Cambridge University lightweights enjoy success at Henley Boat Races

Men's and women's crews savour Boat Race victories

Cambridge University lightweight rowing squads had a day to remember at the Henley Boat Races last Sunday.

Adverse river conditions on the Thames at Henley saw the races relocated to Eton Dorney, but it meant that the alumnae and inter-collegiate races had to be cancelled for 2018.

The day started with a win for Oxford’s Tethys crew against Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club lightweight reserves with a margin of ‘easily’, but that was not a taste of what was to come.

In the men’s reserves’ race, Cambridge’s Granta defeated Oxford’s Nepthys by three-quarters of a length.

It got better when the women’s lightweight Blue boat secured a half-length victory over their Dark Blue rivals – their first back-to-back wins since 1996 and 1997 to give them a 19-16 lead in the overall series.

And the overall winners on the day were Cambridge after the men’s lightweights secured a third-of-a-length triumph, their fifth win in a row in the race.