1st VIII Boat Christening

Last Saturday 1 February, The St Peter’s College Boat Club community came together at West Lakes to christen our new eight – “Guy Wylly VC”.

Guy George Egerton Wylly VC was a senior British Indian Army officer and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, for his gallant actions during the Second Boer War. During his time at St Peter’s College, Wylly was a promising member of the rowing program from 1897, before embarking from Hobart as a lieutenant with the 3^rd Contingent on the 26^th of April 1900.

The boat is an Empacher Eight, fitted with aluminium wing riggers, and some extras including ‘textrem’ decks and round carbon profiles at the canvas. The outer layer of the shell and deck is made of carbon fibre, with the inner layer made of Kevlar fibre and fine carbon fibre fabric.

The boat was blessed by the School’s Chaplain, The Rev’d Dr Theo McCall, before being officially named by Janey Hill, in recognition of the outstanding military service of her late father-in-law, Lieutenant-Colonel John Holroyd Hill, BA, DSC (USA) an Old Scholar, Captain of Boats, University Blue, a master at Saints from 1912 and Acting Headmaster onnumerous occasions between 1931 and 1945.

A big thank you to Richard Beale and to Greg Ashman for these outstanding photos.