Cambridge came off second-best today to a German crew featuring six reigning world champions but only just in an exciting duel on the Thames as a prelude to this year’s Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging, and due to take place on April 7th.

The final verdict today was just under a length, a margin of around two seconds, with a finishing time of 13 minutes 25 seconds for a course rowed between the traditional Boat Race start at Putney and Chiswick Steps and on a day when conditions on the river were both tricky and slow.

Cambridge, stroked by their own German world champion, Thorsten Engelmann, and featuring British Olympians Tom James and Kieran West, got much the better start and, racing on the Middlesex station, were soon half a length ahead. Their opponents gradually fell into a steady rhythm in breezy but not choppy conditions and on a river whose tidal flow had all but disappeared.

Germany began to move back into contention by the end of the Fulham Wall and by Barn Elms both crews were level. Umpire Rob Clegg was then forced to warn both crews as they clashed twice before the Mile Post, reached in four minutes and 45 seconds, a true sign of the slowness of the conditions.

Cambridge emerged from this period a third of a length ahead before the German machine moved into action. With the famous Harrods Depository as a background, the visitors put in a push which saw them move through Cambridge to take a third of a length lead.

“The Germans found a slightly easier rhythm to move on from and we were always chasing it from that point”, said Cambridge coach Duncan Holland.

By Hammersmith Bridge, Germany’s lead had lengthened to three-quarters of a length and as the crews reached St Paul’s School the Germans were rating more slowly but had increased their lead to over a length. Both crews, in the absence of a stream to give them an advantage, hugged the Surrey bend.

When the finish line at Chiswick steps was in view, Cambridge cox Russ Glenn attempted to steer his now sprinting crew up the inside of the bend to get back into contention. It was a dramatic move and one which paid off in reducing the margin of victory for the visitors to just under a length.

Coach Holland had chosen a strong test for his potential Blue Boat line up and they proved themselves extremely capable in the face of some of the world’s best opposition. “I hate losing”, he said afterwards. “But it was only by three seconds after more than 12 minutes of racing. That’s not bad. We’ve learnt a lot to carry forward from here”.

Holland’s reserve crew were also in action today, chalking up a comfortable win over a University of London eight.

Cambridge next race on Friday 23rd March against Molesey. Oxford take to the water next Saturday (10 March) to face an American line-up as part of their build up to The Boat Race.

CREW LISTS (from bow to stroke plus cox)

Cambridge

Kip McDaniel, Dan O’Shaughnessy, Peter Champion, Jacob (Jake) Cornelius, Tom James (President), Kieran West, Sebastian Schulte, Thorsten Englemann, Russell Glenn (cox)

Germany

Joerg Diessner, Stephan Koltzk, Jan-Martin Broer, Matthias Flach, Ulf Siemes, Jan Tebruegge, Phillip Stueer, Bernd Heidicker, Peter Thiede (cox)

"Cambridge Reserves"

Alastair MacLeod, Doug Perrin, Colin Scott, Tobias Garnett, Oliver (Oli) de Groot, Johannes (Wanne) Kromdijk, Don Wyper, David Billings, Rebecca Dowbiggin (cox)