Captain - Alex Partridge
Girl‘s Captain - Caroline Dickinson
Vice-Captain - Jamie Cox
Secretary - Rob Edwards

What a superb season for the Senior Boys. The First VIII recorded its highest position (19th) in the Schools‘ Head Race for many years, second highest position ever in the The Head of the River Race, a fabulous silver medal in the Childe Beale Cup for 1st Eights at the National Schools Regatta, plus international selection for the second year running for two of the crew. Even those who did not make it into the 1st VIII, tasted major success, winning the J18 Novice Coxed Fours Pennant at the Schools‘ Head and achieving selection for the South West team for the Inter-regional Championships.

In contrast, such a frustrating and disappointing year personally for Girls Captain Caroline Dickinson. But with it, signs of a resurgence in Girls Rowing generally in the School. To have a girls J15 double and coxed four racing this year was a tremendous boost and if more girls come through at the lower end of the school, the future should be very bright.

The J15‘s (Fourth Form) have radiated enthusiasm all season and displayed some impressive racing despite no trophies to show for it. If they keep on developing in the same way that they have done this season, I am sure that this year group has great potential both in boys and girls rowing.

Meanwhile the J14‘s (Third Form) have had a disappointing season in which, through no fault of their own (or any one else‘s for that matter), they managed to race only once all year. Nevertheless, surviving the trauma and weather of Avon County to go on to compete at Tewkesbury Regatta, displays plenty of inner strength and resilience. I hope that they will stick at it and go on to better things next year. So many individuals and crews who have struggled with disappointment early on, often end up being the most successful of all.

During the 1998/9 season there were a number of other highlights to look back on with pride. In February we were lucky to be able to launch a new 1st VIII boat. It was a lovely ceremony in which we are very grateful to Liz Gayner for bravely doing us the honour of naming the boat in memory of her husband Adrian. In June, the House Regatta and Barbecue was once again blessed with superb weather. With lots of support and with the organisation of boating and racing much more tightly controlled, the event was even more enjoyable for both competitors and spectators alike. There were lots of good races, but the highlight must have been David Wiles winning his first ever sculling trophy. This was extremely well-deserved after a great deal of dedicated and often lonely training, throughout the year.

Also putting in even more time and effort into their training were Great Britain hopefuls, Alex Partridge and Jamie Cox. Both boys have benefited hugely from the financial support of the Bluefriars Trust in their quest for international representation. Following extensive trials Jamie was selected for the second time to cox a GB crew at the Coupe de Jeunesse. This time in Cork, Ireland, he was coxing the Eight and after a tense wait following an exciting photo-finish on the Sunday, he won a silver medal. Alex Partridge meanwhile has made an amazing impact on Monkton and National Squad rowing during the last two years. As Captain of the Boat Club he has always led by example and his ability to combine an exhausting training schedule with hard academic work has won admiration from staff and fellow pupils alike. His aim to reach the top in the sport of rowing has required a great deal of personal sacrifice, including dropping out of the 1st XV. I am grateful for the support shown by rugby and other sports staff in backing this decision. His goal throughout this last year was to be selected for the top boat for the World Championships. After a High Performance training camp in Seville and a multitude of gold medals at Munich International Regatta in May, he not only achieved this goal but was also ranked individual number 1 on bowside in the country. His Great Britain coxless four that was selected for the World Championships in Bulgaria was something quite special and despite a time of 5 minutes 45 seconds in the final (a time only ever bettered by Steve Redgrave‘s Olympic Four!), they were narrowly beaten by 0.6 of a second into silver medal position by an exceptional Australian crew. In any other year, Alex would probably by now be a World Champion!

One of the best things about the Boat Club this year has been the great team spirit shown throughout the club, typified by National Schools weekend where all crews supported each other both on and off the water. This camaraderie, which is vital to the strength and depth of a club, was the best by far in the 3 years I have been here. Hopefully a sign of even greater things to come in the future?

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to all the staff who have put time and effort into making these achievements possible and I would like to record my thanks to BT, DRJ, PGB, DMM, JHJP, PFH and JMB for all their hard work. I would also like to thank the parents for their great support on the bank and in their provision of food and accommodation on numerous occasions throughout the year.

David Conington