Jesuans launch countdown to the Boat Race 2024
Cambridge University Boat Club presidents Jenna Armstrong (2020) and Seb Benzecry (2020) headed to London to meet the opposition and formerly launch another season of competition between Oxford and Cambridge.
Both the men’s and women’s student presidents of Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) this academic year are Jesuans.
Jenna and Seb will lead their squads through the 2024 Boat Races, and the Presidents' Challenge was the first of their official Boat Race duties.
Tradition dictates that the president of the previous year’s losing team challenges their counterpart from the triumphant opposition to race again – and so it was Oxford offering up the invitations after Cambridge’s clean sweep of 2023. They then shook hands on stage with Oxford's Louis Corrigan and Ella Stadler in front of the coveted men’s and women’s trophies.
Jenna who is studying for a PhD in Physiology has rowed in two winning crews for CUBC, reserve boat Blondie in 2022 and the Blue Boat in 2023. She will be looking to extend the Blue Boat’s six-year streak and Blondie’s seventh.
Despite only having a handful of returning athletes Jenna sounded confident.
She said: “The numbers that we’ve been producing on the water are really promising, and we’ve seen some massive PBs during our testing.”
Seb, who is studying for a PhD in Film and Screen Studies, was part of the winning 2021 Blue Boat, stroked Goldie in 2022, and won again in the 2023 Blue Boat.
He cited consistency as one of his guiding principles.
"Having experienced the highs and lows of this amazing, unique race over the past three years, I think capping off my time at Cambridge with a win in my fourth year would be fantastic,” he added.
The Gemini Boat Race 2024 will take place on Saturday 30 March, with the 78th Women’s Race to be followed shortly after by the 169th Men’s Race.
