Boat Race

The Boat Race is a rowing race between the rowing clubs of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. It is rowed annually each Spring on the River Thames in London, England. The event is an extremely popular one, not only with the alumni of the universities, but also with rowers in general and the general public. It is estimated that a quarter of a million people watch the race live from the river banks, and 2004's television audience of more than a half billion viewers makes it one of the most watched sports events in the world. The first race was in 1829 and it has been held annually since 1856 with the exception of the two world wars.

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Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues and the boats as blue boats, with Cambridge being represented as light blue, and Oxford as dark blue.

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The course is 4 miles and 374 yards (6,779 m) from Putney to Mortlake, passing Barnes and Hammersmith. The race is for heavyweight eights (i.e. for eight rowers with a cox steering, and no restrictions on weight). The race is timed so that the rowers row with the tide (but against the usual stream of the Thames). The course for the main part of the races' history has been from Putney to Mortlake, but there have been a few other courses:

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• 1829 – At Henley-on-Thames
• 1839 to 1842 – Westminster to Putney
• 1846, 1856, 1862, 1863 – Mortlake to Putney

In addition, there were four unofficial boat races held during World War II away from London - 1940 (Henley-on-Thames), 1943 (Sandford-on-Thames), 1944 (River Ouse, Ely), and 1945. As none of those competing were awarded blues, these races are not included in the official list.

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The tradition was started by Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his schoolfriend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. Cambridge challenged Oxford to a race, and the challenge was repeated the next year. The tradition continues, with the loser challenging the winner to a re-match annually.

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The event is now a British national institution, and is televised live each year. As of the 2005 race, the BBC will hand over broadcasting rights to ITV, after 66 years. The race has been won by Cambridge 78 times and Oxford 72. The 2003 race was amongst the closest in history, with Oxford winning by less than a foot. One entertainment for spectators is the possibility of a boat sinking. This has occurred on three occasions; to the Oxford crew in 1925 and to Cambridge in 1859 and in 1978.

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The race in 1877 was declared a dead heat. Legend in Oxford has it that the judge, "Honest John" Phelps, was asleep under a bush as the crews came by leading him to announce the result as a "dead heat to Oxford by four feet", but this is not borne out by contemporary reports. The Times said:

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:"Oxford, partially disabled, were making effort after effort to hold their rapidly waning lead, while Cambridge, who, curiously enough, had settled together again, and were rowing almost as one man, were putting on a magnificent spurt at 40 strokes to the minute, with a view of catching their opponents before reaching the winning-post. Thus struggling over the remaining portion of the course, the two eights raced past the flag alongside one another, and the gun fired amid a scene of excitement rarely equalled and never exceeded. Cheers for one crew were succeeded by counter-cheers for the other, and it was impossible to tell what the result was until the Press boat backed down to the Judge and inquired the issue. John Phelps, the waterman, who officiated, replied that the noses of the boats passed the post strictly level, and that the result was a dead heat."

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Though the contest is strictly speaking between amateurs and indeed the competitors must be students of the university for whom they race, the training schedules each team undertakes are very gruelling. Typically each team trains for six days a week for six months before the event. Such is the competitive spirit between the universities it is common for Olympic standard rowers to compete, notably including four times Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent who rowed for Oxford in 1990, 1991, and 1993. This has led to unproven accusations that these students are admitted entrance to university not because of their academic ability but rather their rowing skill.

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In 1987, a disagreement arose amongst the Oxford team which became known as the "Oxford mutiny". A group of talented American oarsmen had enrolled at Oxford and were prepared to compete in the race, but disagreements with the English team captain led to them withdrawing six weeks before the race was due to start. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/university_boat_race/1196221.stm Coach Dan Topolski, who wrote a book entitled True Blue about the incident, was left with the reserve team which, in a surprise to many, went on to win the race. In that year Beefeater Gin became the official sponsors of the boat race, taking over from the first sponsorship, by Ladbrokes, which dated back to 1976.

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Although the heavyweight mens eights are the main draw, the two universities compete in other rowing boat races. The main boat race is preceded by a race between the two reserve crews, (called "Isis" for Oxford and "Goldie" for Cambridge). The women's eights, women's reserve eights, men's lightweight eights (and reserves), and women's lightweight eights race in the Henley Boat Races on a different day.

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Boat Race: Build-up ►



 

Rowing: Rowing may refer to:...

University of Oxford: The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world....

University of Cambridge: The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom....




Boat Race related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Boat Race as Viewed from Hammersmith Bridge	Boat	Boat Trip	Boat Trip
Show Boat (1951) (DVD)	Great Race, The (DVD)	Master Race, The (DVD)	Love Boat
River Boat	Yacht Race	Death Race	Race at Sea