08/06/2026
Wolfson Volunteer Spotlight: Tasha Mapenzi
In April, two Wolfson women’s crews were invited to participate in the Aviron de Vinci Association’s De Vinci Race 2024, marking the first year that the race has opened up to international teams. Arriving early morning in Paris, the crews explored the city in search of pastries before gathering at the Boulogne 92 Boat House to meet the organisers and test out the equipment, followed by a crew dinner that evening.
Braving the changeable Parisian weather, the 500m regatta took place at Paris Yacht Marine on the Seine, where Wolfson W2 stormed to victory against ESCP in the first heats, and Wolfson W1 became bronze medallists, impressively placing third overall in the Women’s 8s category. After a morning racing with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, the crews enjoyed a post-race ceremony and buffet on board a yacht, celebrating their achievements.
Crews included: (W1) Tan Yi Hong (Cox), Analia Hernández, Will Dawkins, Katie Cavanaugh, Rosie Michalik-Denny, Chloe Lambdon, Angela Strunks, Jenna Frost, and Danielle Jones. (W2) Charalampos Michalakakis (Coach and Cox), Claire Hunter, Raquel Scarpa-Gebara, Rebecca Smedley, Marine-Océane Verdez-Scholler, Lauren Goh, Cynthia Dong, Christy Cheung, and Elizabeth Winter.
“Participating in this year’s De Vinci Race in Paris gave the Wolfson Women’s crews an amazing chance to race on international waters. Our 48 hours in Paris were a fantastic bonding experience for us as a team and provided a great taste of competitive racing outside the UK. I’m hopeful this is just the beginning of many more exciting adventures for WCBC Women's crews. I was incredibly proud to be part of the Wolfson team bringing home bronze medals from Paris!”
Rosie Michalik-Denny, WCBC Social Secretary
The following month, ten students and two coaches from the WCBC men’s side travelled to Zhengzhou, China to compete in the invitation-only Longzi Lake University Rowing Regatta. WCBC last competed in the Regatta in 2018, which takes place on the first circular rowing track in China.
The competition involved both a 5.1km time trial and a 500m multi-lane sprint, with WCBC racing against top university crews from across China, and other international teams from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria and Hungary. Wolfson achieved a silver medal in each of the men’s 8+ races, only beaten in both by New Zealand’s Otago University.
Students competing this year included Calum Caldwell, Charles Norman, Daniel Egan, Henry Rayner, Max Robinson-Auer, Michael Allison, Polly Denny (cox), Robert Sales, Scott Wilson, William Toye and coaches Thomas Hewitt and Alexander Tocher.
“Arriving in Cambridge, I never imagined receiving an invitation to an international sporting event in China. Our three-day adventure was a truly enlightening experience, stimulating all the senses: visiting the stunning temples in the Songshan mountain range, rowing around the high-rise Zhengzhou City in a unique circular track, and attending cultural exchanges at the innovative Henan Institute of Economics and Trade. Undoubtedly, this trip has been the highlight of my time here and quite possibly of my life so far.”
Max Robinson-Auer
WCBC's success abroad was followed by a strong May Bumps campaign, with M1 and M2 finishing +3 overall, W1 putting in a hard-fought performance with rowovers and a bump on day three, and W2 bumping on days two and three. To keep up with the latest news, visit the WCBC Instagram and Facebook.
