The 87th San Francisco Boat Race Dinner celebrates the 171st Oxford and Cambridge Men's Boat Race and the 80th Oxford and Cambridge Women's Boat Race. Taking the form of a College Feast at an Oxbridge College, it is the one occasion each year when the alumni of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge convene for a large-scale event in Northern California. Alumni, students, academic visitors and former employees of either university are invited to attend, along with their spouses, partners and guests. The evening is held in the elegant ambience of the University Club atop Nob Hill in the heart of San Francisco.
Elisabeth Kendall will be the distinguished guest speaker. Elisabeth Kendall is The Mistress [President] of Girton College at the University of Cambridge. She is a world-renowned Arabist, Middle East expert and Yemen specialist, whose current research focuses on Arabic cultural production and non-state armed groups. She has spent significant time in the field, especially in Yemen. She has lectured at government, military and scholarly institutions all around the world and is a frequent contributor to international television and print media. She has authored and edited several works on Arabic and Islamic literature, language, culture and politics and she is currently working on a new book, Rock Stars of Jihad. In 2022, she was elected an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford in recognition of her "distinguished academic career as a British Arabist at the top of the field" and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Glasgow "in recognition of great distinction in the field of Arabic Studies".
Co-chairs are Matthew Kaser (Linacre, Oxford) and Alex Driskill-Smith (Caius, Cambridge).
Cocktails are at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 7:15 pm. The Boat Race video will be played before dinner at 6:15 pm and again after dinner.
Dress - Black Tie or Boat Club Blazer Preferred
RSVP by April 11th, 2026 - but please book early because space is limited
The dinner, including wine, is $157 for adults and $147 for seniors and students. Special rates of $147 for adults and $137 for seniors and students are available for bookings made by March 21st, 2026. Due to limited space, please note there is a limit of one accompanying guest for each Oxford or Cambridge alumnus.
