Dark Blue Trial VIIIs: Ledecky triumph over Williams and Iceman buzzes Maverick

Oxford University BC’s Trial VIIIs delivers crabs, clashes, and clear blue skies

After yesterday’s rain-sodden racing, the weather gods blessed Putney with bright skies for the Dark Blues of Oxford.

First on the billing was Ledecky lining up against Williams. The two crews, celebrating their namesake’s excellence, resilience, and extraordinary performances, served up an invigorating opening to the race.

Williams, stroked by last year’s President Annie Anezakis, attacked the start, rating higher than their opponents, led by current President Heidi Long. Umpire Clare Harvey was kept busy as the first couple of minutes unfolded, warning Williams as they came past Putney embankment.

Warnings continued for both crews as they approached Fulham Football Club. As Ledecky stretched out to a third of a length, both crews came together.

The inexplicable sound of carbon colliding could be heard echoing across the river as blades clashed and water was sent sailing into the skies. Amelia Mills, at two in Williams, lost her blade, and both crews were called to halt by the Umpire.

Under the instruction of Head Coach Allan French, the crews would restart, with Ledecky starting a third of a length up.

Harnessing the adrenaline that was surging through their boat, Ledecky never looked back as they got underway. A third of a length grew to a boat length at Harrods, and by Hammersmith Bridge, Ledecky was clear.

Coxed by Louis Corrigan, who makes the switch to the women’s squad having steered Isis on two occasions, Ledecky had their choice of line as they reached the crown of the Hammersmith bend and squared up to the wind and the waves.

Their lead grew, and despite French’s calls to Williams, they were unable to close the gap. At the finish, Ledecky beat Williams by just under five lengths.

After racing, President Heidi Long reflected on a useful day on the Tideway. “Yes, I was in the stroke seat, but the rhythm was down to the nine people in that boat and the entire team and coaches. Without them, we wouldn’t have got the rhythm that we did.

“I’m normally very tuned in to what I’m trying to do in the boat and listening to the cox. Probably two per cent of the brain is tuned into the umpire and checking what their flag is doing and relaying that to Louis so he knows what’s happening.

“Until I saw the red flag, I wasn’t aware of what was going on, just responding to what he was saying. It’s pretty hard. You never want a restart, and you never want to clash, especially with teammates, you want a good, clean, fierce race. Everyone dealt with it well, and we continued to have great performance on the back of it. It’s an opportunity to learn and learn and learn.”

After the racing, French said, “Trial Eights is a great opportunity to test ourselves internally but also against the conditions. Two sets of crews in both races went off very well and attacked it.

“We’re focusing on how we’re trying to move the boat, embedding a technical model that has changed over the years. It’s also going in with grit, intent, and that’s something, led by Heidi, which was set up by Annie last year, and Ella Stadler the year before. That was evident at Fours Head, Head of the Charles, and it was evident today.”

The Oxford women also raced their Lightweights and Openweights in a second race. Under the names Biles and Kildunne, both crews got stuck into their tussle. Biles would emerge as the winner, beating Kildunne by three and a half lengths.

Credit: AllMarkone

The Oxford Men channelled their inner Top Gun, racing in boats named Maverick and Iceman.

Men’s Head Coach Mark Fangan-Hall said, “This year we have a very new bunch with just one returner, our Cox and President, Toby. A lot of the guys are actually new to the sport, so it’s about giving them Tideway experience.

“Today was a chance to go over the course in a fairly controlled manner, and we’re trying to ease some of the guys in. We will look to race properly in the fixtures. I wouldn’t say it was a training exercise, but it was definitely a step into side-by-side match racing on the Tideway.”

Led by former Yale Bulldog Harry Geffen, Iceman led by stroke one and by Fulham, they had broken clear. What unfolded over the next couple of minutes was a unique Trial VIIIs encounter. It was by Fangan-Hall’s words, “not a traditional Trial Eight, it was about giving 16 guys and two coxes a go over the course.” Iceman’s rate gradually dropped to 30, to 28, before settling at 26 strokes per minute by the time they reached the old Harrod’s depository.

