Whilst many university athletes have been forced to train at home in a limbo state, robbed of the opportunity to race in preparation for BUCS Regatta 2021, the Women’s Championship Pair entrants are rich with racing experience.
With most entrants in this category being Oxbridge crews, it’s hard to read the names on the start order and not get a sense of déjà vu. Following the 75th Women’s Boat Race in April of 2021, both Oxford and Cambridge seem to have broken down their first eights into pairs for BUCS, creating a competitive inter and intra club race.
Normally, one can look at the start order and identify the powerhouses to watch in the race, however, this race is different. With so many athletes who raced together in their university’s first eights, now racing against one another in pairs, it becomes almost impossible to differentiate between them as they share similar technical and race strategies. Despite the ambiguity over who will prevail, there is also the promise that this will be an incredibly tight race, with past crewmates, age-old rivals and fresh crews racing alongside one another.
Following Cambridge’s dominance in the Women’s Boat Race this year, they have entered three crews. The Cambridge B crew is stroked by Sarah Portsmouth, who sat at 6 in the Boat Race. Despite missing out on a full university rowing experience because of the pandemic, Portsmouth’s gritty determinism translates to her rowing, having finished 12th at BUCS Head in 2019.
The Cambridge C boat, stroked by Caoimhe Dempsey continues to demonstrate Cambridge’s high level of rowing. Having represented Ireland at the Under 23 World Championships and placed 5th in the Women’s Eights, Dempsey also placed 10th at the Women’s Championship Pair at BUCS Regatta in 2019, positioning her pair slightly ahead of the other Cambridge crew.
Lined up alongside the Cambridge crews will be a familiar sight, the dark blues. Filled with dogged motivation for the chance to redeem themselves, the two Oxford crews also host incredibly high calibre athletes.
In Oxford A, Julia Lindsay is stroking. As well as having sat at 5 in the Boat Race, Lindsay is one of the most experienced athletes in this category. Adapting from an eight to a pair will be no trouble for Lindsay, having won the Canada Summer Games in the lightweight double and won the Head of the Charles in 2019. With 5 gold medals from the Canadian University Rowing Championships under her belt, the seasoned athlete will no doubt move the boat precision and power.
Much like the Oxford A crew, the B boat are also serious contenders. Megan Stoker, previously sitting at bow in the dark blue boat, strokes this crew to potential victory. Having won the Women’s Under 23 500m at the British Rowing Indoor Championships in 2020, I’m sure that this race will go to the line and give Stoker’s evident explosive power a chance to shine.
Although it may be easy to get swept up in the Oxbridge haze, it would be foolish to overlook the other crews in the category as they pose a serious threat to both the Oxford and Cambridge crews.
The Imperial crew, stroked by Helen Kirkpatrick, will be one to watch in this race. Whilst the Oxbridge athletes have spent extensive time in eights in preparation for the Boat Race, Kirkpatrick’s experience in the pair may be the differentiator. Kirkpatrick was selected to represent England in the pair at the Home International Regatta in Strathclyde in 2019, demonstrating her ability in the pair and the seriousness of the threat she poses in this race.
Unlike some of the crews racing, the Durham crew stroked by Sophie Chumas, has a recent win under their belt, having won the Women’s Elite Pair race at Durham Regatta. It is very possible that this pair could make a big impact on the race.
This will be a truly exciting race, and one which really challenges the ability to predict who will win due to the almost mirror-like similarities in ability demonstrated by each crew.
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