Now part of the wider Boat Race calendar, the Lightweight Women’s Boat Race will begin at 14:13 on Friday 29th March.
Cambridge University Boat Club
Current holders of the lightweight title, Cambridge return to the Championship Course with two members of last year’s winning crew, in addition to Kate Crowley, who coxed Blondie to victory in 2023.
Under the stewardship of coach Bronya Sykes – herself a three-time Boat Race winner – the light blue crew has endured a challenging, but reassuring, fixture season. Facing off against Brookes ‘C’ (broadly the same boat that finished 11th at WeHORR), the lightweight crew lost both pieces by five lengths, not particularly surprising given Brookes’ success at Women’s Head. More encouraging was their later fixture against Thames ‘D’ (14th at WeHORR), that saw the Cambridge crew walk away to a phenomenal 8 1/2 length lead by the end of the piece. This turn of pace and substantial increase in boat speed as the season progressed suggests the crew are only getting faster, a fact that should worry the Oxford boat.
Standout members of the Cambridge crew include the aforementioned Crowley, alongside the two returning Blues from 2023: Maddy Jackson and Lauren Britten. The returning duo are joined by a group of athletes taking the step from college rowing.
Oxford University Boat Club
The almost all-new Oxford crew has bold ambitions to set the record straight, aiming to secure Oxford’s first lightweight women’s victory in five years.
Oxford also raced Brookes in their fixtures this year, albeit Brookes ‘D’ rather than the ‘C’ crew that Cambridge raced. Nevertheless, the dark blue’s performance was impressive: Oxford finished the first piece behind Brookes, the second level, and the final over a length clear of their opposition. The lightweights also raced the University of London ‘C’ crew – that at WeHORR crossed the line ~25 seconds behind Brookes ‘D’ – in two pieces from the start to St. Paul’s. Oxford won both pieces by around seven lengths.
India Mattocks takes up the stroke seat of the Oxford lightweight crew 14 years after learning to row at Headington School. Mattocks is one of the most well-established rowers across any of the boat race squads and the standout Oxford lightweight having won National Schools’ and Henley Women’s, captained Edinburgh University to a second-place finish at WeHORR alongside various podium exploits in New Zealand and Australia. That’s not to mention four appearances at Henley Royal Regatta in the Remenham, Wargrave, Island and Diamond Jubilee.
Prediction
This is a tough one to call. Cambridge has a proud recent legacy in this boat class and a stronger returning contingent, whilst Oxford has the upper hand in pure pre-race form. The battle should be a close one, but despite Oxford’s stellar stroke, Cambridge’s retuning talent and Crowley’s mastery of the Tideway mean I would expect to see the Cambridge bow cross the line ahead of Oxford’s.
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