The table below lists Cambridge sailing Gosnell Cup winners since the cup was first raced for in 1940. The cup has sometimes been called the Freshers Cup. It is a fine silver rose bowl with a wooden plinth. The cup was originally won outright by Ralph Gosnell in his 5 Rater at Tamesis SC in 1902. Mrs Gosnell presented the cup to the Club in 1939 for a new members race in memory of Ralph, her husband. Ralph had been Vice Commodore of the Club 1923-25 and 1936-39.
Some History
The race was usually sailed in the Easter Term. Where this has varied, the academic year has been used to avoid two different winners appearing in the same year. In 1996 George Nurton and Rob Buthune agreed to share the cup, sailed for on a really windy day. Only George and Rob made the start, and George’s mast fell down at the final gybe mark. He was a lap ahead of Rob, who had capsized twice, but a re-sail was not possible. After the Gosnell Cup race of 2013, the competition was suspended because of the pressures of trials, training, and team racing events on the Club’s sailors.
| Year | Name | College | Year | Name | College | |
| 2013 | Esther Sidebotham | Jesus | 2012 | Francine Counsell | Corpus | |
| 2011 | No race | 2010 | No race | |||
| 2009 | William Kalderon | Emmanuel | 2008 | No race | ||
| 2007 | No race | 2006 | No race | |||
| 2005 | No race | 2004 | Jonathon Pinner | Trinity Hall | ||
| 2003 | Wendy Carlin | Magdalene | 2002 | Mark Mellows | Pembroke | |
| 2001 | George Harston | St Catharines | 2000 | Alistair Rose | Fitzwilliam | |
| 1999 | Tom Herbert | Caius | 1998 | Ari Liddell | New Hall (Murray Edwards) | |
| 1997 | Archie Massey | Pembroke | 1996 | George Nurton Rob Buthune | Emmanuel Corpus |
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| 1995 | Geoffrey Camm | Clare | 1994 | No race | ||
| 1993 | Michael Hogg | Queens | 1992 | Graham Camm | Magdalene | |
| 1991 | Nigel Masding | St Johns | 1990 | Ed Crook | Fitzwilliam | |
| 1989 | Ian Walker | Downing | 1988 | Gordon Maclay | Trinity Hall | |
| 1987 | No race | 1986 | Stephen Keating | Sidney Sussex | ||
| 1985 | Bruce McLaren | Caius | 1984 | Peter Kennedy | Robinson | |
| 1983 | Barry Parkin | Downing | 1982 | Vincent Geake | Peterhouse | |
| 1981 | Stacey Clark | Downing | 1980 | Jane Sears | Girton | |
| 1979 | Andrew Hattersley | Emmanuel | 1978 | Andy Biller | Churchill | |
| 1977 | Mark Struckett | Selwyn | 1976 | Mary Clarke | Newnham | |
| 1975 | Chris Atkins | Pembroke | 1974 | Will Henderson | Trinity | |
| 1973 | David Wilkins | Wolfson | 1972 | John Burke | Trinity Hall | |
| 1971 | Phil Crebbin | Magdalene | 1970 | No Race | ||
| 1969 | Bob Barker | Fitzwilliam | 1968 | Robert Barklie | Churchill | |
| 1967 | Andrew Beveridge | Trinity | 1966 | Chris Brown | Clare | |
| 1965 | Peter Dixon | Corpus | 1964 | Malcolm Atkinson | Jesus | |
| 1963 | Mike Hayles | Churchill | 1962 | Roger Palmer | Jesus | |
| 1961 | Peter Walker | Jesus | 1960 | R Millington | Trinity | |
| 1959 | William Kilgour | St Johns | 1958 | Richard Harrison | Trinity Hall | |
| 1957 | John Parkinson | Jesus | 1956 | Mike Prosser | Trinity | |
| 1955 | David Court-Hampton | Selwyn | 1954 | Robert Campbell | Fitzwilliam | |
| 1953 | Michael Moore | Kings | 1952 | Brian Heron | St Catharines | |
| 1951 | Ian Cox | Clare | 1950 | Terence Murphy | Jesus | |
| 1949 | William Wilson | Queens | 1948 | P K Withenshaw | Trinity | |
| 1947 | J C Holborow | Caius | 1946 | John Abbott | Downing | |
| 1945 | Henry Catherwood | Pembroke | 1944 | M D Duxbury | Trinity Hall | |
| 1943 | Oswald Trubshawe | Clare | 1942 | Robert Wright | Kings | |
| 1941 | R J Walker | Trinity | 1940 | T R Jackson | Trinity |