Cambridge Boat Race victory ‘greatest feeling in the world’ amid ‘brutal’ weather

Cambridge continued their dominance with a fourth consecutive Boat Race victory on Saturday, beating Oxford by three and a half lengths despite brutal weather conditions with 38mph winds on the Thames

Cambridge bow Simon Hatcher, champagne in hand, had hoped to win the men’s Boat Race by the “curvature of the earth” but was ultimately just relieved to triumph over both Oxford and the elements.

Strong favourites Cambridge secured their fourth consecutive victory on Saturday, defeating underdogs Oxford by three and a half lengths on a gusty afternoon on the Thames, where wind speeds were forecast to hit 38 miles per hour.

The conditions created near-oceanic swells in certain stretches, prompting both crews to take the relatively unusual decision of fitting electric pumps to bail out any water the boats were expected to ship during the race.

“The conditions tend to make equals of us all,” said Hatcher, an American PhD student in engineering, when questioned about the narrow gap between the two sides in the early stages.

“A lot can happen that’s unexpected when the conditions rear up like that. We handled it well enough to get our bow well enough ahead at the end. Whether the margin would have held on a flatter day, we’ll never know.

“I mentioned before that I wanted to win by the curvature of the earth. We might not have won by the curvature of the earth, but we got the bow well ahead and I think that’s the most important thing.”

Hatcher described the conditions as “brutal”, and when pressed about the particularly gruelling white-capped waters at Chiswick, noted that “in those moments you’re blown to a halt, essentially, by the wind.” Entering the 171st men’s Boat Race unbeaten this season, Cambridge found themselves under pressure as Oxford kept the gap to a mere four seconds at Mile Post. However, the light blues began to pull clear at the halfway stage, ultimately crossing the finish line with a winning margin of just over 11 seconds.

“It’s just the greatest feeling in the world,” Hatcher said. “You put so much time into a campaign like this, and you really become brothers with every person in your boat and every person in the club, to deliver like that and to be a part of history.

“It’s just everything. It’s everything you hope for, and regardless of the margin or anything, it’s the greatest feeling ever.”

The victory extends Cambridge’s overall lead in the men’s head-to-head record to 89-81, cementing Saturday’s winners as the dominant force in the historic rivalry.