Success for Downing College Boat Club at Head of the River Race
On Saturday 23 March, Downing College Boat Club's M1 travelled down to London to race in the annual Head of the River Race (HoRR) on the Championship Course. With 297 crews from clubs and universities around the UK and overseas racing against the clock, HoRR is considered the most prestigious Head race of the winter season.
Having navigated the inevitable pre-race chaos before the start, M1 flew down the track, quickly overhauling South College (Durham University) and later overtaking three other boats including Jesus College in a repeat of Lent Bumps a few weeks ago.
In fast conditions, the crew posted a blistering 18:17:1, securing a win in the Medium Academic category by an incredible 15 seconds, beating a number of university first boats in addition to all of the Cambridge colleges and all Oxford and Durham counterparts. Overall, Downing finished in 72nd and as the 22nd university crew.
The Downing crew was:
- Cox: Erika Jaszka
- Stroke: Gianluca Maffi
- 7: Thomas Masding
- 6: Nick Rix-Perez
- 5: Daniel Fearn
- 4: James Wirth
- 3: Toby Brady
- 2: Rian Howe
- Bow: Joe Stell
DCBC Men's Captain Thomas Masding said: "Winning the Medium Academic pennant, and beating all of the other Cambridge, Oxford and Durham colleges in the process, was a fantastic achievement for the crew and all those who have so generously given their time to coach and support the club. We are looking forward to Segreants' Day in a few weeks time where we will celebrate all our crews' successes this year."
Published 3 April 2024