To win The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is perhaps the crowning glory of any schoolboy. Henley Royal Regatta represents the pinnacle of UK rowing and the Trophy for junior men’s eights is the prize that everyone wants to win. In front of friends, family and thousands of supporters, in rowing’s heartland, Victor Bocquet experienced the joy of victory first-hand when his St Paul’s eight crossed the line first on the 7th of July to beat Shiplake College to the title.
Here, the young coxswain tells us about his journey to the very top of the sport ahead of his junior world championship final tomorrow.
How did you first get into coxing?
I didn’t know much about rowing before St Paul’s, so when I started rowing back in January 2021, I hoped I’d be able to use an oar. When crews started forming, I realised I’d be much more suited to coxing!
What really kept you involved in the very beginning and how has that evolved over the years?
Coxing allowed me to connect with people and leave my house despite the pandemic which was why I was originally so keen on coxing. I’m also quite competitive and so the rush you get during the run-up to events and during the race is what has kept me going. I have also loved the friendships I’ve made with the rowers and coaches in the sport.
What was your first club like and how important were they to your growth?
St Paul’s have been super important to my growth: Bobby, German and Dickie have taught me everything I know about the boat and how to feel where we can find some extra speed. I’ve been fantastically lucky to be coached by that group and they’ve allowed me to explore my own thoughts on the boat, allowing me in turn to grow a sound technical understanding.
How would you define your coxing style?
I’d say my coxing style is always evolving, depending on the crew and the coach. Some crews prefer more motivational calls, while others value a clinical style in races. Coxing to me is finding the balance between motivation, execution of the race plan, and being adaptable. Races can change in an instant and the cox must always be able to react confidently.
In your opinion, what is the most important attribute a successful coxswain must imbue?
A cox should always be confident – whether in races when changing the race plan or voicing their thoughts on the session, otherwise a key point for feedback and coaching can be missing. Confidence is super important on the water too, especially in hectic warm-up areas, as it will allow the rowers to perform at their best during the race.
What has been your favourite coxing memory?
Winning the Quadruple (Head of the Charles, Schools’ Head of the River, National Schools’ Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta) as a whole has been amazing, however I’d have to say steering the crew from 74th to victory at Head of the Charles back in October has to be my favourite coxing memory. We ended up overtaking 15 crews in 15 minutes and won by 22 seconds, despite the narrow, windy course! Winning The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup was also incredibly special and a fantastic way to cap off a perfect season, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
What was the biggest learning curve during your coxing journey and how did you tackle it?
The biggest learning curve was stepping into the first eight at the start of this year, younger than anyone else in the crew. They all had so much experience and it was a massive step up which meant I had to spend many long evenings listening to my recordings and seeing where I went wrong and how to change it so I was getting everything out of the crew.
What is the one bit of advice you’d give to a new cox trying to find his or her voice?
Ask questions to everyone you can. Coxes are often forgotten by coaches and not supported adequately, so make sure you’re constantly speaking with coaches and rowers as to where you can improve. Asking more experienced coxes is also great; The Winning Cox is a fantastic resource for all coxes, especially those finding their voice!
How crucial is high quality equipment (like NK) to set you up for success?
Rowing is heavily reliant on data, such as splits and telemetry. I’ve always coxed with an NK coxbox and speed-coach, and they’ve allowed me to communicate accurate splits and distance to the crew in all situations, and also allow Bobby to follow live from the launch so he can see the splits, rate etc. in real time.
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