SABC Launch Campaign
After years of success St Anne's Boat Club needs your help to give us the platform to succeed in the decade to come. We have already raised half the money, but we are trying to raise another £3900 so we can buy a coaching launch. Now is a great time to give as each donation will be matched £1 for £1 by funds already raised; doubling the impact of your gift.
SABC
St Anne's Boat Club is the college boat club of St Anne's College, Oxford. Open to all members of St Anne's, the boat club caters to a wide range of abilities, from those who train every day throughout the year to others who join us just for the fun of Summer Eights. Our M1 and W1 - many of whom learnt to row with SABC - are firmly positioned in the second division in both Torpids and Summer Eights. Our W2 and M2 have also performed well in recent years, while our novices had a strong showing in Christ Church Regatta 2016.
Why We Need A Coaching Launch
Although it is possible to train on the Isis with a coach bankriding, or cycling along the towpath, this part of the river gets incredibly busy, and it is frustrating and impractical for the senior crews to be stuck in queues every outing. Training further up the Thames at Port Meadow, a 20 minute cycle away from the main college site, allows our first boats to get away from the chaos of the Isis and benefit from consistent training, including longer race pieces and a chance to perfect the all-important start sequence. However, there is no towpath along that stretch of river, and to really benefit from the long, wide stretches of clear water, a coaching launch is necessary. Training in winter without a launch is almost impossible, as coaches are forced to wade through mud, avoiding dogs, puddles, cows, geese, and horses, in an attempt to follow the crew, who can rarely hear the valuable advice being shouted to them from the bank. 'What's he saying?' is the most commonly heard question in an outing.
In Hilary term of 2017, we were lucky enough to be able to share a launch with another college for the first time. The senior crews found this an immense improvement on previous arrangements, and were able to step training up to another level and really hone the finer details of their rowing technique. The results speak for themselves: Torpids 2017 was SABC's most successful race campaign in recent memory, with M1 bumping twice, and W1 and W2 just missing out on blades on the last day of racing.
Most of SABC's rowers learn to row with us, and it becomes a hugely important part of their life, and a highlight of their university experience. For SABC to continue to be competitive as we advance up the divisions, or even just to maintain our current high standards, we cannot afford to miss out on the advantages offered by a coaching launch.
Where will the money go?
A new or nearly new coaching launch will cost around £8000. We have already raised half of the necessary funds, and so every donation will be matched. Together we can make our launch dreams come true!
All money donated will go towards the cost of purchasing the launch in September 2017, so that the launch will be on the water and ready to go in the new academic year, beginning October 2017.
Rewards
As a thank you for your help with our campaign, SABC is offering various exclusive rewards, including team kit and a chance to have your name featured on our new launch.
Find us here
http://stannesboatclub.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2202217509/
Help us succeed!
It's not just about the money! We're grateful for every penny you can donate, but equally valuable is your help in spreading the word to friends, family, and fellow rowing enthusiasts. If you used to row for SABC, why not get in touch with members of your old crew and encourage them to help SABC to glory once again.
