The club was established shortly after Regent's Park became a permanent private hall of the university in 1957 and currently owns two boats, one named "Regent's Shark", in which the men's team row, and a more-lightweight women's eight named 'Bond Girls.' The club competes in a number of inter-collegiate races in both the male and the female categories.
History
Regent's Park Men's VIII bump Magdalen's II VIII on the third day of Summer Eights 2019
The boat club has competed in most Torpids and Eights competitions throughout its history and occasionally puts out a boat for the Christ Church Regatta. In 2014, the women's novice boat that entered the Christ Church Regatta proceeded to win the overall competition – among the biggest achievements for any Regent's Park sports team in history. Both the men's and women's boat have won blades on a number of occasions[1] and in 1979 the boat club undertook a charity row from Oxford back to the college's origins in Regent's Park, London, which was filmed by the BBC for a special documentary.[2]
In 2005, a joint Regent's Park-LMH women's crew took part in the Oxford-Cambridge Channel Challenge, setting a new record for a women's crew rowing across the English Channel.[citation needed]
Between 2005 and 2010, the Men's VIII established a record of thirty-four consecutive starts in a bumps race without being bumped once itself. The Men's VIII has currently gone sixteen days of racing, or four years, without being bumped in the Summer Eights competition (as well as nine days in Torpids), the third-best record of crews currently on the water.[3]
Double blades (blades in Torpids and Eights in the same year) have been achieved three times in boat club history – by the Men's crews of 1979 and 2006, and the Women's crews of 2015 and 2016.[citation needed]
After a sustained period of success, both the Men's and Women's boats are in historically high positions: the Men are at their highest position since 1982 in Torpids and their highest ever position in Summer Eights, while the Women's winning of Trophy Blades in the 2019 Summer Eights propelled them to their highest position since 2000.[4]
Governance
The club is governed by a committee of students, who are all elected in Trinity Term. The Executive Committee consists of a President, Treasurer, and the Men's and Women's Captains, along with the Senior Member.[citation needed]
Most of the club's funding comes from the JCR and from its sponsors.[citation needed]
Traditions
Regent's Park Women's VIII in 2019
Members of the club who have rowed in at least one university race (and, usually, who have won trophy blades in that race) are entitled to wear the boat club blazer, especially at the college's annual Final Fling ball. Club members who have competed in at least one race (but not won trophy blades) are entitled to wear the boat club tie. [citation needed]
On the final day of each regatta, the Men's and Women's crews all down a small Smirnoff ice or non-alcoholic alternative.[citation needed]
