St Catharine’s is celebrating the important role that five students played in a historic series of victories for Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC). In a feat only previously achieved in 1993 and 2018, CUBC came away with a clean sweep from all its races against Oxford on the Championship Course in London in March:
On stairs from left: Lewis Gray, Joe Holey, Thomas Heppel, Clare Hole; Standing: Matt Edge
Men’s Blue Boat
Women’s Blue Boat
Goldie v Isis
Blondie v Osiris
Spare pairs
Men’s Lightweights
Women’s Lightweights
Lightweight Spares
Veterans’ Race
2003 Reunion Sprint
Clare Hole, a third-year Natural Sciences undergraduate, was in the 5 seat when Cambridge won the Women’s Reserve Boat Race by a whopping three lengths on 27 March – the seventh consecutive victory for the Blondie crew. Clare has rowed in back-to-back wins for Cambridge after she was in the 3 seat in the Blondie boat in 2022.
Clare commented, “It was a privilege to row as part of Blondie again this year and the Cambridge clean sweep across all the squads made it even more special. I am so proud of the determination and resilience shown by the Blondie crew during the race following an intense clash off the start. Our success reflects the hours of training and hard work put in over the last 7 months. A fantastic and unforgettable experience!”
Later the same afternoon, Matt Edge (2018, Natural Sciences), Chemistry PhD student who stayed at St Catharine’s after completing his undergraduate studies, was in the bow seat and consequently the first man across the finish line when the Men’s Blue Boat finished one-and-a-third lengths ahead. Matt rowed at stroke in last year’s Lightweight Men’s Race so has achieved victories across both races.
Matt recalled, “It was the honour of a lifetime to be a part of the race that got me interested in rowing as a child and particularly such a dramatic edition. Well-matched crews and choppy conditions gave for a nervy start but a bold choice by our cox Jasper to steer for calmer waters on the first bend helped us push out to a length or so lead that we could defend down the rest of the course but were unable to shake a relentless Oxford chase to hold the last bit of contact.
“It was a fantastic season for CUBC, securing a clean sweep of wins against Oxford, and it has been great to be joined by so many fellow Catz rowers this year, supported so well by the college and SCCBC and we're all certainly looking forward to Mays!”
It was also poignant for the St Catharine’s community that television coverage on 27 March included a tribute to alumnus Tim Senior (1993, Economics), who sadly died earlier this year. Tim was appointed Non-Executive Chair of the Boat Race Company Limited (BRCL) Board of Directors in 2021 and the BBC’s reporting around the Boat Races included a photograph from Tim’s time at St Catharine’s.
Three St Catharine’s students rowed in the 49th Men’s Lightweight Boat Race on 20 March, which saw Cambridge finish 11 lengths clear of Oxford:
Joe Holey, a Maths PhD student, rowed in the 4 seat after competing with the St Catharine’s College Boat Club over two years and four Bumps campaigns.
Thomas Heppel, a second-year Psychological and Behavioural Sciences undergraduate, was at bow, having represented St Catharine’s in the 2022 May Bumps campaign.
Lewis Gray, a first-year Geography undergraduate, was selected as stroke in his Fresher year.
Joe said, “Representing Cambridge in a victorious lightweight boat race campaign was a fantastic experience – one that I could never have imagined when I took up rowing at college with the expectation of it being my second or third choice sport. The race itself was incredible, from the adrenaline rush of the blade clashes at the start to the feeling of pulling away to open water and then continually extending the margin over the Championship course. But the race is only a handful of minutes out of a 7-month process: I think each member of the squad’s willingness to buy in to every single session over the course of those 7 months is what brought our boat success as we pushed each other to be physically fitter, mentally stronger and technically sharper.”
Lewis added, “‘This year has been an exciting year for me, matriculating in October and going right into the trialling process for CUBC. The race itself was a privilege to be a part of and to add to St Catharine's strong rowing history in the University team topped that off. The whole squad's triumphs across all the races are a real testament to the hard work put into the long and early hours deep in Michaelmas term.”
