It’s time for my annual look at the Blue Boats that will represent Oxford and Cambridge at this year’s University Boat Races. As in previous year’s I’ll do a seat-by-seat comparison between the two crews and then give my thoughts on who I think will emerge victorious on March 30th.
Cox
Cox
Ed Bracey - 🇬🇧
Bracey learnt to cox at Eton and steered the first eight to the final of the Princess Elizabeth at Henley (losing to the remarkable St Paul’s crew that broke the course record). He then attended Harvard, steering the Varsity boat in his senior year. In 2019 he coxed the Harvard crew that won the Prince Albert at Henley. He has a strong family history in the Boat Race with both his parents having steered the Blue Boats or Reserve crews.
Cox
Will Denegri - 🇬🇧
Denegri coxed at Oxford Brookes as an undergrad and during that time he helped steer Brookes to wins in the Temple Challenge Cup and Ladies Plate at Henley. He coxed the Great Britain U23 BM4+ to the World Championship title, setting a new World’s Best Time in the process. Somewhat unusually he wins his seat ahead of Oxford’s President, Louis Corrigan.
Verdict
Who has the stronger cox?
Oxford Advantage
Both coxes have shown during the pre-race fixtures that they are aggressive and I expect there to be some fireworks early on. I’m going to give Oxford the edge, although both crews have a lot of talent in the coxes seat.
Stroke
Stroke
Matt Edge - 🇬🇧
The fifth and final returning Blue in the Cambridge boat, Edge is a former Lightweight Blue from 2020, 2021 and 2022 (and was Lightweight President in 2022). He learnt his rowing at Durham Amateur Rowing Club and also won gold in the LM2- at the BUCS Championships in 2021.
Stroke
Elliott Kemp - 🇬🇧
Kemp attended Ranelagh School in Bracknell (where both my sons went) and learnt to row at Maidenhead Rowing Club, with whom he won National Schools' and made the final of the Fawley at Henley. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley and in his senior year raced in the Varsity crew that won the IRA’s in 2022. As a grad student in 2023 he helped the Bears 2V win the IRA’s (with crewmate Fred Roper).
Verdict
Who has the stronger stroke seat?
Oxford Advantage
Kemp's IRA medals puts the dark blues in the stroke seat.
Seven
Seven
Luca Ferraro - 🇬🇧
Ferraro is due his third Blue, having been part of the 2022 and 2023 Cambridge boats. He’s probably the top athlete in the Light Blue boat, having won U23 World Championship gold with the British BM8 in 2023. He also looks on track for further representative honours this season, having finished as part of the top U23 pair (with crewmate Augustus John) at the GB trials in February and could well make the move to the senior GB squad for the LA Olympiad.
Seven
Leonard Jenkins - 🇳🇿/ 🇬🇧
Jenkins is the second senior international in the Oxford boat and the tallest man in the race. After racing for New Zealand as a junior, winning gold at the Junior World Championships in 2016, he attended Yale and raced in their outstanding Varsity crew that won the IRA championships. As an U23 he made the switch to representing GB and won gold in the BM8 in 2019. He made his senior international debut in 2021 and in 2022 won World Cup gold in Belgrade as part of the GB M4-. He also has wins at Henley in the Visitors and Ladies Plate with Oxford Brookes.
Verdict
Who has the stronger seven seat?
Oxford Advantage
This seat features the top oarsman in each crew, but I’m going to give it to Oxford thanks to Jenkins’s stronger international pedigree, although Ferraro’s Boat Race experience makes it pretty close.
Six
Six
Thomas Lynch - 🇨🇦/🇮🇪
The third returning Blue as well as the oldest and tallest in the Cambridge boat, Lynch learnt his rowing at the University of British Columbia and helped the Thunderbirds to win the Canadian University Championships. He raced for UBC in the Visitors at Henley in 2019 (losing to Oxford).
Six
Frederick Roper- 🇦🇺
Roper leant to row at Geelong Grammar School in Victoria. He then went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley where he rowed in the 2V crew that went undefeated throughout the 2022 season, culminating in a win in at the IRA’s.
Verdict
Who has the stronger six seat?
No Advantage for Either Crew
An equally matched four seat.
Five
Five
Kenneth Coplan - 🇺🇸
Coplan learnt to row at Montclair High School in New Jersey where he had a stellar junior career, winning the Stotsebury Cup and the National Championships. He raced for the USA at the Junior World Championships in 2016, winning a bronze medal. He then went to Harvard and rowed in the Varsity boat in his Freshman, sophomore and junior years. As a Senior he was in the 2V that won the Eastern Sprints. In 2021 he made his second International appearance, winning a silver medal in the BM8 at the U23 World Championships.
