The University of YorkBoat Club is the rowing club of the University of York. It was founded in 1963 by Richard Miles. The club's boathouse is located along the River Ouse in Fulford, York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The club is composed of four squads: Senior Women, Senior Men, Novice Women and Novice Men. It also runs sessions for university staff and the community. The boat club is a GB World Class Start center, and as of 2016 was the university's largest sports club, with over 200 members and a membership more than 50% female.
History
The Boat Club was founded in October 1963 during the first month of activity of the newly established university. It was first hosted by York City Rowing Club which graciously allowed the students to use their equipment for no charge. In March 1965, the club entered its first competition: The Yorkshire Head of the River which took place in York. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Lord James Rusholme suggested a boat race between the Lancaster University Boat Club and the University of York gave birth to the first Roses Boat Race was competed for the 15th of May 1965 and was won by York. This boat race has since evolved in the Roses tournament competed every year by the sports teams of both universities. The club attracted news coverage in 2008 when all members were struck with a sickness bug, prompting suspicions that the River Ouse was unsafe. The club has at times also been involved in charity events, such as a 24-hour sponsored row in 2008. The club has also put in occasional appearances at the Henley Royal Regatta, for example in 2011 and 2017. In 2016 the club became the first UK university boat club to introduce an LGBT policy, promoting it by adopting distinctive rainbow-coloured wellington boots.
Committee
The club is entirely run by the students. The committee is elected each year in May.
Kit and Blades
The club used "York" blue as its colour until the sports union unification in 2012. It now races in black and gold even though the blue is still widely used throughout the club. The club's blade design is black with a white rose of york. The blazer of the club remains blue with white edging and bears the original crest of the club.
Races
The club partakes in various different races all around the academic year. Head Races such as Tyne Head, South Yorkshire Head, York Small Boats Head, BUCS Head. Regattas such as Durham Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta, Peterborough Regatta, York Summer Regatta or BUCS regatta. The club also used to have a race against York Saint John University Rowing Club, and traditionally run the White Rose Head, a three-kilometre head-to-head race from on the River Ouse, from the university boathouse and the Lowther pub.
Jorvik B.C.
Jorvik B.C. is the university's alumni's boat club. It was founded in 2011 and hold a number of events each year for former and current club members.
An annual Jorvik Dinner held in one of the grand boathouses in South West London along the river Thames.
The Henley Royal Regatta Picnic which is usually held the Saturday of the race each July.
The Jorvik vs UYBC boat race, a 400m race between the two clubs held each April in Henley on Thames.
The Jorvik Boat Club uses the old club colour: the York Blue.
