The club named its new IV and finally settled on a name for its old IV today (Saturday, July 16). In an unusual show of democracy the names went up for the vote. The new IV was named, fittingly after the beloved cafe the club (and many other rowing clubs on the Cam) frequents after Saturday outings - Tishka. The Chesterton Road cafe is named after an area in Morocco which the owner’s family is from and refers to a pass between mountains. Cafe owner Eddie Touchent poured prosecco over the boat during the ceremony (he was meant to - it wasn’t some weird protest or anything) and said his father would be very proud. He joked that he was grateful to all the rowers for their business though without them he’d actually get to have a rest on Saturdays. Simon Emmings - club captain, said in a press release (he had his spin-doctor cook up the words for him): “Tishka is an essential pit-stop for many Cambridge rowers after an outing. Owner Eddie and his staff are always cheerful and helpful – often having your regular order ready for you as you approach the counter. As a club founded by the PYE company more than 75 years ago we’re really conscious that we have close links to the community and Tishka is a fantastic community meeting place. We are really pleased to be able to thank Eddie in this way.”

The old IV was almost named Rocky IV after the classic film and its classic rocking motion. It was that or its folk-name The IV of Death, but in the end another film reference tipped it and it was named Nostromo after the spaceship in the original Alien movie (apparently there’s a posh book by some bloke called Joseph Conrad too but that had no part in the naming). As this had been club member Chris Wood’s idea he poured the booze on the boat. The naming of the men’s VIII was delayed due to a mix-up in lettering, or something.