Across The Line: The Cam hosts Fairbairn Cup and Christmas Head
Your weekly roundup of all the racing action across the UK
Credit: AllMarkOne
We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a great weekend of rowing as we focus on all the action from Cambridge.
Fairbairn Cup sees hundreds of students take to the Cam
The Fairbairn Cup is a head race organised by Jesus College Boat Club and raced on the Cam in the ninth week of the Michaelmas term. The races are open to all Cambridge and Oxford colleges. Non-college clubs (as well as College crews ineligible for College divisions, such as Alumni crews) may also race in Invitational divisions with prizes awarded in separate Invitational categories.
Thursday’s racing kicked the two days off with the Open and Women’s Novice Eights. It was a great day at the races for Jesus College BC who were overall winners of the Novice Women’s Eight. They dominated proceedings and were winners by nearly 40s ahead of First and Third Trinty BC who themselves were 14s ahead of St Edmund’s College BC rounding off the podium.
Success continued for Jesus College BC over on the Open side of things. Their crew were second overall, 20s back on the winners Downing College. Queens College BC were third. University College BC came across from the Isis. Their Open crew was 12th while their Women were 23rd.
Friday saw the senior crews having their crack down the track. Momentum was clearly floating around the bays at Trinity BC. Their Open 1st Eight was the fastest crew over the 4300m course, beating Wolfson College BC, Oxford and Pembroke College BC into second and third, respectively. Wolfson College BC had a great day. Starting bow 422 in the first division on Friday, they snuck into 2nd place, 0.3s ahead of Pembroke who started significantly higher up the order.
Pembroke College BC would end the Fairbairn Cup at the top of several podiums. Their Women’s 1st Eight won by 23s over Jesus College BC and Trinity Hall College BC rounding out the top three crews. In the Women’s Senior Fours, they were a class above the rest. Pembroke beat Downing College BC by nearly 30s and on this occassion, it was St Edmund’s College BC were third.
In a year where the club has been celebrating it’s bicentenary, Lady Margaret BC came close to leaving with silverware. Their Open Four were second behind Caius College BC and once again, Pembroke College BC were on the podium, this time in third place.
Credit: AllMarkOne
Dashing down the Cam in an one-oared open sleigh
Each year, City of Cambridge BC host Christmas Head. The light-hearted race has many crews getting involved with the festive spirit by wearing fancy dress. An 1800m course from the Pike and Eel to Jesus boathouse, is the perfect way for competitors have a blast down the track and indulge in some early Christmas cheer.
Top honours went to Captain Draft 7, the Mixed Octo from Cambridge 99. They faced stiff competition from Eight Maids a Milking, City of Cambridge RC’s Mixed Championship Eight, not to be confused with Pembroke College BC’s entry who were 21st overall.
Jesus Christ-oar mighty were the fastest student mixed crew and there’s no prizes for guessing which college they’re from…Lady Margaret College BC came up with some cracking names, and boatet some incredibly well matched crews as Mariah Pere and LMBaby It’s Cold outside were14th and 15th overall, seperated by 1.2s.
One of the most popular categories was Mixed Town/Alumni Eights. leaving with bragging rights for the next 12 months was the Junior Mixed Eight from Catabrigian RC.
Missed any of the action from the British Rowing Indoor Championships?
Credit: AllMarkOne
We’ve got you covered with our race reports. Championship, British, and World Records fell this year at the NEC in Birmingham. BRIC welcomed the world and they more than turned up.
Check out last week’s results
New lease of life on the Thames: Burway RC secures future with the Sport England Movement Fund
Fergus Mainland spoke with Burway RC’s about how the Sport England Movement Fund enabled the club to fund a much needed new landing stage
Social Spotlight: Tobias Schröder wins the Open 2000m in 5:47.9
The GB Rowing Team brought an electric crowd to the British Rowing Indoor Championships
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That’s all from Across The Line this week!
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