Five
Elias Kun - 🇩🇪
Kun was inspired to take up rowing after watching the German M8 win gold at the London Olympics. A successful junior career, which saw him win medal at the 2018 and 2019 Junior World Championships, led to a place at Northeastern University in Boston. Whilst at NU he rowed in the 1V which finished eighth at the IRA’s in 2022.
Verdict
Who has the stronger five seat?
Cambridge Advantage
Small advantage to Cambridge
Four
Four
Augustus John - 🇦🇺/🇬🇧
The youngest member of the Cambridge boat, John is a graduate of Durham University. He’s beginning to make a mark for himself in the GB team system, finishing second at the February GB Trials and, along with team mate Luca Ferraro, was the fastest U23 pair.
Four
James Doran - 🇬🇧
The sole returning Blue from last year’s losing Oxford crew, Doran is a graduate of Edinburgh University. Doran has rowed for Great Britain at the European U23 Championships, winning gold in the BM8+ in 2021 and Bronze in the BM4+ in 2022. He rowed for Oxford Brookes in 2023, winning the Ladies Plate at Henley. Earlier this season he competed at the GB Trials, finishing third (partnered by Matt Heywood of Brookes).
Verdict
Who has the stronger four seat?
No Advantage for Either Crew
An equally matched four seat.
Three
Three
Thomas Marsh - 🇺🇸/🇬🇧
A member of last year’s victorious Goldie crew, Marsh learnt to row at St Alban’s School Washington DC and then rowed for Hamilton College, New York, helping them to second at the New York Collegiate Championships.
Three
Saxon Stacey - 🇬🇧
The youngest (and shortest) in this year’s race, Stacey is also the only undergraduate in the Dark Blue boat. He’s no stranger to the race though, having been in the losing Isis crew last year. The Etonian represented Great Britain at the 2022 Junior World Championships, winning gold in the JM4-.
Verdict
Who has the stronger three seat?
Oxford Advantage
A tight battle between two athletes stepping-up from the reserve crews; Stacey's Junior Worlds performance pushes him marginally ahead of Marsh.
Two
Two
Noam Mouelle - 🇫🇷
The second of Cambridge’s five returning Blues, Mouelle became the first Frenchman to race for Cambridge when he won his Blue last year. He’s a graduate of Imperial College and learnt to row at Société Nautiques du Perreux in Paris. He’s a four-time French champion and represented France at the 2022 U23 World Championships in the BM4+
Two
Harry Glenister - 🇬🇧
The oldest man in the race, Glenister is also one of the strongest and most experienced athletes in this year’s race. A graduate of the University of Surrey, he was a member of the senior British team from 2018-2023. Whilst on the GB team he competed at eight World Cups as well as the European Championships and Final Olympic Qualification Regatta appearing in 8 A Finals. A serious back injury effectively put him out of contention for the Paris Olympic team and competing in the Boat Race marks the swansong of his rowing career.
Verdict
Who has the stronger two seat?
Oxford Advantage
Clear advantage to Oxford
Bow
Bow
Seb Benzecry - 🇬🇧
This year’s Cambridge President is one of five returning Blues from last year’s winning crew. Benzecry leant to row on the Championship course at St Paul’s and was part of the outstanding St Paul’s crew that won the Princess Elizabeth at Henley in 2015 and went on to represent GB at the Junior Worlds, winning a bronze medal. He is a graduate of Princeton University and rowed in their 3V crew.
Bow
Jelmer Bennema - 🇳🇱
Whilst there are no Americans in the Oxford boat, Bennema is one of five US-educated athletes. He rowed at Princeton where he helped the Tigers 2V win silver at the Eastern Sprints in 2023. He’s a two-time Dutch junior champion and in 2021 he competed for the Netherlands at the U23 World Championships.
Verdict
Who has the stronger bow seat?
Cambridge Advantage
The President's experience nudges the light blues ahead in the all-important bow seat.
The Prediction
Dan Spring's Verdict
Who will win the 169th Men's Boat Race?
Oxford
So overall I have Oxford ahead in five seats, Cambridge two and evens in two. Despite Cambridge having five returning Blues from last year’s winning crew, they will head into this year’s race as the marginal underdogs. The pre-race fixtures so far this season have given Oxford the edge (especially those against Brookes). Cambridge have shown excellent rhythm and good race “nous”, but Oxford look to be the more powerful crew. I think it should be a great race and I expect it to be pretty close passing Hammersmith and the Chiswick Eyot, but I’m putting my money on Oxford to pull clear by the Bandstand and take the win by two to two and a half lengths
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