Trial Eights provides a crucial opportunity for Boat Race hopefuls to have a run down the Championship Course, in a side-by-side simulation of the race day. For coxes, athletes, and coaches alike, the racing of matched crews provides an all important test of where the programme stands ahead of the New Year, when squads will likely be looking ahead to training camps and fixtures winding into The Chanel J12 Boat Race on Saturday, 4th April 2026.
Oxford make a strong statement with their choice of names for this years crews, presenting as a united front of strong women, taking on the Tideway in a gritty display of trust in one another and they programme that they represent. Drawing inspiration from some of their female sporting heroes, ‘Ledecky‘ will race ‘Williams‘ in a nod to the tennis and swimming greats, while ‘Kildunne‘ will race ‘Biles‘ in the B races, with one openweight crew and one lightweight crew representing acclaimed rugby player Ellie Kildunne and legendary gymnast Simone Biles.
Head Coach Allan French will be aiming for two crews as well matched as possible, as his attention shifts less to the outcome of the race, and more how each crew deals with the challenges thrown at them. The telemetry will be on, launches fuelled, and cox recordings ready to be analysed in what’s shaping up to be an exciting test of mettle. It’s all to play for in what’s shaping up to be some thrilling racing in what is otherwise a lull in racing before the festive period.
Cox
Louis Corrigan
Louis Corrigan - 🇬🇧
Former Oxford men's President, this season sees medical student Corrigan make a switch of sides to cox OUBC's Women. The King's Chester alumni coxed the men's reserve crew 'Isis' in 2022 and 2023, most notably to a win over Cambridge's 'Goldie' in the earlier of his two Boat Race appearances. One of just four athletes across these two boats to have beaten the light blues, the 'Ledecky' crew should be in safe hands.
Daniel Orton
Daniel Orton - 🇬🇧
A former Latymer cox, Daniel Orton stormed onto the scene last year to sit at the helm of the Women's Blue Boat for the 2025 race. Handling clashing blades, a restart, and overlap until Hammersmith Bridge, Orton really brings experience of everything except the all important win to this crew - certainly something which could be invaluable in December conditions on the Tideway. He'll know this river like the back of his hand, and this could definitely play into Williams' favour.
Verdict
This is a close one to call. Corrigan has the experience, with two men's reserve races under his belt, but Orton has the advantage of having experienced the pressure of steering a Blue Boat, and a seamless return to the squad from last year. No clear advantage to either crew.
Stroke
Heidi Long
Heidi Long - 🇬🇧
An Olympic medallist, World, and European Champion, and now Women's President for her second Boat Race, there isn't much in the rowing world that Heidi Long hasn't achieved. Clearly leading her squad by example, we've most recently seen Long succeed at GB Trials in the single, looking to build on a bronze at the last World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, as well as in the six seat of Oxford's third-place Head fo the Charles crew. With a Boat Race already under her belt, Long is back for more, and seems a natural choice for one of Allan French's two stroke seats - providing an unwavering rhythm that will remain long and loose throughout this test of grit.
Annie Anezakis
Annie Anezakis - 🇦🇺
A long-time Dark Blue, medical student Anezakis is gearing up for her fourth and final Boat Race, and will certainly be looking to make it fourth time lucky. Having twice stroked the Blue Boat, and most recently stroking Oxford's bronze medal-winning crew in the championship eights at Head of the Charles, this Australian powerhouse is another strong choice for the stroke seat, and will no doubt be driving home a hard rhythm down the course on Friday. As last year's President, the Princeton graduate will be looking to carry forward the momentum that Oxford women have already built, and provide those less experienced around her with a taste of the winning feeling.
Verdict
Another extremely close call, as both bring a wealth of experience in different areas. However, the prowess of Heidi Long is hard to dispute, so here I'm saying advantage Ledecky.
Seven
Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall - 🇬🇧
Returning for her fourth year with OUBC, Sarah Marshall has also become a regular on the GBRT trialling circuit, placing an impressive seventh at Boston in November after enjoying success in both the four and the eight for GB at the World University Games in September. With a whole host of side-by-side races on the Tideway under her belt already, Marshall is a strong choice for the seven seat, and will be backing Heidi Long's rhythm all the way to get her crew over the line first.
