with a 10 lengths win against their old rivals the Thames Rowing Club

London Rowing Club won the 50th contest for the Boustead Cup in convincing fashion this morning, passing the University Stone at Putney 30 seconds (approximately 10 lengths) ahead of Thames Rowing Club. The winning time was 17:26 in relatively slow stream conditions.

Thames were always likely to have difficulties against a London crew including multiple Henley winners and former Great Britain Under-23 internationals. Their task became even more challenging after illness forced three late changes to the Thames crew.

Thames won the toss (after the coin initially landed on edge and rolled away) and chose the Middlesex station, hoping to profit from the first Chiswick bend. However, London hit their strong rhythm early on and had gained clear water by Barnes Bridge.

London made a clean sweep of it by also winning the Second and Third Eights' races. Strikingly, the winning times for these races were respectively only 23 and 25 seconds slower than the Boustead race itself, suggesting that London will be a club to watch at the Head of the River Race next month.

Thames can console themselves with the fact that, come the summer, all but two of their squad are eligible for the Club-level events at Henley Royal Regatta, while many of London's top men are ineligible and will likely be racing for the Visitors Cup or Ladies Plate.

At a ceremony afterwards in the Thames RC boathouse, the trophy was presented to the winning crew by Nicholas Boustead (grandson of Guy, who donated the trophy in 1947) and his wife Sarah. Thames captain Emma James gracefully congratulated the London crews and her London counterpart Tom Killick. Tom thanked the Boustead family for their continued support and for instigating an event which, he said, undoubtedly has helped raise standards at both clubs. Crews and guests then enjoyed lunch.