Organisation And People
The club is led by its chair, Annamarie Phelps CBE, and is run by two volunteer boards, supported by a professional coaching and support team, and with student leaders elected each year to represent the squads.
The two boards are The CUBC Foundation and the Rowing Management Board.
The Foundation is custodian of the club for the long term, owning the assets and ensuring sustainability and financial independence. Its board is known as the Council. The Rowing Management Board focuses on operations, athlete experience and outcomes. The Student Committee, made up of the four student presidents and the club secretary, provides a strong student input to all aspects of club decision-making. Working together, our mission is to win Boat Races and retain our position as a leading university boat club. Success is not just winning; it’s knowing that every student athlete representing Cambridge is given the best possible support to develop on and off the water.
Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Club Chair
Club Chair
Annamarie Phelps learnt to row at St John’s College and raced for Blondie in 1987, beating Osiris by 12 seconds. Following this success with CUWBC, she went on to represent Great Britain at five World Championships and won gold at Račice in 1993. Additionally, she held the world indoor record for lightweight women between 1992 and 1994.
Annamarie has remained actively involved in Cambridge rowing and in the wider rowing community, both as Chair of CUWBC and as Chairman of British Rowing, following eleven years as Deputy Chairman. She is a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta and was awarded the CBE for services to rowing in 2015.
Outside of rowing, Annamarie is currently Chair of the British Horseracing Authority, Deputy Chair of the British Olympic Association, a Board Director of the Head of the Charles Regatta, an associate consultant to Safe Sport International, and a member of the IPC Legal and Ethic Committee and the IOC Olympic Education Commission.
Simon Harris
Chair, Rowing Management Board
Simon Harris learned to cox and row at Maidenhead Rowing Club, before coming up to Queens’ College to read Engineering. Selected for Goldie in 1981, he did not race due to illness; he rowed in the Blue Boat in both 1982 and 1983, serving as CUBC President in this latter year. Simon has raced as both an openweight and a lightweight, winning a U23 silver medal at Match des Seniors in 1983 and racing in four Henley finals.
Simon remains engaged in the wider rowing community. Following his captaincy of London Rowing Club between 1991 and 1993, he has served as club Chairman since July 2019. Simon also enjoys a distinguished umpiring record, having umpired two reserve races, five Men’s Boat Races, the first Women’s Boat Race on the Tideway in 2015 and the first Men’s Lightweight Boat Race on the Tideway in 2019.
A chartered engineer and naval architect, Simon is married and has three grown up daughters, one of whom raced for the victorious CUWBC lightweight crew in 2018.
Nicholas Bliss
Chair, The CUBC Foundation (TCF)
Nick Bliss read Law at Corpus Christi College, where he learnt to row as an undergraduate. Already a talented athlete, Nick was awarded a half blue in swimming in 1980. This versatility meant that he was selected to race for Goldie in 1981 and for the Blue Boat in 1982. Following a move to London, he raced competitively for three years at Vesta Rowing Club.
Nick remains involved in the sport as an avid supporter of the Boat Races, Henley Royal Regatta, and the performances of Team GB. Nick has been a driving force within “OneClub” since May 2019 and is committed to delivering Boat Race winning crews for years to come.
Nick is a lawyer with particular expertise in infrastructure. He is married and has four children, all of whom are talented sportspeople outside of the rowing world.