Oxford Women, Cambridge Men Win The Boat Race

By Martin Cross

The Spring tide that had carried the Oxford women and Cambridge men to victories in the CHANEL J12 2026 Boat Race finally slowed down at around 4:30pm. By then the Thames was full flood. The quarter of a million people who had come to watch the iconic sporting event begun making their way home, or to the many parties in pubs or rowing clubs alongside the river.

By then it was clear that event had thrown up significant winners. The first, of course were those crews that survived the brutal conditions over the second half of the championship course, to register superb victories: the Oxford women and Cambridge men.

In what were largely expected outcomes, the dark blue women reversed a nine-year losing streak, while the light blue men kept their cool and made it ‘four in a row’.

But another winner was the race’s new, innovative broadcaster, Channel 4 TV who took the rights for the race from the BBC. The viewing figures – a total of 3 million viewers tuned into the race – represented for the commercial channel a major success. And with a focus on attracting young viewers, the men’s race attracted 23.5% UK audience share of the 16-34 viewers.

Sammy Houdaigui, Cambridge’s winning Moroccan/American cox was blown away by just how many people recognized him in the days since the broadcast. The 23-year-old was featured heavily in the coverage. He’s had his meals paid for and gained entry into prestigious venues.

“This [the Boat Race] is a made for TV product. I didn’t fully appreciate that before the crew walk out. The powers that be must be doing something right, because I’ve rowed internationally before, but this felt so much bigger,” the U.S. cox told Rowing News.

While we’re on the subject of American winners…You might not have heard much about it on the day – but the American university system came out of the 2026 Boat Race with flying colors. Sixty percent of the competitors who raced in both men’s and women’s races had rowed at school in the U.S.

Nowhere was that clearer than in the Oxford winners. The bow four contained two Americans: the Californian Julietta Camahort and Emily Molins from Illinois.

Most notably, Oxford were brilliantly stroked by the 29-year-old Heidi Long: a Virginia Cavalier. The ‘engine room’ contained two powerhouses: Spain’s Esther Briz Zamorano and Kyra Delray, a Stanford Cardinal and UCLA Bruin, respectively. And let’s not forget the Aussie bow, Annie Anazakis, who rowed at Princeton.

All four Oxbridge Boat Race coaches have already spent a considerable part of their 2025-2026 season on the phone, or on Zoom, to rowers currently at school in the U.S., persuading them to enlist for the 2027 Boat Race campaign. And what an advert they have, to entice them after this year’s thrilling races.

That much was guaranteed when a 17 mph south-southwesterly wind blew directly against the fast-incoming stream of the Thames along the Chiswick Eyot – the race’s halfway point. The French President of the winning Cambridge boat, Noam Mouelle, when asked about what it was like to race in those conditions said, “This is the hardest race I’ve done by far.”

Let me just put that in context for you. The 24-year-old from the suburbs of Paris has now won no less than four consecutive Boat Races. More than that he has had to battle into each of those crews, through winning brutal last-minute seat races. So, when Mouelle talks about his ‘toughest ever race’, we should take note!

And it wasn’t just the conditions that brought those comments out of Mouelle. His opponents from Oxford stunned the world with a turn of speed that few thought they possessed. It was in the script that the Light Blues – probably the world’s fastest eight at this stage of the season – would eviscerate their inexperienced opposition.

But Oxford had other ideas. Led by a stern three of a Brit and two Aussies, who had all been to school in the U.S., they gave as good as they got in the start phase. After three minutes – rowing on the initially less-favoured Surrey station – they were still in contact. Their cox, Tobias Bernard, pushing them into a position where a clash looked likely.

By Hammersmith Bridge – after seven minutes of racing, Cambridge had established a clear water lead. But Oxford, brilliantly led by the former Yale Bulldog, Harry Geffen, were still snapping at their heels – too close for comfort. Then the rough water hit and the race became a battle for survival instead.

Mouelle explained, “We had to stay super, super focussed…to make sure there were no mistakes.” He experienced waves crashing over the carbon riggers, pumps working flat out to pitch the water back into the river and mercifully, no crabs. But the speed and fluidity of the Light Blues was effectively neutralized.

At the finish the Dark Blues were only four lengths–10 seconds–behind. To put that into perspective, in 2025 an Oxford crew with three Olympians on board had gone down to Cambridge by five and a half lengths. The result represented a big tick in the box for the Oxford program and their troubled coach Mark Fangen-Hall.

Likewise, the Dark Blues’ victory in the women’s Boat Race was a huge boost for their coach, Allan French. The 25-year-old Mollins told Rowing News that their result, “speaks to the tireless work Allan French and our entire coaching staff have put into building this team.”

It was the former Oxford Brookes women’s coach, brought in to turn the Dark Blue program ’round in 2024, who helped recruit both Heidi Long and Esther Briz Zamorano – key figures in turning the tide.

French unselfishly highlighted the resilience of both Sarah Marshall in the 7 seat and Anazakis at bow who had both previously lost on three occasions. “It’s about coming back and believing…we can turn this around.”

Mollins’ crew were never led and the Illonosian reckoned this result could be the start of a long Oxford run. “I couldn’t be more excited for the future of OUBC or more grateful to be a small part of it.”

Let Houdaigui have the last word on the Boat Race. “I’m an addict and I can’t wait to do it again.”

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