Emily Molins
Emily Molins - 🇺🇸
After learning to row with North Suburban Crew in Illinois, USA, Emily Molins enjoyed extensive success with Stanford Lightweights, including multiple IRA wins in the varsity eight and two appearances for the USA at the U23 World Rowing Championships. Winning a silver medal in the lightweight pair in 2019 and achieveing tenth place in the lightweight double in 2021, the Boat Race is certainly a change of pace, but one that Molins can bring bags of experience to.
Verdict
Both crews have incredibly experienced and talented oarswomen in the even seat, but with three Blue Boats under her belt already, Sarah Marshall is a tough opponent here. Advantage Ledecky.
Six
Lilli Freischem
Lilli Freischem - 🇩🇪
Having worked her way through the ranks over the past three years, via both reserve and Blue Boat crews, Lilli Freischem is a stalwart of the Oxford roster. Recently posting an impressive PB on the erg at trials for the German national team, and featuring in the four seat of the bronze medal-winning Head of the Charles crew, Freischem has continued to step on since her appearance in the winning Osiris crew in 2024. One of three in this crew to have beaten Cambridge in previous years, Freischem will be looking to spur her crew into the winning mindset from the stern of 'Ledecky'.
Esther Briz Zamorano
Esther Briz Zamorano - 🇪🇸
Another graduate of Stanford University, Esther Briz Zamorano has a rowing CV longer than will fit in this segment. Having first raced at the U19 World Rowing Championships aged 16, and winning the U19 women's single title the following year, Briz also picked up a World Beach Sprint title in 2021. Switching to sweep for the Paris Olympiad, several World Rowing Cups and World Rowing Championships culminated in a B-final win in the women's pair. Since being in Dark Blue, Briz has enjoyed success at the Head of the Charles and Fours Head, and with such extensive experience across a range of boat classes, she's one to watch.
Verdict
Two incredibly strong six seats with plenty of race experience each. Although new to the Tideway, the grit that Esther Briz Zamorano has shown through coastal and singles racing makes her a perfect fit for the Boat Race. Advantage Williams.
Five
Julietta Camahort
Julietta Camahort - 🇺🇸
Rounding out the Standford trio with OUBC is Julietta Camahort, who also has accolades aplenty. Representing Marin Rowing, Camahort raced for the USA at the U19 World Rowing Championships in both 2019 and 2021, winning gold in the eight at the latter. Adding a bronze medal to the cabinet at the 2023 U23 World Rowing Championships, Camahort was also a regular feature on the Pac-12 Championship winning team, and in the varsity eight and varsity four for the Cardinals. Turning her attention now to the Boat Race, Camahort is roumoured to have one of the fastest 5k erg times in the squad, and will certainly be looking to make her mark on her first Trial Eights.
Kyra Delray
Kyra Delray - 🇬🇧
Having raced for Great Britain at U19, U23 and senior level, Kyra Delray is no stranger to a hard-fought race. A regular name in the Varsity Eight at UCLA throughout her undergraduate degree between 2015 and 2019, Delray now returns for her second season in dark blue. Now Vice President, the 28-year old DPhil student is a strong choice for the five seat of her first Trial Eights, having been recovering from hip surgery this time last year. Delray has already featured in Oxford's top lineups for Head of the Charles and the Fours Head, and knows the Boat Race inside out, having also presented the race for the BBC alongside the likes of Clare Balding.
Verdict
Once again, two incredibly strong athletes. Both bring international experience and exceptinal physiology, but this isn't Delray's first rodeo when it comes to the Championship Course. Advantage Williams.
Four
Tina Macaulay
Tina Macaulay - 🇬🇧/🇿🇦
A homegrown Oxford talent, taught by Tom Coles at Regent's Park College, Macaulay most recently spent an enviable gap year in Australia and rowed for Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne. Macaulay spent the 2023/4 season with OUBC to round out her undergraduate years, racing in the spare four who were victorious over their Light Blue counterparts - the third member of this 'Ledecky' crew to have a Boat Race win in the bag.
Flo Brooke
Flo Brooke - 🇬🇧
Learning to row at Godolphin & Latymer School under Allison Duggan, Hammersmith local Brooke makes her first appearance with OUBC this year, having previously represented Brasenose College Boat Club - the club of which she is currently President. Having learnt to row on the Tideway, and already raced the Fours Head this season, Brooke will be looking to impress in this lineup and make her mark at this point in the season.
Verdict
Two slightly less experienced athletes, but Macaulay and Brooke both bring Tideway experience nonetheless. I'm calling this one even - no advantage to either crew.
