Fours Head results

Following the President’s Challenge on the 20th November, attention quickly turned to the first contest on the Tideway. The crews from Oxford and Cambridge raced alongside clubs from across Europe in the annual event that sees Fours and Quads race the length of the Championship course from Chiswick Bridge to Putney.

In the Women’s events, both Cambridge and Oxford left the tideway with one win each. Cambridge entered their top crew of President Larkin Sayre, Patricia Smith, Sophie Paine, Laura Foster into Academic coxless fours and were the fastest women’s Boat Race crew. However, Oxford’s coxed four of Isobel Dodds, Amelia Standing, Tina Christmann, Katherine Maitland and cox, Costi Levy were just under a second behind their Light Blue rivals.

On the men’s side, both Oxford and Cambridge boated six crews, 4 coxed and 2 coxless fours. OUBC came away with two wins in the Academic coxed and coxless fours. Their top coxed four of Felix Drinkall, Tobias Schröder, Charlie Buchanan, President Augustin Wambersie and cox Toby de Mendonça were the fastest Boat Race crew of the day and second fastest coxed four overall, winning the Academic 4+ pennant. After conceding a penalty for arriving late for a start, Cambridge’s top crew of President Freddie Davidson, Callum Sullivan, Arthur Doyle, Ben Freeman and cox Charlie Marcus finished just three seconds behind Oxford.

Fours Head is the first opportunity supporters have to see the athletes of Oxford and Cambridge racing against one another. It also works as a very important event for coaches to do internal testing. The next opportunity for this will be the upcoming Trial Eights which will see clubmates battle it out against each other in a mock trial of The Boat Race on the Championships Course.

The 75th Women’s Boat Race and The 166th Men’s Boat Race and will take place on Sunday 29th March 2020.