(See results from 2001 and 1999)

4.25 mile course on the Thames Tideway between Mortlake and Putney

This race was long, there was little stream, and the conditions were wet, cold and miserable. The square blades work up to the start was perfect but thankfully sense prevailed and the crew didn't attempt to race this way...

In any event, the crew maintained an even pace throughout at rate 31-2, and with some fine overtaking maneouvres produced another solid performance which enabled the Boars to finish fifth from 43 Senior 3 Club entries in a time of 21:27 (241st overall). In doing so, the Boars beat entries from Emmanuel, CCAT, Pembroke, and finished within 13 seconds of Magdalene, Downing and Caius.

Other notable Boars finishes were Matt Jaggard with Nottingham University BC in Senior 2 coxless (2nd from 42) and Jack Mellor in the same event with City of Bristol RC (4th from 42). Jim Kirton had a somewhat less successful row, with the usual Cantabrigian "luck" including [to quote Jim] “an appalling row, a crash and a time penalty”! Good luck next year, mate!

Full results are available on the Fullers' Head of the River Fours website.

(See results from 1999)

2600 metre upstream course on River Cam

The "steadiest" combination from Bedford gained in confidence today ahead of Head of the River Fours.

The crew raced twice, rate capped in division 2 and going "full Boar" in division 3. In Senior 3, the crew finished third, only beaten by two CULRC trial fours having been faster than the few Cambridge town crews in this event. The Boars also beat the other CULRC entry, all good signs before Fours Head.

In a case of discretion being better than valour, the Boars decided to scratch the last entry (Senior 2) in favour of steak, burgers and chips down the pub. Very sensible.

S3.4+ : 3rd from 9 (10:56)

• C: Sonja Peasey
• S: George Harpur
• 3: Gareth Sylvester-Bradley
• 2: Howard Stone
• B: Shailen Majithia

The full results are available in finish order on the Rob Roy website.

(See results from 2001 and 2000)

3.5 mile upstream course on River Charles

The Boars once again made the annual pilgrimage to Boston, anxious to make an impact in their third successive year of participation in this exciting event. Yet again, the weather did not let them down, with blues skies in the chill autumn breeze making the practice time on the River Charles as enjoyable as ever.

An improved crew, with the new faces of Sam Clarke and David Clarke, and a local MIT cox Shelli Farhadian (fresh from an exchange year at Queens' College), was keen to build on the fine race performance of the 2001 crew entry. To help it along, the crew was given a boost by the loan of an Empacher for the first time from Harvard coach Charlie Butt and boatman Jo, seen below modelling their new Boars Head caps, a small gift from the crew to show their appreciation of the hospitality so graciously offered by Charlie and Jo each year.

After the customary visits to Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pinocchio's and the Green House, race day loomed, with the Boars going off in the men’s club eights division at its new scheduled time of 12 noon on Saturday. Starting twelfth, the Boars struck a sustainable rate 32 over the first sector of the course. This year the extra fitness of the crew showed itself in a very fast second sector, and a fine overtaking maneouvre past crew number 10 just past Newell Boathouse. In blustery and challenging conditions, the Boars rowed a powerful race to finish 13th overall, their highest placing yet in this event, and within 5.1% of the winning time of ASR Nereus, the Dutch National Squad. The Boars also finished as the highest placed UK crew, in the process giving a mighty 75-second shoo-ing to arch rivals Black Prince.

Saturday night celebrations after the race lived up to their billing, with drinks and dinner at The Hard Rock Café, followed by a spectacular sharking expedition to Whisky Park Bar. Limousines then sped the crew to a secret location for an Austin Powers party, at which point this report becomes confidential...

Full results are on the Head of the Charles Regatta website.

(See results from 2001 and 2000 and 1999)

2000 metre downstream course on River Great Ouse

In their fourth consecutive year of racing at this event, the Boars achieved the club’s most successful results to date, a clean sweep of Senior 4, Senior 3, and Senior 2 coxed fours, winning all the events entered. Most of the space in Jim’s boot was taken up by the fifteen glass tankards awarded as prizes. A top-level result all round!

Bedford RC has full results by event on their site. (The uncanny consistency with our three times from last year has been noted.)

(See reports from 2001 and 2000)

The Sixteenth Annual Dinner of the Boar's Head Dining Club in the Old Hall at Queens'.

Anybody feel like writing up what they remember of the day (and night!)?

(See results from 2000)

Downstream course on River Thames from near Hampton Court Bridge to Kingston Bridge
Organised by Kingston River Events Committee

Anybody feel like writing it up? Anyway, these slackers finished THIRD!

David Biddulph has full results online and details and results from the last few years.