Fours Head Review

Cambridge University have shown early season form at the Fours Head of the River Race in London.

In preparation for the BNY Mellon Boat Races, this is one of the few occasions in which the crews race the full distance of the Championship course (albeit in the opposite direction) and although it is early in the season it is the only occasion in which the Clubs can be directly compared. The weather forecasts were such that it was possible that the race might be cancelled, with extremely strong winds expected around the scheduled start time. This resulted in challenging Tideway conditions which could be expected in November, although it was particularly tough earlier on for the early starters in Elite and higher category events.

Cambridge University Boat Club won the Elite coxed four event, won by Oxford in the previous three seasons, with their first win in the event since 2008. The winning Cambridge crew, Goldie BC I, finished 4 seconds up on a Leander crew containing former OUBC Blues and current World Champions Pete Reed and Constantine Louloudis. Oxford’s leading crew (Isis II) was a further 15 seconds back, with Isis III, Isis IV, Goldie BC III all more than 30 seconds off the winning pace. Isis V and Goldie BC II were a minute behind the leaders.

In the coxless four events, CUBC again produced the fastest crew, with Goldie BC IV winning the IM1 category, 29 seconds ahead of Isis I in Elite and 36 seconds ahead of Isis VI in Senior.

In the women’s fours the success was shared. Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club produced the fastest crew of the day in the Elite coxless four whilst Oxford University Women’s Boat Club produced the fastest coxed four. CUWBC entered 3 crews into Elite coxless fours with a further two in the Elite coxed event whilst OUWBC chose to enter each of their two fours into IM1. The OUWBC coxed fours were split by less than 10 seconds, with their leading crew beating the CUWBC equivalent in Elite by 25 seconds.

In the sculling events, OUWBC also entered IM1 quadruple sculls and finished second.

The BNY Mellon Boat Races will take place on March 27th 2016. The Newton Women’s Boat Race will take place at 3:10pm with The BNY Mellon Boat Race an hour later at 4:10pm.

Crews listed below are in Elite category unless otherwise stated:

Coxed Fours

Goldie BC I – 18:55.1 (Category Winners)
Isis II – 19:14.2
Isis III – 19:27.1
Isis IV – 19:35.7
Goldie BC III – 19:35.9
Isis V – 19:56.8
Goldie BC II – 19:59.5

Coxless Fours

Goldie BC IV – 19.21.2 (IM1 – Category Winners)
Isis I – 19:50.0
Isis VI – 19:57.7 (Senior)

Women’s Coxless Fours

Cambridge Univ Women I – 21:10.0
Cambridge Univ Women II – 21:27.0
Cambridge Univ Women III – 21:38.5

Women’s Coxed Fours

Oxford University Womens BC II – 21:35.4 (IM1)
Oxford University Womens BC III – 21:44.4 (IM1)
Cambridge Univ Women VI – 22:01.9
Cambridge Univ Women V – 22:33.9

Women’s Quadruple Sculls

Oxford University Womens BC I – 20:21.5 (IM1)

Results Correct as of 12:00 09/11/2015