The boy was then in charge of the“cock” or ship's boat, hence Coxswain.
This term Coxswain first popped up in the 14th century
and has since largely been replaced with“helmsman”.
He loved to dance and also took an interest in rowing,
becoming a team Coxswain in college.
The boats used in the regatta are 27 feet long‘whalers' a type of seaboat- each having a crew of five‘pullers'(rowers)
and one Coxswain(helm).
Bonden appears in the first book of the series, Master and Commander, as the Coxswain and captain of the maintop in HM Sloop Sophie.
The word cockpit was originally a sailing term for the Coxswain's station in a Royal Navy ship,
and later the location of the ship's rudder controls.
However, they were missing a Coxswain, so they picked a local French boy-
who may be the youngest competitor ever, and is entirely unknown to this day.