Tamesis Regatta

Last updated

Tamesis Regatta
Most Recent Winners (2025)
University College Men St Hugh's Women
University College Oxford Rowing Blade.svg St Hughs Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg
Second Place
Magdalen Men Magdalen Women
Magdalen College Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg Magdalen College Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg
Third Place
Queen's Men Merton Women
Queens College (Oxford) Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg Merton College Rowing Blade.svg
Course Isis (upstream)
Course lengthvariable but c. 400m
Note: Last Regatta 26th November – 29th November 2025
LBC – Tamesis Regatta

The Tamesis Regatta is a series of rowing races in the University of Oxford, England, held annually in late November, during the seventh week of Michaelmas term. Novice crews representing each college compete against each other, often for the first time. [1] [2] There are separate men's and women's races, with many colleges entering more than one crew.

Contents

First run in 1959, [3] the event used to be known as the Christ Church Regatta, as it was organised by that college boat club, but the regatta is now organised by whichever Oxford College club wins a competitive bidding process run by OURCs. [2] [4] Since 2022, the regatta has been organised and run by Linacre Boat Club. [5]

The name Tamesis comes from the Latin name of the river Thames, itself from the old Brittonic Tamesas (modern Welsh Tafwys), on which the regatta takes place. It likely means 'dark'. [6]

The equivalent race in Cambridge is the Clare Novice Regatta. [7]

Race

The regatta is held on the Isis, the stretch of the River Thames running through Oxford, in Christ Church Meadow (the park in Oxford belonging to Christ Church). [8]

The competition is run over up to four days in total, from Wednesday of 7th week in Michaelmas Term to Saturday of 7th Week. Races are head-to-head [1] between two teams that are chosen at random. The winner of the race will progress to the next round of races. The loser may be knocked out so that they no longer race. However, the loser of a first round race will enter the repechage, meaning that they have the chance to stay in the competition. The knock-out rounds of the competition proceed until two crews are left to race against each other in the Final. [9]

A regatta of novice crews has potential problems, with crews catching crabs, clashing or stopping. If racing becomes dangerous the race will be stopped by klaxon. In 2012 deteriorating river conditions led to racing being suspended after a crew got into trouble while marshalling at the end of their race. [10] The regatta was cancelled in 2019, 2023 and 2024 due to high river conditions, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11] [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Nicoll, Matt (28 November 2011). "Christchurch Regatta splashes off". Cherwell . Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Christ Church Regatta". Wolfson College Boat Club. 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Dudhia, A. "A History of Oxford College Rowing" . Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Week 8 Captains Meeting Minutes" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Linacre Boat Club MNR".
  6. ↑ Mallory, J. P. and D. Q. Adams (1947). The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. London: Fitzroy and Dearborn. p. 147.
  7. ↑ "Clare Novices' Regatta". Clare Boat Club. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  8. ↑ "Thames". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. London: Macmillan Publishers. 1988.
  9. ↑ "Linacre Michaelmas Novice Regatta".
  10. ↑ Murphy, Darcey (25 November 2012). "Rowing suspended with multiple collisions". Cherwell. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "OURCs Entries". ourcs.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "OURCs Entries". ourcs.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
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