Maverick didn’t fall further behind. They had also dropped their rate to 30, and as the two boats passed under Hammersmith Bridge, they regained contact.

By Chiswick Eyot, the crew of Maverick was writing checks that their bodies couldn’t write and lost touch with Iceman, who was continuing at 26.

By Barnes Bridge, the lead was over three lengths, and as the finish post came into view for Cox Tobias Bernard, He wound his crew up, seeing power and speed that hadn’t been enjoyed since they left the shadows of Putney Bridge. Maverick would also take their rate up, but by this point, Iceman was gone, beating Maverick by over seven lengths come the finish.

Reflecting on the day’s racing, President Tobias Bernard said, “We wanted to make sure crews were tight the whole way. We used the opportunity to get into a strong rhythm, really long, and that was the plan.

“We thought the current lineups would be the best for today in terms of development. It was about learning the course for a lot of the guys in it. It’s very rare that you get to go over the entire course in a race scenario. For them getting used to the markers, how the bends feel, and how conditions can change, you watch as many Boat Races as you want, but you can only really get the experience by doing it.”

The second race for the Oxford University BC men was between Rooster and Hangman. Rooster would win by one and a third lengths.

Men’s Squad Lineups

Iceman

Cox Tobias Bernard (Magdalen), Harry Geffen (Keble), Alexander Underwood (Pembroke), Julian Schöberl (Green Templeton), James Fetter (Oriel), Fergus Pim (New), James Doran (Substitute), Paolo Cicuta (Worcester), Ben Atkinson (New)

Maverick

Cox Jessica Ward (New), Carter Dickinson (Christ Church), Theodore Siri Heath (Keble), Felix Crabtree (Hertford), Nic Nicolau (Mansfield), Jonny Gondzic (St John’s), Will Randell (St Edmund Hall), Evan Albers (Reuben), Hugh Lohan (St John’s)

Rooster (Lightweight)

Cox Simran Gill (University), Sebastian Harker, (St Edmund Hall), Rex Batt (St Edmund Hall), Shea Heaney (St Hilda’s), Felix Gibbons (New), Harry Prior (Balliol), Elias Arie (Balliol), Jack O’Connell (Worcester), Bertie Parkes (Christ Church)

Hangman (Openweight)

Cox Elisabeth Edwards (Corpus Christi), Dylan Schmidt (Wadham), James Hopkinson (Queen’s), Finn Bannister (Substitute), Rowan Flanagan (Queen’s), Kurtis Roethlisberger (Pembroke), Zaal Contractor (Lincoln), Marek Grzesiuk (Christ Church), Noah Lowery (Hertford)

Women’s Squad Lineups

Ledecky

Cox Louis Corrigan (Green Templeton), Heidi Long (Lady Margaret Hall), Sarah Marshall (Nuffield) Lilli Freischem (Reuben) Julietta Camahort (Green Templeton) Tina Macaulay (Merton) Hermione Warr (Lady Margaret Hall) Olivia Pegge (University) Phoebe Forward (University)

Williams

Cox Daniel Orton Annie Anezakis (Pembroke) Emily Molins (St Hildas) Esther Briz Zamorano (St Edmund Hall) Kyra Delray (Wolfson) Florence Brooke (Brasenose) Catherine King (Balliol) Amelia Mills (Pembroke) Sian Dennett (Keble)

Biles

Cox Gillian Selig (Kellogg) Dorothea Stark (Magdalen) Ophelia Lanfranchi (St Catherines) Harriet Thomas (Somerville) Hana Sway (Queen’s) Seren Ford (Keble) Clara Lilje (New) Ava Milne (Exeter) Lucy Buchanan (Balliol)

Kildunne

Cox James Rumsey (Wadham) Georgia Marshallsay (St Edmund Hall) Pippa Harkin (Merton) Louisa Kotzee (St Johns) Catherine Stephenson (Somerville) Katie Doig (Pembroke) Kelly Brown (St Edmund Hall) Stephanie Connell (Somerville) Kathleen Meerscheidt (Balliol)