The Bedford School Boat Club (BSBC) is the sixth oldest school boat club in the country, with a history dating back to 1861 that includes winning the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, at Henley Royal Regatta, and many gold medals at The National Schools Regatta, including winning the Child Beale cup in 2018.
Many boys have gone on to be selected for the Great Britain senior rowing team, the most notable of these to date is the double Olympic champion Jack Beresford, Britain’s best ever rower until one Steve Redgrave came along! More recently, the club was represented by Phelan Hill who steered the British eight to a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Connor Sheridan who won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in 2018.
Recent old boys have also represented their country at the Under 23 World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and The Boat Races, and have won many events at Henley Royal Regatta. The club has excellent facilities within a short walk from the school on the River Great Ouse. It has one of the best-equipped school fleets in the country, thanks to a regular investment programme and careful management and maintenance from its team of boatmen.
The boathouse was recently refurbished to provide warm, comfortable surroundings, with modern changing facilities, as well as an ergometer room for land training and testing. In addition, boys use the newly refurbished gym in the recreation centre to develop their strength and have access to 26 ergometers to help with their conditioning.
In addition to domestic training camps, during half terms and holidays, at Pangbourne and Radley on the River Thames, the club has developed a tradition of foreign training camps at senior level. This year, the Boat Club sent senior and J16, crews to Sarnen in Switzerland, home of the Swiss National Team. This proved an excellent camp and good preparation for the summer’s racing.