Oxford
Kath Finucane
Kath read medicine at St Edmund Hall, rowing for her college and then Osler House. She rowed for OUWBC in 1985. She is a British Rowing Multi Lane umpire and is a member of her regional umpiring committee. She joined the Umpires’ Panel in 2018.
She works in the NHS and still rows, racing in Masters crews.
Ben Kent
Ben read Mathematics at New College, and rowed in the Isis crew in 1987. He was timekeeper of the Isis v Goldie race in the ’90s, and has been the Finish Judge since 1999, the fourth generation of the Kent family to have judged the race, starting in 1928. Ben is a Chief Financial Officer working in the health sector.
Caroline Lytton (nee Smith)
Caroline read Physics at Somerville College, and coxed the winning OUWLRC crew in 2003. She joined the Umpires’ Panel in 2016, and umpired the Men’s Lightweight Boat Race in 2020 and 2022. Caroline is a British Rowing Multi Lane umpire, Chief Marshal of the Fours Head and Women’s Eights Head of the River Race, and a member of the Lead Umpire team at the Head of the Charles Regatta.
Outside the Boat Race, Caroline is a Managing Director and Head of Power & Renewables Project Finance at SMBC.
Matt Smith
Matt read Biological Sciences at St Catherine’s College, followed by Sports Physiology at St Anne’s. He rowed in Blue Boats from 2000 to 2003 and was President in 2003. Matt was involved in some of the closest and most controversial races in recent history, including the restart in 2001, and the Oxford victory by one foot in 2003. Matt is now co-head of the Private Equity division at Foresight Group, where he works alongside former Cambridge Blue, James Livingston, investing in small companies throughout the UK and beyond.
Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE
Matt Pinsent read Geography at St Catherine’s College from 1989 to 1993, rowing in the 1990, 1991, and 1993 Boat Races with two wins followed by a loss in the last as President. He rowed internationally at World Championships and Olympics from 1989 to 2004, winning Gold medals at 4 successive Olympic Regattas. He has umpired the mens and womens Boat Races as well as at Henley and internationally for World Rowing. As part of his professional life he works for BBC Sport on Winter and Summer Olympic Games including coverage of rowing.
Ciaran Hayes
Ciarán read Economics and Management at Pembroke College. He rowed in Isis in 2003, after rowing as a junior at Skibbereen Rowing Club. He joined the umpiring panel in 2018 and qualified as a World Rowing Umpire in 2021. Outside the Boat Race, Ciarán is a civil servant in the Northern Ireland Office.
Boris Rankov
Boris studied Literae Humaniores (Classics) at Corpus Christi College from 1973 to 1978 and then for a DPhil in Roman History and Archaeology at Corpus Christi and at St Hugh’s College where he was a Junior Research Fellow in Roman Archaeology from 1980 to 1983. He rowed for Isis in 1974 and 1975, in the Oxford blue boat from 1978 to 1983, and was President in 1980. He was one of the original members of the Umpires’ Panel and umpired the Isis—Goldie Race twice and the men’s Boat Race four times before becoming Chair of the Panel in 2015. He is a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta where he umpired from 1997 to 2019, and was also a World Rowing umpire from 2002 to 2019.
Boris pursued an academic career in the United States, Australia and Great Britain; retiring as Professor of Ancient History at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2022.
Judith Packer
Judith read Engineering Science at St Peters’ College, first picking up a rowing blade in October 1983. Her involvement in rowing and love of water has evolved and been intertwined with her career as a Chartered Engineer and Project Director building power stations around the world. Having been on the organising committee for a number of major UK events including Head of the River Fours and Henley Women’s Regatta, she currently sits on the Multi-Lane Umpires Panel with oversight of umpiring standards, and has been a World Rowing umpire since 2009.
Judith umpired the last Women’s Boat Race to be held at Henley, the 75th Women’s Boat Race at Ely 2021, the first Oxford woman to do so, and has also umpired both women’s and men’s reserve races.
She is currently involved in developing new initiatives for young people both in STEM subjects as well as volunteering in rowing events.
Cambridge
Sarah Langslow
Sarah read Geography at St John’s College, rowing in the Cambridge Blue Boat in 2002 and Blondie in 2001. She served on the CUWBC Executive Committee from 2017 to 2019. Sarah is a British Rowing Multi-lane umpire, and joined the Boat Race umpires team in 2022. Outside rowing, Sarah has her own business specialising in leadership development, and is an accredited Executive Coach.
Matthew Holland
Matthew read Natural Sciences at Gonville & Caius College, coxing Cambridge Blue Boats to victory in 2017 & 2019. He is a British Rowing Multi-Lane Umpire, and is the youngest member of the Umpires’ Panel, joining in 2020. He umpired the 2021 Lightweight Women’s Boat Race, and has been involved in the commentary and broadcast of the Boat Race since 2021.
He sits on the organising committees of Marlow Regatta, and the Schools’ Head of the River Race. Matthew is studying for a DPhil in medicinal chemistry at St Peter’s College, Oxford, and sings in the Choir of Merton College.
Sarah Winckless MBE
Sarah studied at Fitzwilliam College, gaining blues for Netball (94), Athletics (94,95,96,97) and Rowing (95,96,97), and playing in the Blues team for Basketball (96,97), serving as CUWBC President in 1997.
She rowed for Great Britain at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 2004. She has been part of the umpiring panel since 2013, and has umpired the Women’s, Men’s and both reserved races.
Outside the Boat Race, Sarah is an executive coach, working to develop individuals and teams, and was Chef de Mission of Team England in 2018.
Anthony Reynolds
Tony studied for a PGCE at Pembroke College, rowing at bow in the 1984 Blue Boat. He has umpired the Osiris-Blondie race twice in 2020 and 2022, and umpired the Isis Goldie race in 2021.
When not umpiring Tony runs an IT consultancy for small businesses.
Clare Harvey
Clare read Natural Sciences at St John’s College, and was in the spare pair in 2006. She joined the panel in 2017 and is umpiring the Isis-Goldie Boat Race in 2023.
Clare is Chief Executive at The Ogden Trust, a charity supporting physics education across England.
John Garrett
John read Modern Languages at St. John’s College and rowed in the Blue Boat from 1983 to 1985. He was a member of the British national rowing team in 1984 and then from 1986 to 1992, rowing in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics.
He has been on the Umpires’ panel from its inception in 2001 and has umpired the Men’s, Women’s and Reserve Races on several occasions. Outside of rowing, John works for the international development organisation, WaterAid.
Richard Phelps
Richard read Land Economy at St.Edmund’s College and rowed in the Blue Boat from 1993 to 1995, winning all three races. Richard rowed for GB from 1986 to 1994 including in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He has been on the umpires’ panel from its inception in 2001 and during that time he has umpired the Women’s, Men’s and both reserve races.
He is a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta, currently a member of the Committee of Management and senior umpire. He is also Chairman of the Fours Head. Outside of rowing, Richard is co-Head of Financial Institutions at risk consultants, Aon.