Sunday 12th February saw 25 Cantabs crews take to the water for the 2nd leg of the Cambridge Winter League. Leg 1 back in January saw Cantabs take the lead in IM2.1x, W.IM3.1x, W.IM2.8+, W.IM3.8+ and NOV.8+, along with the Senior Men and Senior Women’s Squads producing the fastest men’s and women’s eights of the day, respectively.
A similar story played out in the 2nd leg, this time with the W.IM2.8+ (racing in their brand new Filippi) finishing 8th overall and smashing the Winter League course record set back in fast conditions in 2006 by 4 seconds. The crew also beat all but one men’s second eights in the process (along with a few men’s first eights!). Millie Perrin, Ellie Darlington, Clare Hall, Eve Caroe, Hannah Stewart, Bailee Stratton, Harriet Cross, Georgia Vann and cox Esther Momcilovic’s lead in IM2 is now 2 minutes 29 seconds over 2nd placed Cambridge 99.
The W.IM2.8+ on their way to a course record
The second fastest women’s crew of the day was the Senior Women‘s second eight of Anita Holender, Cecilia Collins-Taylor, Hannah Stewart, Catherine Watson, Alice Brownjohn, Emma Dalrymple, Gill Cooper, Judith Weik and cox Leanne Fiddian. They now have a lead of 1 minute 11 seconds in W.IM3.8+ over 2nd placed City of Cambridge.
The squad’s Georgie Plunkett finished as the fastest W.IM3.1x, and will be looking to make further improvements in the 3rd leg to finish as the fastest W1x.
The Senior Men‘s IM1.8+ answered coach Andy Johnson’s request to go sub-9 by clocking 8 minutes 59.9 seconds! Jimmy Adams, Guy Fiddian, Finn Grimwood, Hannes Dinse, Jon McCree-Grey, Charlie Cullen, James King, Hadi Boukhatmi (who was also the fastest M1x of the day) and cox Sara Russo did well to maintain their position as the fastest men’s crew despite missing some key crew members, and after match racing the Cambridge University lightweight blue boat the day before.
Cecile Jacklin and David Richardson finished as the fastest Mx.MasCDE.2x of the day, and will be looking to close the gap on first place in March to take the win over the 3 legs.
A Hills Road junior boys’ crew finished as the fastest NOV.8+; however, Cantabs’ Aquaphobes crew of Matt Crowe, Pete Brookes, Richard Harper, Paul Casciato, Neil Sparnon, Mehrdad Ekbatani, Dave Rayment and Lucio Cicolecchia maintain the lead in this event over the 2 legs after being much quicker than the Hills crew in Leg 1. Leg 3 on 12th March will see these two crews battle it out to see who takes home the crown over the whole league!
Other results: IM2.8+ (4th of 4), MasBC.1x (2nd and 4th of 5), NOV.1x (2nd and 5th of 7), W.NOV.4x (only entry), W.IM3.8+ (5th of 7), IM3.8+ (2nd of 6), MasBC.8+ (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th of 6), W.MasDE.8+ (4th of 4), MasDE.8+ (5th of 5), MasFGH.8+ (3rd of 4), W.NOV.8+ (2nd and 4th of 8).
