TIMELINE
The boat club has a slightly hazy history from the founding days in 1962 through to the present day, but we hope to fill the gaps and continue expanding our knowledge with this timeline. Click through the decades to read about UStABC and get in touch to help us build our history!
2002
MENS VIII - TIDEWAY
The only photograph we have of a tideway crew in the early years of the decade came from this crew back in 2002, where the novices placed 333rd but we have no recorded senior results. The first recorded club appearance at HoRR was in 1996, where the senior VIII placed 342nd out of 390 in a time of 21:37.41.
2005-6
MENS VIII
The mens' VIII of the 2005-6 season had a highly successful season, placing 288th at HoRR (a then club record) as well as becoming BUSA bronze medalists and winners of Scot Champs. Please do reach out to us with any further details of their success!
In 2000, the club made an attempt at qualification for Henley Royal Regatta with the following crew:
BOW: Howard Versey
TWO: Chris Smith
THREE: Jamie Brown
STROKE: Steve Dorey
COX: Emma Turpin
The crew was just 0.2 seconds off qualifying. At that stage, the club had no coach and the crew raced in a women's 90s Janosek. The club wouldn't return to HRR until 2016!
2000
UStABC DEBUTS AT HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA
The club had rowed out of the Guardbridge boathouse since construction, although the year of construction is unknown. It had fallen into disrepair and in and out use on a number of occasions, as well as a rumour that it was used by the RAF as a shooting range! By 2004, the building was beyond repair and was condemned by the University Estates Department. The club left the boathouse in 2004.
2004
THE OLD BOATHOUSE IS ABANDONED
Since the departure from Guardbridge in 2004, the club had moved all around Scotland including a brief spell at Strathclyde Park. Sometime between 2005 and 2006, we joined Dundee University Boat Club at Inchyra, where we rowed alongside them until our departure and move to Perth Sailing Club in 2010.
2005-6
MOVE TO INCHYRA
SPRING TRAINING IN PORTUGAL
2007
The club headed out to Portugal in 2007 for a training camp, the first record we have of a foreign training camp, but these clips and photos are all that remain!
2012
VICTORY AT SCOT CHAMPS
A M4+ forms during the 2011-2012 season and is the most successful crew for some years, with a season highlight being victory at Scot Champs during the Summer of 2012.
In 2010, the club moved to a spot further up the River Tay, at Perth Sailing Club. The club rowed out of Perth Sailing Club until 2016, when it moved to Loch Ore Meadows, in favour of better winter training conditions.
2010
MOVE TO PERTH SAILING CLUB
A small contingent of alumni found Eden Boat Club, bringing together a community of UStABC alumni with some alumni racing in the early days of the club.
2015
EDEN BOAT CLUB FORMED
In 2010, the club moved to a spot further up the River Tay, at Perth Sailing Club. The club rowed out of Perth Sailing Club until 2016, when it moved to Loch Ore Meadows, in favour of better winter training conditions.
2016
FEBRUARY - NEW TRAINING BASE
2016
In 2016, the club made an attempt to qualify for HWR with a crew of:
BOW: Charis Evans
TWO: Natasha Wood
THREE: Charlie Fling
STROKE: Hannah Myatt
COX: Matt Taylor
The crew successfully qualified and moved through to race Edinburgh University. Despite leading for almost the entire race, Edinburgh pipped the crew to the line.
HWR
2016
In 2016, the club made a second attempt at qualification for HRR with a crew of:
BOW: George Turner
TWO: Tony Poole
THREE: Aran Garrod
STROKE: Oscar Nick
COX: Lily Steele
The crew successfully qualified for the PA and moved through to race Yale University, tough opposition for the club's first proper appearance at HRR! The crew pushed Yale to the line but were ultimately unsuccessful.
HRR
In late 2016, the club hosted founder John Browne at Loch Ore to officially name the boat that he helped to donate, Catalyst. Then club named a new pair in John's honour as thanks for all he had done for rowing in St Andrews and his ongoing support.
2016
CATALYST ARRIVES
2017
CANOTTIERI SEBINO
The club travelled to Italy for our first Italian training camp hosted by Canottieri Sebino, where the club returned in Easter of 2018.
2017
FIRST BUCS POINTS
The club won its first BUCS points at BUCS Head 2017, taking bronze in WC4+, the same crew moved onto to A final at BUCS in C4+ later in the season, but unfortunately could not take their record beating season to Henley due to a change in rules.
2017
FIRST BUCS REGATTA MEDAL
The club won its first medal at BUCS Regatta in April 2017, with Alex Chisholm taking bronze in Int1x! The club placed in 4 A finals across the weekend, compared to just one in 2016.
2017
HWR
In 2017, the club returned to Henley Women's Regatta entering two crews into the event:
S4-
BOW: Alice Thompson
TWO: Alex Shaw
THREE: Kirstin Giddy
STOKE: Hannah Myatt
A4+
BOW: Charis Evans
TWO: Naomi Wood
THREE: Ellie Livingstone
STOKE: Charlie Fling
COX: Matt Taylor
Both crews qualified in their respective events, a huge achievement for the club. The A4+ moved through and lost to a well drilled Leeds University crew. The S4- moved through, beating Harvard University and then losing to eventual victors Newcastle.
2017
Alex Chisholm joined the Scottish HIR team towards the end of the 2016-17 season. He finished second in JM4x behind a well drilled English crew from Leander Club at Home International Regatta. The club had another two other athletes trial for the HIR team, Hannah Myatt and Kirstin Giddy, who sadly lost out on selection by just a bow ball at a seat race earlier in the season.
