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Countdown To The 2026 Boat Race: Oxford Trial Eights
Oxford held their Putney to Mortlake Trial Eights on 19 December and enjoyed considerably more beguine weather conditions than the grey day that Cambridge had experienced the day before.
23 December 2025
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch continues to follow the Tideway Trials.
Oxford Women
While the Oxford women cannot ignore their defeat by Cambridge in every Boat Race for the last nine years, they should have gained much confidence from their recent performance at the 4.8k Head of the Charles in Boston, Massachusetts, in October when they finished third in the Women’s Championship Eights while their Cambridge counterparts were 9th. The times were 15.42 and 16.04 respectively.
Don’t smile for the camera. The Ledecky crew stroked by last year’s stroke and Olympic Bronze medalist, Heidi Long, and coxed by Louis Corrigan pose for pictures. Their opposition also adopted a tennis name, Williams, and were stroked by three times Boat Race veteran, Annie Anezakis, and coxed by Dan Orton.Williams on Surrey (left here) went off at a higher rate but along Putney Embankment, Ledecky (right) took a small lead.Passing the (yellow) Black Buoy at the end of Putney Embankment, there was little between the two crews. Parallax error gives the crew closer to the camera the appearance of being well in front.At Barn Elms, Williams remained a third of a length down.Shortly after Barn Elms, the two crews converged, both were warned, blades clashes and “2” in the Williams crew on Middlesex, Amelia Mills, came off worst and the umpire halted the race. Picture: BRCL/Row360. Coach Allan French told the crews to restart in the positions that they had just before the clash i.e. with Ledecky a third of a length up.As the crews restarted, Williams hit the higher rate again, but Ledecky found more boat speed and they began to move away. They are pictured here approaching the downstream Harrods buoy. Approaching Hammersmith Bridge. Ledecky had got clear water at Harrods.Through Hammersmith Bridge, Ledecky could choose its own line.Opposite Dove Pier.On the approach to Chiswick Eyot and the half-way mark, the wind picked up and the water became more unsettled. In Corney Reach, the eventual outcome was clear but no one was giving up.Approaching Barnes Bridge.Passing the White Hart in Barnes. At the finish, Ledecky, stroked by Heidi Long, beat Williams, stroked by Annie Anezakis, by just under five lengths.In the women’s “B” race, lightweights and openweights fought it out. Kildunne (pictured) was beaten by Biles by three-and-a-half lengths.
Oxford Men
The boys looked to Top Gun for inspiration and named their boats Maverick and Iceman. Here the Maverick crew says cheese.
The British Rowing website quoted the Oxford Men’s Head Coach, Mark Fangen-Hall, as to why he was not running a traditional Trial Eight’s race:
This year we have a very new bunch with just one returner, our Cox and President, Toby. A lot of the guys are actually new to the sport, so it’s about giving them Tideway experience. Today was a chance to go over the course in a fairly controlled manner, and we’re trying to ease some of the guys in. We will look to race properly in the fixtures. I wouldn’t say it was a training exercise, but it was definitely a step into side-by-side match racing on the Tideway.
Thus, the crews were not matched (Iceman had the more experienced crew) and the race was rate capped.
Maverick was on Surrey (left) with Carter Dickenson at stroke and Jessica Ward coxing. Iceman was on Middlesex (right) with Harry Geffen as stroke and Tobias Bernard as cox.By the end of Putney Embankment, Iceman had taken a clear lead. Passing Barn Elms. Iceman’s rate gradually dropped to 30 and then to 28.At the Mile Post.By Harrods, Iceman was down to 26 strokes per minute.Approaching Hammersmith Bridge, Maverick upped their rate and began to move up on Iceman.Through the bridge, there was a short period of slight overlap.At Chiswick, the worsening conditions and their lack of experience led Maverick to fall back from Iceman who was still around 26.Credit must be given to Maverick who maintained their form and rowed well even as they dropped behind. In Corney Reach.At Barnes Bridge Iceman’s lead was over three lengths.Passing the former Mortlake Brewery and approaching the finish, Iceman took their rate up to a normal level and beat Maverick by over seven lengths. The Oxford men’s “B” race was between Rooster and Hangman, pictured here passing the Dove Pier, Hammersmith. Rooster would win by one-and-a-third lengths.
The Oxford men last won a Boat Race in 2022 and have lost seven of the last ten. Particularly with no Old Blues in the rowing squad, it is difficult not to draw the conclusion that, with about 100 days to go, they are presently in a weaker position than their Cambridge counterparts who appear to have much more strength in depth.
Hear The Boat Sing 