On Friday 1st December, 6 Cantabs crews took to the water to take part in the Fairbairn Cup – the most crews we have ever sent to the event. There were good results all round, with the Senior Squad crews achieving a clean sweep of the ‘Invitational’ 4+ and 8+ categories.
Senior Men racing to a 2nd place finish at Fairbairns
Nick Rice, Guy Fiddian, Angus Knights, Andrew Marsden, Ricci Herroeros-Symons, Chris Saner, Tom Wordsworth, James Wood and cox Sara Russo started the day off with a good race and finished 2nd overall in the 8+, just behind CULRC, in a time of 14:49.
Aquaphobes racing at Fairbairns
Photo credit: Grant Chivers
The Aquaphobes Masters C crew also entered this event, and were pleased to close and overtake the crew in front who had a 2 minute gap. They finished in a creditable time of 18:39.
Senior Women – fastest W8+ of the day by 41 seconds
The Senior Women in particular had a good day, winning not just the Invitational categories, but also finishing as the fastest crews in their event. A week after coming out on top in some match racing against the CUWBC lightweights, the Cantabs 8+ put in a dominating performance to finish in a time of 16:04, 41 seconds clear of the 2nd placed CUW lightweights and 69 seconds ahead of 3rd placed Jesus College. The time posted by Harriet Cross, Ellie Darlington, Andrea de Bruin, Bailee Stratton, Megan Lloyd-Palmer, Valentina Sassow, Alice Brownjohn, Eve Beere and cox Esther Momcilovic was faster than 14 men’s college first eights, despite Cantabs being a scratch crew.
Fastest W4+ of the day by 28s
The Senior Women also had the fastest W4+ over the courses, with Gill Cooper, Valentina Sassow, Anna Suchankova, Hannah Stewart and cox Isabel Nimmo finishing 28 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Anglia Ruskin University, despite all 4 of the crew being strokesiders and Valentina and Anna racing in the 8+ event less than an hour before! The Intermediate Women also entered a 4+ into the event, consisting entirely of masters age athletes, with Sally Hames, Marjon Hilgenga, Naomi McGovern, Syra Vanderhoof and cox Roz Fitzgerald finishing a creditable 18th out of 25 crews despite little preparation.
Half of the Senior Men’s crew then went on to double up and race in the 4+, where they finished 4th overall and as the fastest invitational M4+.
