Press Officer Will Dobson reports on the first racing experiences of this year's intake of ICBC novices at Cambridge Winter Head.

The poor freshers of 2011 probably never thought they’d see 5am on a Saturday morning. Well, maybe after a night out on Friday, stumbling through the door with a dodgy kebab and the promise of a hangover. But 5am is not a time most students ever expect to wake up at. Although this is what greeted ICBC’s latest intake as they prepared for their first race of the season - Cantabrigian RC’s Winter Head in Cambridge. After ten minutes on the coach the novices were straight back to sleep, getting some much needed rest. The seniors, however, were still wide awake as if it was normal; it looks like this is something the novices are going to have to get used to...

Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Fuhrmann

Fours Head 2011: Out of eleven crews starting this year’s race, Imperial Boat Club brought home one win, two second places, three thirds and nearly every other boat was in the top ten in their category. On a day where Leander/Team GB claimed nearly every win, as well as seven of the top ten places, ICBC continued to build on pre-season training and the form from earlier in the academic year.

ICBC Legend, Adam Freeman Pask, took part in the 171st Wingfield Sculls race from Putney to Mortlake on October 27th 2011. Not only did he win but also broke the course record by 17s, a record that has stood for nearly two decades! Here, he reports on how the day progressed...

After a quick glance out the window it was obvious to both Don and I that the tide was flowing in at a fair rate of knots. However, I was stationed on Middlesex, which for the start would put me out of the stream, should all 5 scullers turned up to race. Fortunately, two guys pulled out; reigning champion Alan Cambell tweaked his shoulder earlier in the week practicing starts (and didn't fall in, as were the rumours from London Rowing Club).

Photo courtesy of Hal Bradbury

Press Officer Team Kimberley reports on a wonderful weekend in Boston... 

If there’s one place a rower never wants to be around October 20th each year, it’s Boston (if it were the Boston, Massachusetts you were thinking of that would be great but it’s the one in Lincolnshire...). Unfortunately, in order to proceed to the next set of national trials, athletes must first take part in the joys of a 2k test, in a so-called ‘leisure centre’ with a 5000m time trial in the single the following day in inevitably awful conditions. On top of this is the prospect of up to two more 5k time trials in doubles and pairs for the BUCS small boats head. With this in mind, an illness-depleted ICBC squad headed up to Boston to give it their all.

Imperial College Boat Club shone in the first race of the 2011/12 season with the club winning six [well five] pennants, including an overall win for Adam Freeman-Pask and Jamie Kirkwood. Imperial’s domination for the first head race of the season was unrivalled  with wins in Elite 2x, Mixed Elite 2x, Senior 2-, IM1 2-, IM2 2- and W IM2 2- and most crews taking top 3 positions in their categories.

Photo by Nick Ablitt

On Monday 12th September, David Walliams completed his epic eight day swim along the length of the Thames from Lechdale, Gloucestershire to Westminster Bridge in London. Along with the many wellwishers that lined the banks, ICBC were there [wearing nothing but speedos!] to greet him. Once the confetti cannons had died down, the Imperial boys commandeered a certain someone more used to sitting on top of the waves in a rowing boat than swimming through them - Sir Steve Redgrave.

This is what happened when Sir Steve met ICBC...