The Boat Race
Encyclopedia
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
and the Cambridge University Boat Club
Cambridge University Boat Club
The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...
, rowed between competing eights
Eight (rowing)
An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....
each spring on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first Saturday of April. The formal title of the event is currently the Xchanging Boat Race, and it is also known as the University Boat Race and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
In 2010 an estimated quarter of a million people watched the race live from the banks of the river and millions on television.
Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues
University Sporting Blue
A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...
and each boat as a "Blue Boat
Blue Boat
The Blue Boat is the highest level boat representing the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge in the Universities' annual rowing clash on the River Thames: The Boat Race...
", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue. The first race was in 1829 and it has been held annually since 1856, with the exception of the two world war
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s. The most recent race was on Saturday, 26 March 2011 at 5.00pm with Oxford (on the Surrey Station) winning. The 2012 event, scheduled for Saturday 7 April at 2.15pm, will be the last Boat Race sponsored by Xchanging
Xchanging
Xchanging PLC is an outsourcing company for business processes, with a wide range of multinational customers in 42 countries.Xchanging offer a range of "partnering" and outsourcing contract arrangements. In "partnering", Xchanging share any profit and capital benefits from productivity...
, whose share price plunged when they issued a profits warning shortly before the 2011 race.
The race is governed by a Joint Understanding between Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs.
Origin
The tradition was started in 1829 by Charles MerivaleCharles Merivale
The Very Reverend Charles Merivale was an English historian and churchman, for many years dean of Ely Cathedral...
, a student at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, and his schoolfriend Charles Wordsworth
Charles Wordsworth
The Reverend Charles Wordsworth, M.A. was bishop of Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane in Scotland. He was a classical scholar, and taught at a public schools in England and Scotland...
who was at Oxford. Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
challenged Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to a race at Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
. The second race occurred in 1836, with the venue moved to be from Westminster to Putney. Over the next couple of years, there was disagreement over where the race should be held, with Oxford preferring Henley and Cambridge preferring London. Cambridge therefore raced Leander Club in 1837 and 1838. Following the formation of the Oxford University Boat Club, racing between the two universities resumed and the tradition continues to the present day, with the loser challenging the winner to a re-match annually.
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 when the race finished, leading him to announce the result as a "dead heat to Oxford by four feet". This is not borne out, however, by contemporary reports.
Cambridge produced one of the legends of the Boat Race and of rowing worldwide, Stanley Muttlebury
Stanley Muttlebury
Stanley Duff Muttlebury was an English rower notable in the annals of rowing and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.-Parentage and family background:...
, whose crew won the race in the first four of the five years he was a member, 1886-1890. He was viewed as "the finest oarsman to have ever sat in a boat".
Contemporaries writing to The Times to add to his 1933 obituary called attention to his extraordinary physical prowess and natural aptitude
Aptitude
An aptitude is an innate component of a competency to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Aptitudes may be physical or mental...
for rowing, traits accompanied by mildness, good manners, and natural kindness:
"Muttle", as he was known at the varsity and later in life, was one who strove never to hurt (The Times), but there have been two instances where later generations of oarsmen have rebelled against the leadership of the Boat Club President and their coach. Both have involved Oxford University Boat Club and in both cases American oarsmen played a pivotal role.
1959 Oxford mutiny
Oxford in Autumn 1958 had a large and talented squad. It included eleven returning Blues plus Yale oarsmen Reed Rubin and Charlie GrimesCharles Grimes (rower)
Charles Livingston Grimes was an American competition rower and Olympic champion.-Education:Grimes was prepared at Groton. He graduated from Yale University in 1957 and had an LL.B. from Harvard Law....
, a gold medallist at the 1956 Olympics. Ronnie Howard was elected OUBC President by the College Captains, beating Rubin. In 1958, Howard had rowed in the Isis crew coached by H.R.A. "Jumbo" Edwards
Hugh Edwards (rower)
Hugh Robert Arthur Edwards , also known as Jumbo Edwards, attended Christ Church, Oxford and was an English rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1932 Summer Olympics....
, which had frequently beaten the Blue Boat in training.
Howard's first act was to appoint Edwards as coach. Edwards was a coach with a strong record, but he also imposed strict standards of obedience, behaviour and dress on the triallists which many of them found childish. As an example, Grimes withdrew from the squad after Edwards insisted he remove his "locomotive driver's hat" in training.
