Varsity Match 23/03/09 at Henley-on-Thames, London Blue Boat lost 1 ¼ lengths Lightweights lost 2 ½ lengths Blondie won 1 ½ lengths The Henley Boat Races took place on Sunday 23rd March this year.The Cambridge University Women’s Blue Boat, Lightweights, and Blondie (Heavyweight reserve) crews arrived in Henley on the previous Sunday in order to get used to the water before the culmination of six months of training. In contrast to last year, the waters at Henley were remarkably calm, with no wind and little stream, where the combination of the flooded stream and strong head wind normally kicks up the lethal waves that have been seen at the races for at least the past three years. At the official Weigh-In and Challenge on the Tuesday before at the River and Rowing Museum, both of the heavyweight crews weighed in much heavier than their Oxford counterparts. Both the Blue Boat and Blondie crews weighed in at an average 75.6kg per person, 6.4kg (14lbs) heavier per person than the Oxford Blue Boat and Blondie established themselves as the heaviest Blondie crew since records began. On the day of the races, there was only a slight breeze, the sun was shining, and record numbers of spectators were expected to line the banks of the River Thames in Henley.The first race of the day was the heavyweight reserve crews, Blondie vs. Osiris. Oxford has won this event for the last
eight years and with half of the crew were returning from the 2008 Blondie crew they were keen to reverse their fortune from last year. The first three strokes of the start saw the crew push slightly ahead of Osiris; however, by the 250m marker Osiris had regained the distance to take a half a length lead.This did not faze Blondie and once they settled onto their rhythm the boat speed picked up and they started moving through Osiris. By 750m Blondie had regained the lead. Osiris had been warned several times for steering into Cambridge’s water but Chris (returning Cox from 2008) held to his line, causing Cambridge’s stroke and 6 girls to clash blades with the Osiris 2 and 4. Chris called for a push out of the clash, and Blondie moved away from Osiris consistently. Clear water separated the two crews and it was obvious that Osiris would not be able to make up the distance. Blondie crossed the finish line, elated, a length and a half ahead of Osiris.The first Blondie boat to have won since 2000. The next race was that of our lightweight women’s crews.The Cambridge Lightweight crew was in the unusual position of never having raced the Oxford crew as Oxford pulled out of the Women’s Head on the River in London a fortnight before. With no forecast of speed, and four returning half-blues in the Oxford boat, the crew knew it could be tough. Sadly, the strength of the Oxford crew was obvious from the start. The Cambridge lightweights put up a valiant effort but Oxford managed to hold on to their early lead.
The final race for our crews was that of the Women’s Blue Boats.The Cambridge Blue Boat were confident that they had made significant change since the Women’s Head and were looking forward to showing Oxford how much they had improved.The crew lost the toss and so raced on the Buckinghamshire station. When the umpire called the start, they executed the first few strokes as planned, but a caught blade, which meant that they were already down by the end of the start.They pushed back into Oxford, regaining some ground, but never found the attacking rhythm that they had become so used to over the past week and finished the race just over a length down. The Henley Boat Races 2009 ended with some mixed results, but the fantastic achievement by the Blondie crew has finally reversed the 8-year domination by Oxford.The crews now look ahead to BUCS in May where they will race against the best Universities in Britain with the opportunity to win a spot to race against the best Universities in Europe at EUSA. After this, their aim will switch towards more side-by-side racing at Henley Women’s and Henley Royal Regattas. Other News On 8th November, the club sent one lightweight as well as three heavyweight crews to race in the Fuller's Head of the River Fours on the tideway. The Cambridge crew of Chris Burfiend (Cox), Harriet Eldred, Fionnuala Ratcliffe, Anna Railton and Jenny Burrows won the Senior 3 coxed category and the lightweight crew came third in the same event, while the other two heavyweight crews were close behind.
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