report on the COBRA Archives webpage

Wednesday 25th October 2007, saw the arrival of four new rowing boats for CAIBC. The purchase was organised by COBRA and funded by COBRA, with assistance from the Coleraine Old Boys Association and the Friends of Coleraine Inst.  This substantial investment for a relatively young association represents COBRA’s continued commitment to support CAIBC in any way it can.  For photos of the boats arriving, see the Overview page, or for a report of the boat naming ceremony see the COBRA Archives.

Our congratulations to Richard as he became a World Champion in Munich. The British lightweight IV- claimed the gold over the French in second place.

Alan Campbell improved on last years 6th place at Eton to come 4th at Munich, just squeezed out of the medals by the reigning World Champion Drysdale, Synek and reigning Olympic champion Tufte.

A report is on the CAIBC Old Boys Archives page.

The Floral Art demonstration organised to raise funds for Coleraine Inst Boat Club equipment was a huge success.  A report is availible on the COBRA Archives page. We would like to thank Dr & Mrs Mitchell for all their hard work in organising this event, and the time put into this event by George Hull & other members of the school staff.  Thanks also to the members of CAIBC and their parents who were busy helping all evening.

Alan Campbell, rowing for Tideway Scullers, repeated his performance of 2003 to win the Diamond Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta. A short report is on our Archives page.

If you are involved helping out at the school boat club from time to time, the school has asked that you attend a training session in the school.  Please get in touch with me so i can sort out a date with the school child protection officer (Paddy Allen).

Cheers
William    chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

A few bits of new information have been added to the Archives for 1931, 1937 & 1939, courtesy of Bobby Platt MBE.
A short report from the BUSA regatta 2007 can be found here.


THE COBRA NEWSLETTER 2nd EDITION (2007) IS NOW AVAILABLE.  For a copy, please email chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

A report from the successful barbeque in 2007 is availible

For information on FUTURE EVENTS of COBRA and CAIBC, please scroll down to the bottom of this page. 

On behalf of all the members and friends of COBRA, I would like to pass on our congratulations to our Patron, Bobby Platt, who has awarded the MBE in the 2006 New Year Honours.  This means that Bobby is a "Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire".  In our opinion, the MBE is long overdue, and no-one deserves it more for dedication to sport, than Bobby Platt.

Before Bobby got involved in rowing, he was a director of the Coleraine Football Club and coached the Reserves team to Cup success in the George Wilson Cup, the Louis Moore Cup and the North West Cup.  After Bobby turned his attention to rowing in the 1940s (not mentioning his badminton career), Bobby saw many successes at Bann Rowing Club as an oarsman, a cox and a coach.  Bann RC had the honour of Bobby being their captain in 1959/60 and again for a record spell of 10 years from 1972 to 1983.

Bobby started coaching full-time at Coleraine Inst Boat Club in 1986, although being Bobby he had been helping out regularly for years before that.  For example, Bobby (as Bann RC Captain) was involved coaching the composite Coleraine Inst/Bann VIII+ that won the Irish Schools/Junior Championships in 1975.  Since 1986 he has been heavily involved in running Coleraine Inst Boat Club, especially after the retirement of Sid Grey in 1997.  There is no doubt that without Bobby, the boat club would be in a bad way and may even have closed by now. 

There are a large number of successful oarsmen who owe their rowing foundation to Coleraine Inst Boat Club, during the time when Bobby was involved with the club; Brian Steele, Richard Archibald, Alan Campbell, Richard Chambers and Stephen Feeney to name just a few.  This is why COBRA has appointed Bobby as Patron, in appreciation for all the years of service he has put into Rowing in Coleraine.  
 
Being typically modest Bobby has said that “the award is for sports coaches throughout Coleraine Borough, especially in rowing”.  However, I can’t think of anyone who deserves the MBE for services to sport, more than our own Bobby Platt.

William Wright (honoured to have been coached by Bobby Platt MBE from 1992 to the present day).

     Welcome to the home page of the Coleraine Old Boys Rowing Association (C.O.B.R.A.). 

      We as old boys of Coleraine Academical Institution Boat Club (C.A.I.B.C.) have set up C.O.B.R.A. with main aim of supporting C.A.I.B.C. financially as well as in terms of administration and coaching, to ensure the survival of this 75+ year old, proud rowing tradition.  This is necessary due to the unfortunate trend of reduced funding for school sporting activities.  To complicated matters further there has not been an experienced rowing master at the school since the retirement of Mr Sid Grey in 1997.  Since then, it has fallen on the experienced yet now heavily burdened shoulders of Bobby Platt MBE and a few old boys to carry out the necessary coaching at C.A.I.B.C.

Our long term aims would be to provide a body within which old boy oarsmen may keep in touch with each other and even compete together.  Indeed, on the 23rd December 2002, a group of old boys congregated on the River Bann to re-establish the traditional old boys versus school boys race.  The outcome of this race and the subsequent races can be found in the "COBRA archives" page. 

The "CAIBC Old Boy Archives" page also gives details of how well old boys, including Richard Archibald (pictured in the 3 seat) got on during the year.  

A brief overview of the C.O.B.R.A. organization, its contacts and HOW TO JOIN, are available in the “Overview” page, along with available C.O.B.R.A. merchandice. 

A list of upcoming events organized by C.O.B.R.A. and C.A.I.B.C. are given below. 

   If you have any questions concerning C.O.B.R.A. and C.A.I.B.C, then please do not hesitate to contact us at chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

For more information, please email the usual address  chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

  Your support at any of the races is always appreciated.  As old boys will know well, a shout of encouragement at any race is always beneficial!  The next races we plan to attend are -

If you have any questions regarding upcoming CAIBC races or events, please contact us at chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).