Cambridge took the 76th Women’s Boat Race, beating a gutsy Oxford crew by several lengths in a race that set a new race record.
At 14:23 on a beautiful day on the Thames 16 women and two men lined up side by side, ready and waiting to begin the 76th Women’s Boat Race. Going into the race Cambridge were the favourites, but both crews were stacked to the brim with homegrown and international talent.
The day started with the coin toss, with Sir Matthew Pinsent presiding as umpire. Oxford won it and their President Amelia Standing chose the Surrey side. This side would supposedly give them a 3/4 advantage over the long middle bend and given the almost flat conditions this was a sensible choice. Across the two boats there was a wealth of experience, including the presence of Olympic Champion Grace Prendergast and it was great to see both crews lining up on the stake boats.
Immediately off the start it was stroke for stroke but there was a small pull away from Cambridge, the two boats coming very close together and rating high, around 40 strokes per minute in the opening couple of minutes. Neither cox wanted to move, but Cambridge got the first warning, being asked to move over as Cox Jasper Parish began the first of several incursions in Dark Blue water. The white flag stayed out to keep warning Cambridge, as they began to pull away from Oxford. By the time they started to come onto the Middlesex bend Cambridge had the advantage but Oxford were managing to stay in touch, Cambridge still taking a very tight line against the opposition even as they pulled away and were warned again as the bend really came into effect. Parish positioned his boat almost directly in front of the Oxford crew, getting warned repeatedly as his crew eeked out metre upon metre.
As the crews approached Hammersmith Bridge, they settled down, with Cambridge continuing to move away and back to their official station and out of the Oxford water. Parish, a veteran of the Tideway, continued to pursue his aggressive style but Oxford plugged away despite the continuing inevitability of the result.
As the Surrey bend ran its course, the Light Blues began to pull further away in a testament to the rhythm and strength of their crew. There was another change of stations but with a three length lead Cambridge had the luxury of shifting as they pleased. Barnes Bridge came and went with little fanfare, as the Light Blues motored past the crowds and maintained their lead over Oxford, whose impressive cohesion simply looked to be outgunned by the power and poise of Cambridge. With the record in sight, Cambridge wound up for the line, stroked by the indomitable Imogen Grant and backed up by New Zealand international Prendergast, to secure their fifth consecutive win.
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