Race report – Winter League 2026
Isle of Ely had another impressive turn-out for this year’s Cambridge Winter League, and brought home a grand total of 19 pots! We’re not sure if 19 pots is a new record but it’s impressive. We saw wins from our O.J17/18 single, our W.J17/18 double, our W.J15 single, our O.J14/J16 single, our J18 O.Club B coxless quad, our O.J17/18 double, and our O.Mas coxed four. This is an inspiring set of results, particularly from our junior section whose dedication and good humour is an absolute pleasure to be around. We’re so proud of the success of our small community club, finishing right up in the results table among the prestigious clubs in the Cambridgeshire area.
A huge well done to everyone who participated, and an enormous thank you to all our supporters and volunteers who gave their time and energy. Read on for race reports from some of our crews!
It was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that our novice crew arrived at the Combined Colleges’ Boathouse on 11th January. Back when we’d signed up, Coach Rob had encouragingly reminded us that we could always pull out closer to the time… well it was too late now! Most of us had never even rowed in Cambridge, let alone competed, so everything was a new experience – even rigging the boat! Once we’d worked out which way the seats went back on, it was time to go.
Kirsty had bravely agreed to cox us and under her guidance we made it safely to the start. Spirits were high despite the cold and slightly blustery weather. We soon discovered the challenges of the marshalling area as we clung to the bank at a 45-degree angle whilst trying to hold handwarmers. Eventually, the first crews got underway and soon it was our turn. Hannah set a nice, steady rhythm in stroke and we just focused on timing and making sure we took the catch together. Crossing the finish line as a crew was a great feeling and finding out we had won our category was even better!
Perhaps the less said about leg 2, the better! The morning of 15th February started with snow and freezing temperatures. Poor Kirsty battled the weather with W1 then had to face it again to cox our crew in division 4. Our time was slower than leg 1, leaving us a little disappointed but determined to improve in leg 3.
What a difference a month makes. By the time we arrived to rig the boat on the 22nd March, the mist had burned away and the sun was shining. Thanks to some extra help, we had the boat rigged in record time and could soak up some rays. Not too much time to relax though, we had a point to prove and were keen to get underway.
We were a little overexcited at the start but some reminders to chill from our cox helped us settle into a better rhythm, focusing on the power in the drive and slowing down the last second of our recovery. As we passed the Plough, we encountered the infamous swan, who raised his wings and headed straight for our cox! In our determination to save Kirsty, we rowed faster than ever. Perhaps we could employ a fierce swan as part of our training plan…
Getting closer to the finish, we could hear shouts of ‘Go Ely!’ from the bank and the encouragement spurred us on. A single in front of us crossed the line and stopped dead which required a bit of shouting and manoeuvring as we were not slowing down. When we got back to the boathouse, we were delighted to hear that we had beaten our fastest time by 2 minutes 20 seconds.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the club and the event who helped make our first Winter League such an enjoyable experience. We’re so grateful for all the work that goes on behind the scenes, from race entries to trailering the boats, and all the encouragement and advice on the day. Special thanks to Rob, for turning us into a racing crew, and Kirsty for guiding us through the event, rain or shine.
Congratulations to all the Isle of Ely winners!
Alison Hoal
Isle of Ely (W.Novice.4x+) – all smiles waiting for the start!
Lean mean rowing machines (Isle of Ely W.MasC.4x-)
This was our second Winter League entry as a W.MasC.4x- crew working with our coach Rob. We opted for Division 4 after being seriously frozen solid last year and promising we would never race again! But a year later here we were back at the start line (more excited than nervous this time) ready to take on the ice, snow, wind, rain, sun, and birds. Even a steering issue in the first leg did not dampen our spirits, and the support shown by our IoERC friends across all 3 races really made this years league a joy to be part of. Our crew were really pleased with our effort and thrilled to improve on our fastest time from last year! Well done to all the Ely crews and pot winners.
Amy, Judy, Debbie and Jaqui
The Cambridge Winter League once again provided a test of consistency, resilience and crew development across the winter months. Racing in the Open 4+ category, our men’s coxed four competed over the three legs held in January, February and March, with each race bringing its own challenges and opportunities to improve. The crew for the series comprised Owen Paddock, James Horn, Sam Roberts and Freddie Osbourne, with Liz Roberts coxing. For the February leg, Owen was unavailable and Dylan Schoeman stepped in as a substitute, doing an excellent job at stroke.
Each leg told a slightly different story. The January race gave us a solid starting point, where we recorded a time of 14:15. In February, despite freezing temperatures and snowy conditions, the crew pushed on well to produce an improved time of 14:02. By the time the March leg arrived, the conditions were far more pleasant, and the crew was able to put together its best row of the series, finishing in an impressive 12:15. The improvement from the first leg to the third showed just how much progress had been made over the course of the competition.
We were delighted to come away as overall winners, making it our second consecutive victory in the event. It was a fantastic achievement for the whole crew and a fitting reward for the hard work put in throughout the winter. A big thank you goes to everyone who supported the race, especially Liz for her excellent coxing and Dylan for stepping in so well in February. It was a fantastic event to be involved in, especially with so many other performances from Ely crews, both Senior and Junior, and the amazing atmosphere of the club.
Isle of Ely’s winning masters four (O.Mas.4+)
This year’s Winter League, as always, was a well-attended and very successful event for the IoERC Junior crews. Our awesome teenagers won 13 pots, which is an amazing triumph considering the difficult conditions for the January and February legs. The J18 4x crew also achieved the fastest Club raw time of 10:45. Congratulations to the Juniors and Coaches!
- W.J17 2x Emily D & Antonia M/Grace L
- W.J18 2x Maisie S & Grace W
- W.J15 1x Lilly T
- O.J16 1x Tom LG
- O.J17 1x Matthew T
- O.J17 2x Arthur R & Elliot S/Elliot M
- O.J18 4x Josh LG, Jamie B, Edward M & Tom G
Jason Harre
Ben Rodford