Saturday 18th November saw 1807 participants descend on the River Cam to take part in Cantabs’ Cambridge Winter Head. Held over 5 divisions and under the new British Rowing competition framework, the event regularly sees participation from both town and college crews, as well as those from further afield.
Athletes from Heidelberger Ruderklub 1872
This year was no exception, and included 3 crews from Heidelberger Ruderklub 1872 in Germany. Heidelberg is twinned with Cambridge, and the partnership has seen a women’s masters crew from Cantabs race there, including in July this year when they were coxed in a race by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!
Inspired baking from Emma Siragher for the race cake stall
The German club enjoyed some good performances at the Winter Head, with their men’s eight finishing 2nd in the ‘Senior 1’ event. Their women’s eight, containing 2 athletes who have raced for Germany at the European Championships, also finished 2nd in ‘Senior 1’. The fastest W8+ was from Cantabs, with the crew containing 7 of the women who won the club 8+ event at HWR this year.
The fastest M8+ was from Downing College, and the fastest women’s college crew was from Emmanuel. Winter Head also sees many novices take part in their first ever race since learning to row. Fitzwilliam College were the fastest women’s beginner crew, 8 seconds clear of 2nd placed University of East Anglia. King’s College took the honours for the men, 5 seconds clear of St Catharine’s College.
KCL cox suffering an awkward lifejacket incident
There were also wins for Cantabs in the women’s novice eights, which were won by a crew from the Junior Performance Squad, as well as the ‘Senior 3’ eights, which were won by a crew from the Intermediate Women’s Squad. The men’s novice eights saw a Cantabs 1-2 from the Hills Road boys.
Thank you to all the crews who took part, as well as all of the Cantabs volunteers who made racing possible and the Mayor of Cambridge who presented prizes at the end of the day.
Full results can be found here.
Saturday evening saw Cantabs women’s first eight from Town Bumps 2017 attend the Old Cantabrigian Society dinner as the guest of honour, after taking the Bumps headship this year. Many thanks to the OCS for hosting the crew and for continuing to support the club more than 50 years after its conception.
