmael 1931 P. N. Carpmael 1934 J. N. Duckworth (cox) 1935 E. A. Szilagyi 1935 J. N. Duckworth (cox) 1936 Thomas Cree 1936 David Burnford 1936 J. N. Duckworth (cox) 1937 Thomas Cree 1937 T. B. Langton 1937 A. Burrough 1938 B. T. Coulton 1938 A. Burrough 1938 T. B. Langton 1938 J. L. L. Savill 1939 B. T. Coulton 1939 A. Burrough 1939 J. L. L. Savil 1946 D. J. D. Perrins 1946 G. E. C. Thomas 1947 N. S. Rogers 1948 C. D. R. Barton 1948 K. T. Lindsay 1949 G. S. S. Ludford 1949 D. V. Lynch Odhams 1950 A. C. R. Armstrong-Jones 1954 D. K. Hill 1954 M. J. Marshall 1954 J. W. Tanburn (cox) 1955 D. K. Hill 1955 G. T. Harris (cox) 1956 M. G. Delahooke 1956 J. P. M. Denny (cox) 1957 J. R. Meadows 1957 M. G. Delahooke 1959 J. Beveridge

YearName 1960 J. Beveridge 1961 R. J. Fraser 1961 J. Beveridge 1962 C. T. Davey 1962 J. M. S. Lecky 1963 A. V. Cooke 1964 J. W. Fraser 1964 C. J. T. Davey 1965 J. W. Fraser 1966 P. G. R. Delafield 1967 P. G. R. Delafield 1968 P. G. R. Delafield 1970 Chris Baillieu 1970 C. J. Rogridgues 1971 Chris Baillieu 1971 N. W. James 1971 D. L. Maxwell 1971 C. J. Rodrigues 1972 Chris Baillieu 1972 N. W. James 1972 D. L. Maxwell 1973 Chris Baillieu 1973 M. O. K. Webber 1974 H. J. H. Wheare (cox) 1976 R. Harpum 1979 A. G. Phillips 1980 T. W. Whitney 1980 A. G. Phillips 1980 C. J. Wigglesworth (cox) 1981 A. G. Phillips 1981 C. J. Wigglesworth (cox) 1982 E. M. G. Pearson 1983 E. M. G. Pearson 1984 E. M. G. Pearson 1987 Nicholas J. Grundy 1988 Nicholas J. Grundy 1991 Nicholas J. Clarry 1992 Nicholas J. Clarry 1993 Sinclair M. Gore 1994 Sinclair M. Gore 1998 Toby J. Wallace 1999 Toby J Wallace 1999 Tom Stallard 2000 Tom Stallard 2001 Tom Stallard 2002 Tom Stallard 2008 Tim Perkins 2018 Spencer Furey 2021 Seb Benzecry 2023 Seb Benzecry 2024 Seb Benzecry

Women's boat race YearName 2015 Caroline Reid 2016 Hannah Roberts 2018 Paula Wesselmann 2019 Kate Horvat 2019 Hugh Spaughton (cox) 2023 Jenna Armstrong 2023 Isabelle Bastian 2024 Jenna Armstrong 2025 Natasha Morrice

See also Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs University rowing (UK)

References

External links Jesus College Boat Club