100th Varsity Match at Itchenor Sailing Club
by Anthony Butler 10 Jul 2017 11:27 BST
6-7 July 2017
Not unexpectedly, Cambridge (2nd, 3rd, and 4th at BUSA to Oxford's 9th), were victorious 4-0 in the 100th Varsity Match sailed in Swallows at Itchenor 6/7 July 2017. Cambridge Ladies (2nd to Oxford's 1st at Ladies BUSA), sailed strongly to take their match 4-1 after some testing battles with Oxford.
So the Light Blues made a very effective riposte to the Dark Blue's 4-1 sweep of both matches in the 2012 centenary event, which was also at Itchenor in Swallows. (The first Varsity Match took place in 1912 on the Ouse at Ely.)
Conditions were ideal for the match, though PRO Roger Yeoman had to chase the wind no less than three times during Thursday. Cambridge Men were 3-0 and Cambridge Ladies 2-1 at the end of the day's racing.
The following day (Friday) Cambridge Ladies won two races in succession to run out victors 4-1 and Cambridge Men won a fourth race to finish worthy winners 4-0 overall. The score for the main match now stands at 56 victories for Cambridge, 40 for Oxford, with 4 ties.
A big thank-you to Itchenor SC for mounting such an excellent event, with a first class race team and many helpers, to the umpires - who had unexpectedly little business - and to the lending boat owners.