With selection for the crew highly competitive, the squad split along the lines of the presidential election. A group of dissidents called a press conference, announcing that they wanted to form a separate crew, led by Rubin and with a different coach. They then wished to race off with Howard's crew to decide who would face Cambridge.
Faced with this challenge, Ronnie Howard returned to the College Captains and asked for a vote of confidence in his selected crew and the decision not to race off with the Rubin crew. He won the vote decisively and the Cambridge president also declared that his crew would only race the Howard eight.
Three of the dissidents returned and Oxford went on to win by six lengths.
1987 Oxford mutiny
In 1987, another disagreement arose amongst the Oxford team. A number of top class American oarsmen refused to row when a fellow American was dropped in preference for the Scottish President, Donald Macdonald. They became embroiled in a conflict with Macdonald and with coach Dan Topolski over his training and selection methods. This eventually led most of the Americans to protest what they perceived to be the president's abuse of powerAbuse of Power
Abuse of Power is a novel written by radio talk show host Michael Savage.- Plot :Jack Hatfield is a hardened former war correspondent who rose to national prominence for his insightful, provocative commentary...
, by withdrawing six weeks before the race was due to start. As Gavin Stewart, the stroke and mainstay of the winning Oxford eight, stated:
To the surprise of many, Oxford, with a crew partially composed of oarsmen from the reserve team, went on to win the race. One aspect of the race was Topolski's tactic, communicated to the cox while the crews were on the start, for Oxford to take shelter from the rough water in the middle of the river at the start of the race, ignoring conventional wisdom that centre stream is fastest even if rowing conditions are poor.
A further surprise was that the captains of the Oxford college boat clubs, who had voted in support of Macdonald and Topolski and precipitated the Americans' withdrawal during the mutiny, voted one of those Americans, Chris Penny, as OUBC president for 1988, a break with the tradition that the president is a returning Blue (the other candidate being Tom Cadoux-Hudson, who was a British member of the 1987 winning crew).
Topolski wrote a book entitled True Blue: The Oxford Boat Race Mutiny on the incident. A movie based on the book, True Blue
True Blue (film)
True Blue is a 1996 British sports film based on the book True Blue: The Oxford Boat Race Mutiny by Daniel Topolski and Patrick Robinson. It follows the 1987 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race and the disagreement amongst the Oxford team known as the "Oxford mutiny". For the US DVD release, the film was...
, was released in 1996. Topolski's account was seen by some as one-sided, and Ali Gill, who had been a member of the university women's Boat Club at the time of the mutiny, wrote a book The Yanks at Oxford to put the other side of the story.
Reported facts of the "mutiny" still differ greatly depending on the source, and with the historians having been personally involved in the events or the small community in which they occurred, a definitive, unbiased version has never been agreed upon. Macdonald and the Americans have refused to contribute to any debate on the event, including a 2007 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio programme to mark the 20th anniversary.
Notable races in recent years
In 2003 Cambridge were substantially heavier and appeared to be the favourites. Two days prior to the race, however, the Cambridge crew suffered a collision on the river in which oarsman Wayne Pommen was injured. With a replacement in Pommen's seat, Cambridge went on to lose by a record slim margin of one foot. In that year, there were two sets of brothers rowing: Matt Smith and David Livingston for Oxford, and Ben Smith and James Livingston for Cambridge. All four had been pupils together at Hampton School
Hampton School
Hampton School is an independent boys' day school in Hampton, London, England.-History:In 1556, Robert Hammond, a wealthy brewer who had acquired property in Hampton, left in his will provision for the maintenance of a 'free scole' and to build a small schoolhouse 'with seates in yt' in the...
in south-west London. Cambridge gained revenge in 2004 in a race marred by dramatic clashes of oars in the early stages, and the unseating of Oxford's bowman.
The 2006 race was won by Oxford. Cambridge had started as strong favourites but, despite rough rain, made a tactical decision not to use a pump to remove excess water in the boat. Oxford did use a pump and overtook Cambridge to win. Cambridge had in fact introduced pumps as early as 1987 (the year of the Oxford mutiny, and a day of rough conditions).
