The ‘Lightweight Women’s Four’ with cox managed to finish first in their class, the first-year oarswomen Mylène, Marissa, Floor, Deanne and Kim thereby living up to their promise as the favourites. The first-year ‘Heavyweight Men’ also won their final, the first victory for the men. The female Argonauts finished several boat-lengths ahead of their rivals from Amsterdam and Groningen on the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. ‘There was quite a lot of expectation that we would win,’ says Deanne Verkroost. ‘Both among ourselves and at Argo. We knew we could do it but we still needed to prove it. It was a real relief when we heard the gun and realized we had the trophy.’ The women are now ranked first in the first-years’ league table.
It was a particularly special victory for the men. Not only was it their first trophy, it was also the first time in 36 years that Argo’s Young Eight had managed to win at the Varsity. That battle between first-year oarsmen is the most important match at the Varsity after the Old Four, the blue ribbon event.