The boat races afternoon this year treated us for the first time to four full contests between our oarspersons and those of our old rivals. As ever, the very best arrangements to enjoy the occasion were found with our Society with our ideal location in a private room on the first floor of an elegant Grade II listed building overlooking the start of the races. Following mingling and a delicious three-course lunch, we leaned out of our windows to cheer our women down the first stretch as they managed to hold level with the dark blue favourites in rather tempestuous conditions.
We turned to our television only to watch Oxford steadily build an unassailable lead and our boat sink very gradually deeper into the water. While the umpire red-flagged the race, both sides battled on with the dark blues finishing over a minute ahead of our women who did well to stay afloat. Our attention swiftly turned to the men’s race which saw our crew gain a full length’s lead before Hammersmith Bridge was reached. Around the apex of the Surrey bend we powered further ahead in the rough conditions. Oxford held on well, but our lads’ determination enabled them to cross the finishing line three lengths clear and claim the first victory for the Cambridge men in five years.
The reserve races for each gender balanced out the first-team results, with victories for Isis (Oxford’s reserve men) and Blondie (Cambridge’s reserve women). Four races in one afternoon seems like an excellent idea to maintain for the future – not least because it improves the chances of us having a good excuse to open the champagne!