Queens’ Win Winter Head

The Queens’ men destroyed all competition in the Winter Head, completing the 2.5km course in an amazing 08:15.

They completed the course faster than the two university lightweight men’s crews, who for CULRC’s sake were hopefully ‘matched’ eights.

The event was, as in the previous years, marred with delays and confusion with hundreds of rowers waiting in massive queues in the cold.

It was obvious that the organizers, the Cantabrigian Rowing Club, hadn’t learnt from last year’s shambles.  The marshals sometimes didn’t know what was going on and often gave conflicting orders to the crews.

However, despite the cock-ups, the event saw some fantastic performances.

The First and Third men came a staggering 17 seconds behind Queens’, finishing as the second fastest college men’s crew.

In the novices, a debatable Queens’ novice men’s crew took the title with a time of 09:51, 34 seconds faster than Caius, the next men’s novice eight.

Downing gave a disappointing performance with their two men’s eights coming 33^rd and 35^th overall, although it has been suggested that they might have tried senior/novice composite crews.

In the coxed fours category, the Girton men and the LMBC women topped the colleges with CULRC and CUWBC boats the fastest overall.

On the women’s side, CUWBC showed convincingly why they are the best women’s crew with the fastest time of 09:34.

The Downing women’s eight took the college crown with 09:40, narrowly beating the Newnham crew by 5 seconds.

Saturday’s race has given a clear indication of Queens’ dominance in the river; after holding onto their Winter Head title, a second consecutive Fairbairn win is looking very likely if things continue the way they’re going.