2026 Fixture Series: CUBC Delivers Determined Displays against Dutch and LRC Opposition
Across a busy day of Tideway racing, all CUBC crews delivered committed performances in a series of competitive and challenging fixtures. The provisional Men’s Blue Boat produced a commanding display against the Dutch National Team, winning both pieces by significant margins, while the provisional Women’s Blue Boat also faced a formidable Dutch line‑up. Although the Dutch secured both pieces, Cambridge delivered a high‑calibre and composed performance, gaining valuable momentum ahead of Women’s Eights Head of the River next week.
The provisional Goldie and Men’s Lightweight crews also impressed against strong opposition from London Rowing Club, with the Cambridge Men’s Third Eight taking on LRC B in another hard‑fought contest.
Our thanks go to all crews for excellent racing, to our team hosts, alumni, and parents for their support, and to bankside_parent and AllMarkOne for the excellent photography.
Please note: All crews remain provisional until formal announcements on 12 March (Blue Boats), 16 March (Goldie and Blondie), and 17 March (Lightweights).
Men’s A v The Dutch National Team
Result: First piece to Cambridge by 10 lengths, second piece to Cambridge by 5 lengths
Crew:
Cox: Sammy Houdaigui
Str: Freddy Breuer
7: Will Klipstine
6: Lexi Maclean
5: Gabriel Obholzer
4: Patrick Wild
3: Kyle Fram
2: Noam Mouelle
Bow: Simon Hatcher
Race Report: Kyle Fram
Yesterday’s menu included two short course pieces, Start to Eyot and Eyot to the Finish. The Dutch won the coin toss and chose Middlesex.
We got off to a clean start and a small lead over the Dutch by the black buoy. As we shifted down from the high strokes, we extended the lead to half a length, and cox Sammy Houdaigui called a move to take another 4 seats. In a gutsy maneuver, Sammy took the Dutch water in the Fulham bend while we still had a canvas overlap, trusting us to press our margin further. We broke open coming into the Crabtree reach and extended the margin to approximately 10 lengths by the end of the piece.
We regrouped and lined up for the next piece with about a 3/4 length deficit. We took a few seats off the start and proceeded to draw even shortly after. We lengthened well off the start and moved to comfortable clear water by Barnes Bridge, finishing approximately 5 lengths up.
Thanks to all the fans who tuned in to the live blog and lined the banks! Thank you also to the Dutch for great racing and to our team hosts for their ongoing hospitality. We’re excited for Leander in two weeks, and The Boat Race coming up soon after!
Women’s A v The Dutch National Team
Result: First piece to the Dutch by two lengths, second piece to the Dutch by just over a length
Crew:
Cox: Matt Moran
Str: Aidan Wrenn-Walz
7: Lyndsey Bryden
6: Camille VanderMeer
5: Toni Galland
4: Carys Earl
3: Charlotte Ebel
2: Izzy Campbell
Bow: Gemma King
Race Report by Charlotte Ebel
As the Boat Race inches closer, so do the many events that characterise The Boat Race season. Included in this slate are the media fixtures, and this year’s installment saw the Cambridge Women’s Blue Boat line up against a formidable Dutch crew freshly flown in from across the North Sea. Racing conditions could be affectionately classified as “British spring time” – that is, approximately 12°C and cloudy with mild winds.
The crews lined up for the first piece of the fixture — the first 4.2k of the course — with Cambridge on Middlesex and the Dutch on Surrey. The Dutch leapt to an early lead off the start that largely neutralized the Cambridge advantage around Fulham Palace, and both crews settled to rhythm with a Dutch advantage of 1.5 lengths. Cambridge’s relentless base pace pulled them back within striking distance around the Mile Post and kept the Cambridge crew fiercely tethered to the Dutch despite the Dutch advantage under Hammersmith. Margins held through the remainder of the piece, with the Dutch claiming a one length victory thanks to their quick jump off the starting blocks.
