CUBC Men vs Dutch National Team

Such is the formidable reputation of Cambridge crews, that the Dutch National Development Teams wanted to cross the North Sea and descend on the Tideway to take them on. “We come to London to give our athletes the opportunity to learn and adapt. The Tideway offers a difficult course, and the crews from Cambridge offer tough competition,” explains Dutch coach Peter Weirsum. “This experience is crucial for their development. It’s a part of their journey towards becoming elite rowers and, ultimately, Olympic athletes.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BENEDICT TUFNELL

The Light Blue men met with their orange-dressed opposition on the Championship Course over two pieces that split the length of the Boat Race in half. After winning the toss, the Dutch chose the Middlesex station and Cambridge were on Surrey.

Cambridge had a slick quick start, whilst the Dutch opted for a ‘length then strength’ approach. Both crews remained level for the first two minutes. At Craven Cottage, Umpire Matthew Pinsent was called into action as the crews clashed repeatedly. Cambridge came off better and took a twoseat lead. Despite a chorus of warnings, Netherland’s cox, Sara Kalf, continued to invade Cambridge’s water and an inevitable second clash occurred. Devastatingly, the Dutch “2” man, Mats van Sabben, caught a boat-stopping crab and took 20 seconds to recover, causing Cambridge to stretch out to open water.

“The Dutch, out for revenge, delivered a high rate start and edged ahead.”

After persuasion from Cambridge coach Rob Baker, a restart was ordered and both crews restarted opposite Fulham Reach Boat Club. After an aggressive start, Cambridge looked confident and jumped quickly to a half-length lead. The drama of the earlier events drained Dutch ambitions and Cambridge continued to move clear, winning the first piece by three lengths.

The Dutch, determined to not be defeated easily, put the interlude between races to good use with a thorough examination of their rudder. No obvious fault was found. The Dutch, out for revenge, delivered a high rate start and edged ahead despite Cambridge having an inside bend advantage. Looking stoic and strong, Cambridge stroke Matt Edge, backed up by 7-seat Luca Ferraro, worked efficiently to close the gap. Neck and neck under Barnes, both coxes received warnings for clashes. Four minutes in and Cambridge took a one-third length lead whilst the Dutch began to look a little ragged. Incohesive bladework and a heaviness infected the crew just as Cambridge hit their stride and the Light Blues finished the second piece two and a half lengths in front. Impressive given their outside bend disadvantage.

Dutch 5-seat, Stijn Wieling, said of the race: “In advance we were talking about how much we wanted to have a tight race and have our oars clashing Cambridge’s. Well, we got the clashes we asked for, but after that, the race was not as tight as we had hoped. However, we think we learned a great deal from racing Cambridge on the Tideway”.

After this race, the Cambridge crew look like the real deal, and if this performance is anything to go by these Light Blue men certainly aren’t fazed by clashing or being led out and having to break through their opposition. A great practice for the big day.