Bosporos Boat Club, a new London-based boat club for Oxford University rowers, was opened on Putney Embankment today. The club is open to all men and women who are ex-rowers for the dark blues in the Boat Race, the Reserve Boat Race and Trial Eights. The club has been founded to allow people leaving the university to continue rowing seriously at a veteran level. Donald Macdonald, the club's president, said: "This is a tremendous opportunity to focus support for Oxford rowing. Bosporos Boat Club will provide facilities to allow Oxford supporters to participate and help their old club. Currently disparate members of the club will be reunited under one banner. The club’s ambition is to provide winning crews at Henley Royal Regatta and Women's Henley. It also hopes to enter the Veteran's Boat Race which takes place every year in the run up to the main Boat Race.

The club has been founded both to allow people leaving university to continue rowing on a serious basis and to provide rowing facilities for other ex Oxford rowers at a veteran level. There will also be opportunities for reunion outings for ex Boat Race crews. The club’s first test will come in the up-coming Head of the River Race where they will be pitted against the recently formed Crabtree Boat Club, an Cambridge old boys club with whom they are sharing a boathouse in Putney.

Website: www.bosporos.com

For further information contact the club secretary, Pete Bridge, on 020 8748 0053.