After a brief break to debrief and let all that wonderful lactate build up in the athletes’ legs, the crews lined back up to race the final 3k of the course. Cambridge drove hard off the start with the memory of piece #1 fresh in mind, holding the Dutch to within a length. However, some brazen steering from the Dutch coxswain (accompanied by a chorus of repeated warnings from the umpire) swung the Dutch crew directly in front of Cambridge, placing the Cambridge boat directly in their puddles. Undeterred, Cambridge began taking seats back as they surged under Barnes Bridge and executed a powerful sprint sequence to close the margin to bow-to-stern across the finish line.
All Tideway experience is good experience, and we would like to thank the Dutch for such high-calibre and gritty racing. We would also like to thank them for the block of authentic Dutch gouda they kindly gifted us, which was delicious. We now look forward to Women’s Head of the River Race this weekend, which will be sure to sharpen us further as we keep our sights trained on 4 April.
Men’s B v London Rowing Club A
Result: First piece to Cambridge by 1/2 length, second piece to LRC by 6 inches
Crew:
Cox: Freya Jenkinson
Str: Matt Edge
7: Luke Beever
6: Alex Finger
5: Calvin Tarczy
4: Raphael Berz
3: Leonard Brahms
2: George Dickinson
Bow: Joe Travis
Race Report by Matt Edge
Trademark English gray skies blanketed the Thames as (the provisional) Goldie crew lined up against the formidable London Rowing Club (LRC) ‘A’, fresh off their commanding win at Hammersmith Head and eager to defend their Tideway title. A last-minute injury called up Raph Berz to fill the 4 seat in Goldie, but a solid warm up dispelled any worries about crew cohesion. The crews rolled quickly under Putney Bridge under the watchful eye of the indomitable Matthew Holland, London on Middlesex, Goldie on Surrey. A sharp start ensued with both crews getting a clean start and passing Crabtree level. By a minute in, Goldie held their start pace better and began to sneak a few seats ahead. London responded quickly and punched back through worsening waves to take advantage of their bend round Craven Cottage. Rounding out of the corner, LRC used their position well and snuck their bowball ahead hitting the Crabtree reach. Down the straight, the raw race pace speed of each eight was put to the test as the lead changed hands on each surge before LRC took a move coming up to Harrods wall, knowing Cambridge’s bend was about to kick in. Cambridge took the momentum as they shot Hammersmith side-by-side but slingshot around the bend to come out three quarters of a length up approaching the Eyot. A strong sprint from LRC began to close the gap but Goldie held on to claim the first piece by half a length.
The crews maintained their stations for the second piece for a shootout to the course finish. A punchy start from Goldie and the advantage of the final Surrey bend saw the boys in light blue jump out to a three quarter length lead approaching the bandstand but had to hold their station as they couldn’t break clear of the London crew who knew the Middlesex bend was about to sweep them right back into the race. Fierce coxing ensued as Cambridge tried to mitigate as much of the advantage as they could but London drove themselves right back up alongside as the crew came to blows approaching Barnes Bridge. Thankfully, both boats navigated through and soon is was Cambridge’s turn to strike as they began to shift through the gears and move around the outside of the bend. It looked like they might be able to keep walking it out before London dug in for an early sprint. The crews separated as the London cox showed their Tideway knowhow on the slack water up to Chiswick and cut tight to the bank for a shorter line and Cambridge stuck to the deeper stream for fear of being pushed back over. Reaching the final navigation buoy, the courses came together again and the two crews found themselves trading the lead stroke for stroke once again in the final minute. Up at 40 strokes a minute, neither crew could land a decisive blow and Goldie coach Bill Lucas was dispatched to call the margin from alongside. The two crews were called down on the same stroke and waited with baited breath for the official verdict. LRC by 6 inches.
