British Championships and Head Of The Charles
Cambridge have started The Boat Races season in force with their results from the British Rowing Championships and the Head of the Charles, Boston, USA.
Both Oxford University and Cambridge University Women’s Boat Clubs entered the women’s eight at the British Championships held in Nottingham. Off the back of a successful 2015 BNY Mellon Boat Races campaign, OUWBC were looking to establish some early season dominance and won their semi-final having taken the lead before half-way. The CUWBC crew, in the other semi-final, placed second, chasing a strong Imperial crew from the beginning. Having recorded semi-final times that were within a second it set up a tense encounter for the Final on Sunday afternoon as both Clubs sought to return with medals.
CUWBC reached the 500m mark first, leading Imperial but closely followed by OUWBC. By halfway Imperial had opened up a 2 second lead at the front of the race, leading CUWBC with OUWBC a further 2 seconds back. With only 500m to go, Imperial were continuing to extend their lead, ultimately going on to take gold. At this point CUWBC were maintaining their 2 second advantage over third which was shared by OUWBC and Oxford Brookes. Despite late surges to the finish, CUWBC held on to seal the silver medal, with Oxford Brookes beating OUWBC to the bronze.
In a field comprised of a high number of GB squad athletes, OUWBC also claimed a fifth place finish in the women’s quad. 2015 CUWBC Blue Holly Hill claimed silver in the Isle of Ely composite crew.
The Boat Races were also well represented by Old Blues Constantine Louloudis (OUBC 2011, 2013, 2014, President 2015) and Pete Reed (OUBC 2004, 2005) in the gold medal winning Leander coxless four, with Cambridge Blues George Nash (CUBC 2010, 2011, President 2013) and Tom Ransley (CUBC 2008, 2009) taking home silver and bronze medals respectively. William Warr (CUBC 2015) finished fourth.
At the Head of the Charles in the US, Cambridge University Boat Club entered the Championship Fours event. Raced over 4800m, CUBC started well and went through the first timing point in third, holding this position to halfway despite the fact that the crews in front of them had changed. Their well-paced effort saw them move up to second towards the three-quarter distance mark, the position in which they eventually finished – one second shy of the overall victory.
After these first competitive outings, the Clubs will now prepare for the Fours Head held on the Championship Course on the 7th November. Although held in the opposite direction to The BNY Mellon Boat Races, for many international athletes it will be their first exposure to Tideway racing.
The BNY Mellon Boat Races will take place Sunday 27th March 2016. The Newton Women’s Boat Race will begin at 3:10pm, followed by The BNY Mellon Boat Race an hour later at 4.10pm.
Crews
British Championships
W8+
OUWBC
B Chloe Farrar
2 Emma Spruce
3 Georgina Daniell
4 Emma Lukasiewicz
5 Ruth Siddorn
6 Elo Luik
7 Isabell von Loga
S Joanneke Jansen
C Morgan Baynham-Williams
CUWBC
B Zara Goozee
2 Fiona Macklin
3 Hannah Roberts
4 Thea Zabell
5 Alice Jackson
6 Caroline Habjan
7 Ashton Brown
S Myriam Goudet
C Rosemary Ostfeld
W4x
OUWBC
B Michelle Pearson
2 Lauren Kedar
3 Maddy Badcott
S Anastasia Chitty
Head of the Charles
Championship 4+
CUBC
B Luke Juckett
2 Henry Hoffstot
3 Ben Ruble
S Lance Tredell
C Ian Middleton
