This year’s Bedford Regatta has drawn an unprecedented number of entries. The popularity of this regatta is no surprise: its unique 1,200m mid-distance course, side-by-side racing, and relentless back-to-back format make it a perfect indicator for how the regatta season might unfold. Among the packed schedule, the women’s eights, racing for the Guy Pym Challenge Cup, stands out for both quality and depth. With crews ranging from dominant Oxbridge colleges to ambitious town clubs and local favourites, this bracket promises tight margins, fast starts, and tactical execution. While this article focuses on the main senior women’s category, there are also two other women’s college divisions worth watching.
Pembroke College Boat Club, Cambridge
If there’s a crew with momentum behind them, it’s Pembroke College Boat Club. Their women’s squad has been setting the standard on the River Cam this term. At Lent Bumps, both the women’s first and second eights earned blades, which is a clear signal of their college dominance. That form carried into Newnham Head, where both eights also won their respective categories, with the women’s first eight finishing a staggering 20 seconds clear of the next-fastest women’s boat. This consistency started early in the season; they narrowly missed the win at Winter Head two Head, finishing second by just two seconds, and have since carried that performance south, also placing second in their category at Quintin Head. Although they didn’t make it far at last year’s Bedford Regatta, with a particularly tight loss to University College Oxford by a bow ball in the first race of the women’s college academic eights, this year feels different. Their depth, confidence, and helping hand of a bye into the next round put them in an especially commanding position.
University College Boat Club, Oxford
University College Boat Club returns to Bedford with something to prove. Whilst neither of the women named in this year’s two crews (Chen and Hambly) were in the club’s 2024 women’s first eight, they are likely to have plenty of experience within the club regardless; the boat club is the largest society in the University College, with nearly 100 active members each year. Despite losing the headship at Torpids this year, the women’s first eight stayed third on the river, which is no small feat. They showed some strength in breadth at Bedford Fours and Eights Head this February, taking sixth in band one eights and fourth in band two. Having entered an aspirational academic coxless four at Henley Women’s Regatta last year, the club has ambitions beyond college waters. If these two eights can find rhythm quickly over this regatta distance, they may be dangerous.
City of Cambridge Rowing Club
Perhaps the most exciting non-university crew in the mix, City of Cambridge Rowing Club continues to make waves across the women’s senior rowing scene. With a top-35 finish at Women’s Head of the River, only 0.3 seconds from the provincial club win and the fastest Cambridge town boat by 33 seconds, and being the fastest women’s crew at both Cambridge Autumn and Winter heads, they are flying. A recent Easter camp on the Thames undoubtedly adds to a season of momentum. A regatta race for this crew will be exciting, particularly since members of the women’s squad gained monumental side-by-side experience across both an aspirational quad and development four at Henley Women’s Regatta last year. With a bye to the next round, they enter this regatta not just as contenders, but as favourites, and all eyes will be on the quarterfinal.
First and Third Trinity College, Cambridge
The oldest sports club at the University of Cambridge, First and Third Trinity College Boat Club definitely have tradition on their side, and are now also demonstrating flashes of excellence. Although we haven’t seen any silverware from them yet this season, their performance as the second-fastest women’s eight at Norwich Head and a determined Fairbairn cup campaign demonstrate solid form. Though bumped by Pembroke at Lent Bumps, a clearly defined race distance and plan on this occassion may suit their strengths better. Further, after failing foul to rising splits towards the end of the Fairburn cup over 4300 metres, it will be exciting to see how they execute their pacing and aggression over a race 3000 metres shorter.
Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club
Local favourites, Bedford Girls‘ School Rowing Club, enter this year with a mix of new faces and seasoned racers. Their seniors had a successful season in 2023/24, winning the likes of Star Regatta in the eight and winning Bedford Regatta last year in the four. Promise has also been shown this season. Bedford Girls won band one women’s coxless fours at Bedford Spring Head, after coming third in the women’s Band one eights and second in the women’s band two eights at Bedford Fours and Eights Head in February. However, results from Women’s Head of the River where they placed 125th suggest this is a developing eight still learning to race against top-tier senior women. Although racing against older, university-aged crews is always a challenge, if the eight that is put out at Bedford regatta click, they’re a serious threat, especially with their racing experience on home water.
Predictions
Bedford’s unique format of tight racing will provide tight margins. With polished Oxbridge colleges, resurgent town crews, and sharp school boats all in the mix, this cup is anyone’s for the taking. Based on this season’s results, I can see City of Cambridge Rowing Club and Pembroke College Boat Club making their way through the ranks to meet in the final. I also believe Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club will take this opportunity to both learn from and challenge these more senior crews. However, this field is wide open, and the knockout format leaves no room for error. Other crews to watch include Worcester College, Keble College, Murray Edwards College, SASRU, and Bedford Modern School.
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