HOME INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
2017
SCOTTISH INDOORS
The club won its first medals in recent memory at Scottish Indoors in November, with members across the board in multiple categories.
In September, the club launched Saints Regatta, the club's first regatta in recent history, although there are unconfirmed rumours of the club having hosted a previous regatta sometime in the 90s. The event welcomed crews from across Scotland, mixing senior and junior athletes in a day of short, sharp sprint racing at the Loch!
2017
SAINTS REGATTA LAUNCHED
2018
In 2018 and for the first time, the club broke the top 50 at WeHoRR.
BOW: Morgan Hartley
TWO: Alice Thomspon
THREE: Julia Marache
FOUR: Ellie Livingstone
FIVE: Skye Arnott
SIX: Hannah Myatt
SEVEN: Kirstin Giddy (SW Captain)
STROKE: Jodie Cameron
COX: Matt Taylor
The crew just slipped into the top 50, placing 49th. In 2015, 16 and 17, the VIII had placed 147th, 101st and 56th respectively. This result was the first time the club had broken the top 50 at either WeHoRR or HoRR to date.
THE WOMEN'S HEAD OF THE RIVER RACE
In April, the club had their most successful ever run at SUCS and SPR, with 25 of 42 athletes returning with gold medals. The club were Scottish Student Champions in: WInt1x, WChp2-, WChp4+, WBeg4+, WBeg8+ and MInt2x.
2018
SUCS & SPR
2018
THREE MEDALS AT BUCS REGATTA
BUCS 2018 brought the club's best ever results - two silver and a bronze medal. The club also picked up more BUCS points during the weekend, through the WCLwt2-.
188 athletes raced at HWR in 2018, double the previous record entry (2017). Additionally, 7 novices made up the 3 crews that raced over the weekend, compared to only 1 novice the previous year - a huge step-up for the Club.
2018
HENLEY WOMEN'S REGATTA
2018
HOME INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
HIT 2018 was the first time St Andrews has had athletes selected for the Senior team in recent history. Remarkably, from zero to four, the University of St Andrews was the most represented University on the Senior Women's squad.
Congratulations to: Morgan Hartley, Hannah Myatt, Kirstin Giddy and Matt Taylor (Cox).
Iain Rice, the DoR at the time, also coached the senior squad.
2018
UNIVERSITY SHIELD AT BRIT CHAMPS
For the club's first appearance at the British Senior Championships, this was a fantastic weekend of racing for the W4-, made up of athletes from diverse rowing backgrounds, with both home grown St Andrews talent and brand new athletes to the club.
A total of 6 medals were won at the Scottish Rowing Indoor Championships, and the success of the club's athletes were recognised in the presentation of the Victor Ludorum Trophy to the Club - crowning UStABC as the most successful Club of the event that year.
2018
VL TROPHY WIN AT SCOTTISH INDOORS
2019
CLUB COURSE RECORD AT HORR IN LONDON
Our Men's 1st VIII finished in 62nd position at the Head of the River Race in London out of 301 crews, setting a club course record and winning the Medium Academic Pennant.
Jordan Stanley was appointed as the new Director of Rowing in February 2019. As a former international athlete and a coach at Westlake Boys' High School in New Zealand, Jordan brought with him a wealth of experience to push the club's performance even further.
2019
A NEW DIRECTOR OF ROWING
In April, the club launched their major match donation campaign, Project 24, with the aim of raising sufficient funds to purchasing new boats for the club. The campaign successfully raised £35,000.
2019
LAUNCHED OF PROJECT24
2019
RECORD RESULTS AT THE SCOTTISH UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONS
The club finished 2nd on the Scottish Universities' Victor Ludorum, beating 8 other Scottish Universities and bringing home an outstanding 7 gold medals.
2019
SAINTS ARE CROWNED DOUBLE SCOTTISH CHAMPIONS
The OC2- and WC4+ became the Scottish Champions at the Scottish Championships held at Strathclyde Park.
The club won its first ever BUCS gold medals in the WInt 2- and MInt 2- categories at BUCS Regatta. Bronze medals were also won by our WIn4+ and MInt4+, making it their most successful performance at BUCS Regatta to date.
2019
FIRST BUCS GOLD MEDALS IN CLUB HISTORY
The AA4- reached the quarter-finals of Henley Women's Regatta after beating Sheffield University in the heats and only narrowly losing out on a spot in the semis against Glasgow University.
The men's championship four continued their Henley Royal Regatta preparation and raced at Marlow Regatta.
2019
TWO FOURS AT HENLEY WOMEN'S & MARLOW REGATTA
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2019
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA SEMI-FINALS
In 2019, the club qualified for Henley Royal Regatta for the second time.
The crew missed out on the pre-qualifying spot, but won themselves one of the 4 spots available at the Friday qualifiers out of 37 crews.
BOW: Chris Bock
TWO: Henry Marles
THREE: Oscar Nick
STROKE: Campbell Nelson
COX: Holly Bartlett
The crew made club history of the Wednesday of the Regatta, beating Imperial College London, the first time the club had ever won a round at the regatta.
On Friday, the crew raced Exeter University in the quarter-finals. They won. It was an extremely special day for the club. John Browne, the club's founder, was there to support and congratulate the crew on their unbelievable victory.
The crew finished their season against Durham University in the semi-finals. It was a fantastic triumph, Current club members and alumni dating back to the 1990s cheered on the crew, before the annual BBQ held on the Saturday afternoon.
2019
The club had four athletes representing St Andrews at HIR. Incredibly, 3 returned with gold meals. The event was the first time St Andrews had representation at the event from our Senior Men's Squad.