The annual Pembroke Regatta was cut short last week (15/02) after poor weather conditions, race delays, and a rower falling into the river.

The day of races was scheduled to run from 8am to around 4:30 pm, but racing was called off at around 4pm, with teams from the W1 division and the men’s alumni division having their races cancelled.

The bad weather lasted throughout the day, with cold temperatures (lows of one and highs of six degrees), rain, and hail. There were long delays to many races, lasting over an hour, meaning that rowers were exposed to these conditions for extended periods of time.

One student told Varsity that: “The day itself was freezing, which wasn’t helped by the insane delays. We were sitting on the bankside for over an hour in the freezing cold with occasional bursts of rain and hail which made it even worse”.

A spokesperson for the Pembroke boat club noted “that being on the water for over an hour is fairly standard for regatta style races”.

Complaints over the wait were reiterated by another student, who added that they waited in “almost constant rain and hail for about an hour, if not more” and had their race “delayed by over half an hour”.

Some students speculated about the cause of the race delays, suggesting that “houseboats moving around the river” may have contributed, but added that they were not sure. They stressed that “this is of course not the organisers’ fault.”

Another said that “we didn’t get any updates as to why these delays had happened.”At one point, a rower fell into the river. One student described the decision to cancel the rest of the races after this incident as a “prompt and sensible decision”.

The boat club spokesperson stated: “We have been in touch with the coach of the rower concerned since Saturday and understand she continues to recover.”

The organisation of the race as a whole – run by the Pembroke College Boat Club – was criticised by some rowers, who said that “the event itself could have done with much more communication surrounding the delays and how long we would be waiting for, and was inefficient in setting off boats, making the delays grow further.”

This comes after the 2022 Pembroke Regatta also ended early due to poor conditions, with two students contracting hypothermia as a result.

However, the conduct of the race marshals was praised by many students, who said that they were “so lovely and cheerful and should not be subjected to the criticism they are receiving”. Another student added that they were “very friendly and communicative”.

A spokesperson for the boat club explained: “We have begun, as a college, the process of compiling a full report of the 2025 regatta to ensure we continue to improve the experience for all […] We would encourage anyone with constructive comments on ways the event could be improved for future years to get in touch with us.”