The Under-23 World Championships were held in Brest, Belarus between 23-25th July 2010 and Imperial's Jamie Kirkwood, Henry Fieldman and Lottie Howard-Merrill donned GBR vests to represent their country and defend Imperial's honour, which they did in style.

Photo Courtesy of Lottie Howard-Merrill

The time has come for ICBC to wave a very sad goodbye to its Head Coach, Steve Trapmore MBE. He joined the club in January 2008, and since then he has brought the club to the forefront of university rowing and leaves it as a high performance centre for British Rowing.

Many rowers have rowed in slightly strangely rigged boats before, be that a bucket rigged four (strokeside, bowside bowside strokeside or vice versa), an eight with a bucket in it somewhere or a bow-rigged eight or four. Very few have been out in a boat quite like the one that ICBC attempted to row one cloudy Bank Holiday Monday morning.

Photo Copyright of Mark Chilvers for New Scientist 

IN POD WE TRUST

Tuesday, May 13th 2008, 3:24 PM. Approximately 24 hours before the annual club AGM, a young and naive novice rower, daring to dream, sends an email out to ICBC:

"Here are some reasons to vote for me as Press Officer:

*       I have a dictionary AND a thesauras [yes she did accidentally spell thesaurus incorrectly. hilarious.].
*       I know what inclement means without the use of aforementioned dictionary.
*       I like rowing and typing.
*       I like the sound that rowing and typing make.
*       I can make the most uninteresting things sound interesting.
*       I can make you sound cool.
*       I can make people you don't like sound less cool.
*       I accept, welcome and encourage bribes.
*       I can multitask by mentally writing articles during 18 km ergos.
*       I have mastered the use of the bullet list tool.
*       I like the idea of being referred to as 'Officer Duffy'
*       I am patient and respond without retaliation to Ben's 'Top O' The Morning To Ya' calls

[Ben Newland: ceaseless novice bullying]

*       I make no apologies for liking potatoes.
*       I forgive you for the famine and 800 years of oppression."

The campaign began after a mass email was sent to the club from Steve asking for a write-up about WeHoRR, the reply-all came from James Blackley: “Can I volunteer Christina Duffy of the women’s novice squad?” That’s definitely not how volunteering works in Ireland, but new to this foreign land, one just wanted to fit in. So it was agreed. (Yes James, it's all your fault!) 

Following a successful election Press Officer Duffy was born, a title too long for Steve to type resulting in the abstract belief that is POD. 

POD hopes she that has been true to her original exhaustive list of talents and character flaws, but feels it necessary to tell you that she has not been totally honest. She is not quite over the famine and 800 years of oppression. Hopefully time will heal these wounds.

POD hopes that the Duffy Award will live on, and has faith that Steve will get around to the boat naming ceremony. The role of Press Officer has been replaced with Press Coordinator as nobody was as misguided as POD to take it on: PC Libby Richards leads the way. Help her out folks or POD will have to bring the rain.

My dear ICBCers: To kill, maim & destroy one must own pain, belief & pride: these are our kingdoms. Rule them well. This is POD signing off. Out.

Henley Royal Regatta 2010: Strokeman Jamie Alexander Kirkwood has won the Visitor’s Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta as part of an Imperial, Durham, Leander composite. The lightweight crew were the heroes of the day usurping the heavyweight Leander ‘A’ crew into a headwind. IC qualified an impressive nine crews for the regatta with most losing out to semi-finalists or finalists.

With Henley Royal Regatta over for another year Ole Tietz joined POD for a reflective drink at the Duke’s  Head. He shares a tale of overcoming cultural boundaries in a time of crisis (i.e. the World Cup).

Photo by Nick Ablitt

Forty-eight hours after becoming a Henley 2010 winner in the Visitor's Challenge Cup, POD catches up with ICBC's latest wonder boy Jamie Kirkwood. It's quiz night at the Duke's Head and in honour of the win the quiz team is named "Kirkwood Smashed It In The Face!" As the ICBC troops fire-up the brain cells POD joins Kirkwood in the corner. They are joined by Kat Holloway and Lenny Kennedy.