Boat Race Special 2021 - Sarah Winckless MBE and Judith Packer

Girl on the River

30-03-2021 • 1 hr 5 mins

Ep. 18 In the final episode of Season 1, I'm delighted to bring you the umpires of this year's Boat Races. It's a particularly historic year for the Boat Races, for two reasons. First of all, it's not being held on the Thames, as it usually is, but instead in Ely on the Great Ouse (partly for covid reasons and partly because Hammersmith Bridge is shut for repair). The second reason brings me to my guests - for the first time in the history of the event, there will be women umpires for both the men's and women's races - Olympian and umpire, Sarah Winckless MBE, umpiring the men's race, and World Rowing umpire Judith Packer, umpiring the women's race.

I talk to Sarah and Judith about:

  • How they each started in rowing (Sarah at Cambridge; Judith at Oxford)
  • Whether they feel like trailblazers
  • The response to their arrival on the scene as Boat Race umpires
  • The qualities needed in an umpire
  • Poetry for problem solving (honestly!)
  • What rowing can take from the pandemic and the importance of community and inclusion
  • This year's Boat Race and what it will look like
  • Dealing with the lack of landmarks
  • The umpiring challenges they will be facing this year
  • Whether Cambridge will have a home advantage
  • Whether the race is likely to return to the Thames next year
  • The Boat Race's image problem

Resources:
You can read all about this year's Boat Races including more about the course, the crews and about Sarah and Judith here.
If you're inspired to investigate becoming an umpire yourself, there's more information here.
Find out more about London Youth Rowing here and support Judith's Race the Thames challenge here.