Eight out of eight. Rarely in rowing has dominance been so personified. The streak that Cambridge University Boat Club’s women’s squad are currently on – dating all the way back to 2017, where they first broke a run of four Oxford wins in a row – is remarkable and testament to the astonishing programme that this powerhouse of sport have built. Under the guidance of Paddy Ryan – who first took the helm in 2021 – Cambridge women have won four races in a row by at least two lengths each time.
On Sunday, they put on their latest clinic to emerge as champions of the Thames once again over a despondent Oxford. Since returning to the Tideway – after a two-year enforced absence due to COVID-19 – Cambirdge women have always raced in Filippi shells and 2025 was no different. They took this victory in our Performance F42, the same mould that took Romania to Olympic gold last summer in Paris.
The Light Blue winning time of 19:25 was in part due to a restart caused by a clash in the opening stages of the race that forced umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent to restart the race. Conditions were favourable and much had been made of this incredible boat’s ability to potentially break records, with several returners from last year’s triumphant crew. After the restart – which saw Cambridge adopt a 1/3 length lead they had established prior to the clash – Paddy Ryan’s women never relinquished their hold on the contest. Passing Hammersmith Bridge, where Oxford’s bend began to come into play, Cambridge did exceptionally well to control proceedings from the front, stretching inexorablt away from a rapidly tiring Dark Blue outfit. By the time the crews reached Barnes Bridge – which signals around a mile to go – Cambridge were in complete control of the race, leading by several lengths of clear water.
Over the line, the celebrations were immense and testament to a programme that has produced yet another world class outfit. “Wow!,” commented Paddy, speaking shortly after the race. “That was another very different race but I am very thankful for an incredibly strong squad. I can’t thank Filippi enough for their support. It is great to be able to work with a partner that is working hard on innovation and to have them excited to continue to support us. It feels a real honour that we have such entwined goals. If you didn’t notice, as a touch of class, they put a strip of Cambridge blue on the new monolithic Aliante rigger.”
We are incredibly excited to support this phenomenal programme which so often catapults athletes into the national squads; recent notable alumni include Olympic champions Imogen Grant and Grace Prendergast plus this year’s crew featured Claire Collins of the USA, who raced in the women’s eight in Paris (also in a Filippi). We hope this cooperation will last for many more seasons and look forward to continuing to support Paddy, Matilda and the entire team.