Three
Catherine King
Catherine King - 🇬🇧
Nobody brings quite as much experience of the Boat Race to the table as Catherine King, across Henley, Ely and the Tideway. Having raced for Cambridge in the Lightweight Blue Boat, and openweight reserve crew 'Blondie', as well as Oxford's Osiris twice - including a win in 2024 - the experience here is hard to beat. King featured in the stroke seat of last year's losing trial eights crew, then the six seat of Osiris, so it's clear that King is adaptable to any seat in the boat, and will certainly bring a lot to this crew.
Hermione Warr
Hermione Warr - 🇬🇧
Another name from the 2025 Osiris crew, we now see Health Data Science DPhil student Warr making a switch to bowside, yet returning to the three seat. Another home grown athlete, having learnt to row at Lady Margaret Hall Boat Club, Warr notes that her secret to balancing training with study is 'eating well and sleeping lots', and follows in the footsteps of her older brother, who raced for Cambridge in 2015. No doubt looking to step on again from last year, Warr is certainly another name to watch for next year's Boat Race.
Verdict
Despite being close crew mates from last year's Osiris boat, it's hard to dispute King's experience here. Advantage Ledecky.
Two
Liv Pegge
Liv Pegge - 🇬🇧
As a second year Earth Sciences student, Pegge learned to row just last year at University College Boat Club. A testament to the OUBC Development Programme, just 15 months later, she'll now be sitting on the start line of her first Trial Eights.
Amelia Mills
Amelia Mills - 🇿🇦
South African born and raised, Amelia Mills brings previous Boat Race experience to the bows of this crew - both in SA and the UK. Having already raced the South African Universities Boat Race, and last year's Osiris-Blondie race, Mills knows what it takes to put up a fight. Also recently racing for Oxford at Henley Royal Regatta and at the Lenny Peters Cup in High Point, USA, Mills brings plenty of international racing wisdom to the two seat of this Williams crew.
Verdict
With plenty of racing already under her belt, Mills has the clear win here. Advatage Williams.
Bow
Phoebe Forward
Phoebe Forward - 🇬🇧
With the Boat Race in her blood, first-year Psychology student Phoebe Forward will be linng up for her first foray into the race on Friday. Her older brother James rowed for Oxford and older sister for Cambridge Lightweights, but Phoebe has already made a name for herself having twice raced Coupe de la Jeunesse for GB - winning gold in the eight in 2024, and another in the pair in 2025. Strong and technical, Forward is an obvious choice for the bow seat, and will be hoping to be the first one over the finish line for 'Ledecky'.
Sian Dennett
Sian Dennett - 🇬🇧
Sian Dennett is another athlete to return the the OUBC women's squad for another year. Now in the second year of her Healthcare Data Science DPhil (incidentally one of three in her crew to be studying this course), Dennett stroked the Oxford spare four who triumphed over London Rowing Club last year, and will be looking to go one better by putting herself firmly in the top sixteen athletes this time around. With strong technical ability - demonstrated by extensive time spent in the stroke seat across last year's fixtures - Dennett is an obvious choice for the bow seat of this year's 'Williams' crew.
Verdict
Another close one. Dennett has been through this programme before, and raced Trial Eights, fixtures and the Spares Race last year, while Forward bring plenty of junior international racing, indicative of a cool head. Slight advantage Ledecky.
This certainly appears to be a strong year for the women of Oxford University Boat Club, and coaches Allan French, James Powell, and Zoe Taylor will no doubt be delighted to be able to field two eights with this level of depth still relatively early in their Boat Race campaign. The women’s side of OUBC have presented as a strong and united front since they came together in September, having already enjoyed success racing at home and abroad, and the eyes of the rowing world will be firmly focussed upon them and as they battle it out internally down the Championship Course on Friday.
It’s a really tough one to call who might win, as so much of the Trial Eights format is about how the crews have come together in the days and weeks prior, and side by side athlete comparisons don’t necessarily present the full picture. Looking down the crews, I do feel that ‘Ledecky‘ have the slight advantage on paper, especially with the Boat Race experience of Long & Marshall in the stern, but that being said, the ‘Williams’ crew have Briz Zamorano & Delray leading out the engine of their middle four, which could play into their favour through the tough minutes through the middle of the race.
Whoever comes out on top, I certainly think this will be a race worth watching, and look forward to seeing what Oxford women have got on Friday. Best of luck to both crews!