We’d like to thank LRC for some fantastic racing and wish them all the best for the rest of their season as well as Matthew Holland for his excellent umpiring. Goldie are looking forward to racing Leander in two weeks before their showdown with Isis.
Men’s Lightweights v London Rowing Club C
Result: First piece to Cambridge by 2 lengths, second piece to Cambridge by 1 1/3 length
Crew:
Cox: Alex Taylor
Str: Archie Smith
7: James Richards
6: Freddie Challacombe
5: Josh Moore
4: Nikita Mohr
3: Peter Crossley
2: Jeremy Wilkinson
Bow: Victor Viennot-Bourgun
Race report by Archie Smith
We are so back! After two weeks away from the Tideway, the lightweight men returned to reassert their presence on the Championship course. CUBC raced against a formidable London crew, to whom we are grateful for providing such challenging competition.
The first of two half course pieces saw CUBC on Surrey after winning the toss. Cambridge took an early one length lead by Fulham Stadium. London were not going to give up easily and pushed back to half a length. Determined to keep their momentum, Cambridge made a move as they reached the Surrey advantage. After some hard fought blade clashes, CUBC settled back onto their unbreakable rhythm and wanted to end the race early. Coming into the final stretch, the lightweight men had broken away from London and found clear water. CUBC finished strong with a 2 length advantage.
Both crews, lined up on the same stations, set off hard in the second piece, with a fiery London crew wanting revenge. However CUBC were out for blood and asserted an early 6 seat lead before the start of London’s advantage. Both crews were determined. After a couple blade clashes, Cambridge drew out to open water and some decisive coxing led the lightweight men in front of London before both crews reached the last 500m. London were fighting until the end and pushed hard with the last strokes of their advantage drawing back to a 1/3 of a length of clear water as Cambridge crossed the line.
We are excited to return to Ely, two wins under our belts, to keep our momentum going as we head into the final few weeks of training and improving. We’re now looking ahead to the Head of the River race on 28 March as our final preparation for The Lightweight Boat Race.
Men’s C v London Rowing Club B
Result: First piece to LRC easily, second piece to LRC by 3 lengths
Crew:
Cox: Chiara Dell’Orfanello
Str: Milo Taylor
7: Max Deering
6: Raphael Berz
5: Kyle Howe
4: Orlando Morley
3: Alex Geddes
2: Jack Fiala
Bow: Gil Dexter
Race Report by Chiara Dell’Orfanello
The first piece took place from the Start to the far side of the Eyot, with CUBC on Surrey and London on Middlesex. With late call ups to Goldie, the final Cambridge line-up was confirmed only two hours before racing, but the crew was up for the challenge. Cambridge executed a sharp start sequence and settled quickly into their race rhythm. Over the opening strokes London edged ahead, and by Craven Cottage had established an advantage. Both crews were briefly instructed to move off the racing line to avoid traffic on the course, before being told to return to the middle when it was safe to do so.
Just before Hammersmith Bridge, Cambridge caught the red buoy, which brought the crew to a stop. In the incident, CUBC’s 4 seat’s blade came out of the gate and the backstay was slightly bent, but thankfully there were no injuries.
Despite the disruption and with London moving out to a significant lead, the crew responded impressively. Cambridge rebuilt strongly, regained composure, and mounted a determined push through the bridge and closing stages, making up around three lengths on London. At the finish, London won by around one and a half lengths.
The second piece took place from the far end of the Eyot to Finish line. The crews again started level, this time with Cambridge on Middlesex and London on Surrey. The opening of the piece was strong, with both crews level through the first two minutes. London then began to edge ahead approaching Barnes, but Cambridge produced a much more settled and cohesive second piece. The crew went out hard, stayed well connected, and held London for a long stretch through the middle of the race.
Both coxes took standard racing lines, and Cambridge remained composed and committed through the bridge and into the finish. London crossed the line first by around a length, but the piece showed a much more locked-in rhythm and a strong level of fight from the crew throughout.