Division 1: 9:00am - Division 2: 10:40am - Division 3: 12:20pm - Division 4: 2:00pm
The Winter League is a series of three head races held on the river Cam, Cambridge, during the winter months of the year. The winner for each category is the crew with the fastest aggregate time over all three legs. The course is 2,600 meters upstream from the A14 bridge to 'Top Finish' at Green Dragon footbridge. Crews can enter any or all legs of the race.
WhatsApp Group for race announcements. We will post important race announcements and Winter League news over a WhatsApp group (announcements only). At least one member of each crew should join.
Please contact winterleague@crarowing.co.uk with any enquires.
Oars cut icy waves,
breathless crews chase through the cold,
Winter League unfolds.
The provisional draw for the final leg of Winter League is now available here.
Starting order and divisions
Please email us if you require any changes to the assigned divisions. The starting order is based on the crews' leg 1 and 2 times (and estimated course time if this is their first race). This allows for a rough speed order when setting boats off. If you'd like to request a change to your starting position in the draw, please let us know. On the day of the race, crews can ask the starting marshals if they wish to adjust their starting position, especially if it appears an early overtake may occur. Could race secretaries make payments for race fees if not already done so.
Prize giving and pot categories
There will be a prize giving at 99s boathouse from 3:45pm on race day (the usual food and beverages will also be available). If we can get the keys to the vault, the silverware will be there for photos!
Pots are awarded to the winners of categories where either two or three crews have completed all three legs. There were 14 'orphaned' crews with no other competition in their category - to offer some reward and incentive, we have put these crews together in combined categories with a suitable leg 3 handicap (see 'Results by Category' for details). In this way, every crew that completes the three legs of the race will be contesting a category awarded with pots.
Provisional results for leg 2 are now available here and on RowClock.
The CUCBC category winners for leg 2 are:
Open Lents 1st Div - St Catherine's M1
Open Lents 2nd Div - Churchill M1
Women's Lents 1st Div - St Catherine's W1
Women's Lents 2nd Div - First & Third M2
Open Single Scull - Clare (Benson)
For crews not already signed up for leg 3, let us know as soon as you can if you intend to race in that final leg on 16 March. Could race secretaries make any remaining entry payments for legs 2 and 3 as soon as possible. For leg 3 we will only include crews on the provisional draw if they have paid the race entry fee.
The provisional draw for leg 2 is now available here.
Please email us if you require any changes to the assigned divisions. The starting order is based on the crews' leg 1 time (and estimated course time if this is their first race). This allows for a rough speed order when setting boats off. If you'd like to request a change to your starting position in the draw, please let us know. On the day of the race, crews can ask the starting marshals if they wish to adjust their starting position, especially if it appears an early overtake may occur.
Could race secretaries make payments for race fees if not already done so. The entry list here shows which crews have not paid (up to 10 February).
Provisional results by category for leg one are now available here and on RowClock. If you have any questions about the results or believe your crew's time is missing or incorrect, please contact us. We will process refunds for withdrawn crews after leg three is complete.
If you need to update your availability for leg two, please do so promptly. For clubs whose race entry secretary used a Google Sheet for entries, update your availability there - there’s no need to notify us, as we’ll see the changes automatically. Otherwise, email us with any updates. The entry form remains open for new entries. Please complete race entry payments as soon as possible.
Thank you for participating, and see you for leg two!
With extremely cold weather forecast (sub-zero, morning fog), additional safety information has been circulated to all competitors via race secretaries.
You can read this additional guidance here: Jan 25 cold weather safety update
All race numbers should be collected at Cambridge 99s.
Cantabs rowers who nominated Pepys Court: a member of Cantabs will collect all of your numbers and deliver them to your boathouse.
Any other clubs who nominated Pepys Court: your numbers will be at Cambridge 99s, unless they are collected by a member of your club.
The provisional draw is now available here.
Please email us if you require any changes to the assigned divisions. The starting order for leg one has been arranged based on the crews' own estimated course times, to allow for a rough speed order when setting boats off. If you'd like to request a change to your starting position in the draw, please let us know. On the day of the race, crews can ask the starting marshals if they wish to adjust their starting position, especially if it appears an early overtake may occur.
See here for the current list of entries. We will publish the provisional draw for leg 1 tomorrow morning (7 January). Let us know by email if there are any changes required (or update your Google sheet if you entered by submitting a spreadsheet).
Entries for the 2025 edition of the Winter League will open at 9am on Friday 6 December 2024.
Refunds
Let us know by email if you think you are due a refund for any of the legs.
Spare Pots
There are some spare glass pots from the Winter League races, and we are offering them on a first-come-first-served basis to the participating crews. They are somewhat of a collector's item; they are engraved with a map of the Cam and the year, so not suitable for next year's race! We even have some from the 2023 edition if you raced in the previous year and think you deserve one! You might like to collect a glass pot if:
You were a substitute or coach of a winning crew that didn't get a chance to collect a pot on the day of the race.
You are a junior rower who did a personal best (or even just a good performance) on the day, and would like a memento.
This was your first race rowing or coxing and you would like a memento of the occasion.
You are a marshal for the race, and think you did a particularly good job.
Collect from the bar at 99s boathouse or email winterleague@crarowing.co.uk (either way, let us know by email that you are collecting any pots). Thanks for participating, and hope to see you next year.