3 March 2017

After two very successful documentary film evenings with supper in December 2016 and February 2017, Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames will arrange a third film evening on Wednesday, 22 March. The feature film is True Blue (1996), which is based on the book True Blue: The Oxford Boat Race Mutiny by Daniel Topolski and Patrick Robinson. The event starts with a two-course supper at 6:30 for 7 p.m., which will be followed by the film. Running time for the film is 1 hour, 50 minutes. 

Come and enjoy supper and a viewing of True Blue to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1987 Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race.

In the winter of 1986/ 87, a group of American students went up to Oxford intent on putting some steel into a boat race crew reeling from a humiliating defeat at the hands of Cambridge. But, what began as a disagreement over training methods between the elected President, Donald Macdonald, and Christopher Clark, a hot-tempered oarsman from California, was to escalate into a bitter confrontation that made headline news worldwide. Failing in their bid to oust Macdonald, the rebels pulled out only six weeks before the race, leaving coach Daniel Topolski to transform a demoralised and inexperienced reserve crew into a winning team: an extraordinary episode in sporting history.

Specially invited to this evening is Donald Macdonald, who will provide special insights from being in the very centre of the events and, hopefully, also give aspects of events that do not appear in the book or the film. 

Cost: £15 per person, payable in advance 

To book: Contact the Leander Club office on 01491 575782 or email events@leander.co.uk

At these film and supper events at Leander, priority is given to club members, but the organisers are happy to welcome members of other clubs if space permits.

Here is a film trailer for True Blue: