Cambridge University Boat Club athletes greeted with tough conditions on River Thames for Trial VIIIs

Cambridge University Boat Club were greeted by treacherous conditions on the River Thames for last week’s Trial VIIIs.

Gusts of more than 25mph meant that the athletes were tested to their limits in what was the club’s only chance to race the Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake before the main event on March 30.

The Women’s Openweight race saw Team Mufasa – coxed by Hannah Murphy – adapt better to the choppy waters to get the better of Team Saraba, which featured president Jenna Armstrong and James Trotman as cox.

The Women’s Lightweight race had to be restarted due to Team Simba’s shell taking on too much water. And despite getting another shot, they were again second best as Team Nala triumphed.

There was also drama in the Men’s Lightweight contest when the Greatorex boat started to sink, forcing organisers to rearrange the race for 24 hours later.

The race got back under way in much calmer conditions when the Greatorex crew got the better of Team Bates.

After the near-sinking in the Lightweight contest, the Men’s Openweight race started 800m along the course outside Fulham Football Club’s Craven Cottage.

Both crews rowed cleanly through the whole race, but with the help of some precise steering from cox Ed Bracey, Team Zoolander was able to snatch victory by two-and-a-half lengths from Team Hansel.

CREWS

Women’s Openweight

Saraba: Katy Hempson (Christ’s), Georgia Gollogly (King’s), Molly Foxell (Pembroke), Rowan Saltmarsh (St John’s), Iris Powell (Churchill), Jo Matthews (St John’s), Gemma King (St John’s), Jenna Armstrong (Jesus), Cox: James Trotman (Sidney Sussex).

Mufasa: Belle Stevens (Homerton), Freya Sutcliffe (Jesus), Beanie Spain (Queens’), Lucy Havard (Gonville and Caius), Clare Hole (St Catharine’s), Carys Earl (Gonville and Caius), Carina Graf (Emmanuel), Megan Lee (Cavendish), Cox: Hannah Murphy (Girton).

Women’s Lightweight

Simba: Maddy Jackson (St Edmund’s), Claire Cooper (Sidney Sussex), Charley Craig (Gonville and Caius), Arden Berlinger (Pembroke), Clara Green (Lucy Cavendish), Beth Merrifield (Homerton), Lauren Britten (Magdalene), Alice Bainer (Magdalene), Cox: Kate Crowley (Sidney Sussex).

Nala: Ulrika Andersson (Queens’), Livia Lisi Vega (Downing), Charlotte Macey (Jesus), Lihani Du Plessis (Newnham), Helen Nielsen-Scott (Emmanuel), Fizz McNally (Sidney Sussex), Molly Cushing (Churchill), Margaux Riley (Gonville and Caius), Cox: Charlotte Heeley (Gonville and Caius).

Men’s Openweight

Zoolander: Joe Travis (Jesus), Orlando Morley (Girton), Thomas Marsh (St John’s), Angus John (Wolfson), Kenny Coplan (Hughes Hall), Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall), Luca Ferraro (King’s), Martin Amethier (Peterhouse), Cox: Ed Bracey (Wolfson).

Hansel: Brett Taylor (Queens’), Nikita Zoglo (St Catharine’s), Joe Holey (St Catharine’s), Tom Connor (Churchill), Seb Benzecry (Jesus), Thomas Lynch (Hughes Hall), Luke Beever (St Catharine’s), Matt Edge (St Catharine’s), Cox: Savannah Adamo (Peterhouse).

Men’s Lightweight

Greatorex: Mathush Kantharupan (Sidney Sussex), Toby Cox (Jesus), William Liu (St Catharine’s), Jack Morley (Corpus Christi), Sam Taylor (Clare), James Wirth (Downing), Ed Townsend (Downing), Ben Jones (Magdalene), Cox: Jake Intrater (Wolfson).

Bates: Jamie Maxen (Gonville and Caius), Harry Weston (St Edmund’s), Chris Hughes (Churchill), Rob McPherson (Emmanuel), Freddie Markanday (Magdalene), Tom Heppel (St Catharine’s), Lewis Gray (St Catharine’s), Emile Czernuszka (Homerton), Cox: Ben Harding (Queens’).