Charitable Impacts

When COBRA’s patron Bobbie Platt MBE passed away in 2015 we were in no doubt that we wanted to name the new boat in memory of him and the 40+ years he spent coaching at the club. Our Olympians both spoke emotionally about Bobbie and how he passed on his passion for this sport to them, crediting their time at the club for setting them on their Olympic Journeys.

The funds for the £14,000 boat came from a variety of sources – annual membership donations, larger donations specifically towards this purchase and also funds raised by COBRA members who took part in a grueling challenge last year when they cycled the length of Ireland, ‘Mizen to Malin’, in 3 days.

With the construction of the new Boathouse COBRA held a major fundraising push to add a boat to the School’s aging fleet of Eights. We were please to be able to present a 2 year-old Stampfli Eight to the School which was getting little to no use at it’s previous home. Stampfli is the more elite sister to the Janousek line of boats which have served the club so well over the years. The weight and hull of this boat are ideally suited to the school after discussions it was decided that this boat presented an opportunity that was too good to miss out on.

COBRA’s efforts at fundraising for the school have not been limited to purchasing on the water equipment. In 2010, CAIBC's stock of Rowing machines were beginning to show their age, with some of the younger boys being as old as the machines!

COBRA purchased 10 new rowing machines to help supplement the Club’s existing stock, much to the delight of the coaches and dismay of the rowers.

In addition to the set of eight sweep blades purchased for the club a few years before, COBRA have purchased a set of 10 sculling blades to help replenish the aging stock within the club.

The four boats, a Coxed Four/Quad, Double Scull and two single Sculls were partially funded by COBRA along with the Friends of Coleraine Inst. This large capital purchase represents a substantial investment in the future of the school club and shows COBRA's ability to punch well above its weight in our commitment to support rowing at the School.

Representing COBRA's first large purchase of equipment for the School club, this set of eight oars were much needed. However they were not within the School’s budget to purchase. So COBRA have stepped up and purchased the much needed equipment which will hopefully propel the boys to more victories in the years to come.