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History of X-Press Boat Club
History of X-Press Boat Club
The X-Press Boat Club began at the Free Press pub on Prospect Row in central Cambridge. In 1978, the landlords, Chris and Debbie Lloyd, frustrated by the limited social rowing options available to more mature rowers, decided to form a rowing club. Originally called the Free Press Boat Club, it was created to offer a warm, friendly, and inclusive environment that reflected the welcoming atmosphere of their much-loved pub.
The original Free Press public house.
Rivalry between pub clubs was fierce. Free Press bumped The Red Lion, Toft, in the town bumps in the early 1980s.
In the 1970s, veteran rowers were a rare sight on the River Cam. Most members of town clubs like the 99s and City were young and highly competitive, and those rowing for workplace supported clubs - such as Pye, British Telecom, NatWest, and Mott MacDonald - were typically the younger employees.
But change was coming. Chris and a few of his regulars had been rowing informally in a coxed four borrowed from Christ’s College. In 1978, at the age of 37, Chris decided to enter the Head of the Cam, racing against crews from Bedford and Star. As his four passed under the Railway Bridge, the other two crews overtook them - one on each side. After the race, Roger Silk (the Lady Margaret boatman) and Tony Baker (the Caius boatman) told Chris he shouldn’t have competed at all because the Free Press was not registered with the ARA. This annoyed Chris, and prompted him to immediately affiliate Free Press with the CRA and later in 1979 to register with the ARA (now British Rowing).
Chris, an alumnus of Christ’s College, Cambridge, intended the new club to welcome both town rowers and former college athletes. He felt that Free Press Boat Club had a more distinguished ring than Free Press Rowing Club, since ‘rowing clubs’ were typically associated with the town and ‘boat clubs’ with the university.
In the early days Free Press used to borrow boats. The first boat the Free Press bought was an Empacher IV, Toby Phipps, and a set of blades from Churchill. The club now has an extensive fleet of boats housed at the new and old CRA boathouses.
In 2002, Chris and Debbie, together with the club, moved to the Cambridge Blue pub on Gwydir Street. This relocation also marked the moment the club adopted the name we proudly use today: X-Press Boat Club.
In 2007, after nearly thirty years of developing and guiding the club, Chris and Debbie retired from rowing, but their influence lives on along the River Cam. Our crews continue to row the boats named in their honour - the coxed four Debbie and the eight Chris Lloyd - as a lasting tribute to the founders who shaped the club we know today.
Debbie and Chris outside the Free Press pub in 1999, celebrating 21 years of the club with the launch of a new boat.
The X-Press Boat Club crest.
When the club was established, Chris - whose roots were Welsh - had recently fallen in love with Debbie, who was born on the east coast of the United States. The club’s crest captures their story: a Welsh dragon making affectionate advances toward the American eagle. Above them sits the English rose, marking the place where they met, and above that, three stripes echoing the blade markings of Christ’s College.
Past presidents of X-Press Boat Club
Chris Lloyd 1978 – 2007
John Dent 2007- 2018
John Martin 2018 - 2024
Jumbo Jenner 2024 -
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