In 2007 Cambridge were again strong favourites based on the team members' individual successes, and 9 lb heavier per man on average. The Cambridge crew had five returning blues compared to Oxford's one. Furthermore, the international achievement of Cambridge's rowers far exceeded that of Oxford's: the World Champion stern pair of Germans Thorsten Engelmann
Thorsten Engelmann
Thorsten Engelmann is a German rower. Engelmann started rowing at age 9 because his father was the President of a rowing club in Berlin...
– the heaviest ever boat race oarsman at 110.8 kilograms (244.3 lb) – and Sebastian Schulte
Sebastian Schulte
Sebastian Schulte is a German rower.- References :* at sports-reference.com...
; Olympic Gold medallist Kieran West
Kieran West
Kieran Martin West, MBE is a British rower and Olympic champion.-Education:Born in Kingston upon Thames, West was educated at Dulwich College, in south-east London, before going to Christ's College, Cambridge in 1995, to study for a BA in Economics and Land Economy, followed by a PGCE in...
MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
and GB medal winner Tom James
Tom James
Thomas James MBE is a Welsh rower, Olympic Champion, and victorious Cambridge Blue.-Education:James was educated at The King's School, Chester, where he took up the sport of rowing...
. Although Oxford rowed strongly at the beginning, the light blues showed their class by holding Oxford while they had the advantage, and pushing on with tidier rowing from Chiswick steps. Despite their weight and technical superiority, Cambridge won by only a length and a quarter in a time of 17 minutes and 49 seconds.
In 2010 the crews were evenly-matched in age, height and weight. Oxford won the toss and selected the Surrey station, achieving a fast start and forcing Cambridge to row the slower outside course around Hammersmith Bridge to Chiswick Eyot. The Cambridge crew fought back dramatically at Chiswick Pier and overtook Oxford before Barnes Bridge, going on to win by 11/3 lengths in a time of 17 mins 35 seconds.
Course
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s (6.779 km) from Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
, passing Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
and Barnes; it is sometimes referred to as the Championship Course
The Championship Course
The stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England is a well-established course for rowing races, most famously the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. It is often referred to as The Championship Course...
, and follows an S shape, east to west. The start and finish are marked by the University Boat Race Stones
University Boat Race Stones
The University Boat Race Stones are two small stone markers on the southern bank of the River Thames in west London, one 129m upstream of Putney Bridge and the other at Mortlake, 112m downstream of Chiswick Bridge....
on the south bank. The clubs' presidents toss a coin (the 1829 sovereign) before the race for the right to choose which side of the river (station) they will row on: their decision is based on the day's weather conditions and how the various bends in the course might favour their crew's pace. The north station ('Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
') has the advantage of the first and last bends, and the south ('Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
') station the longer middle bend.
Oar (sport rowing)
In rowing, oars are used to propel the boat. Oars differ from paddles in that they use a fixed fulcrum to transfer power from the handle to the blade, rather than using the athlete's shoulders or hands as the pivot-point as in canoeing and kayaking. Typical Sculling oars are around 284 cm -...
and warnings from the umpire. A crew that gets a lead of more than a boat's length can cut in front of their opponent, making it extremely difficult for the trailing crew to gain the lead. For this reason the tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on, and few races have a change of the lead after half-way (though this happened in 2003, 2007 and 2010).
The race is rowed upstream
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
, but is timed to start on the incoming flood tide so that the crews are rowing with the fastest possible current. If a strong wind is blowing from the west it will be against the tide in places along the course, causing the water to become very rough. The conditions are sometimes such that an international regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
would be cancelled, but the Boat Race has a tradition of proceeding even in potential sinking conditions. Several races have featured one, or both, of the crews sinking. This happened to Cambridge in 1859 and 1978, and to Oxford in 1925 and 1951. Both boats sank in 1912, and the race was re-run, and in 1984 Cambridge sank after crashing into a stationary barge while warming up before the race. Cambridge's sinking in 1978 was named in 79th place on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.
The race is for heavyweight eights (i.e., for eight rowers with a cox
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
steering, and no restrictions on weight). Female coxes are permitted, the first to appear in the Boat Race being Sue Brown for Oxford in 1981. In fact female rowers would be permitted in the men's boat race, though the reverse is not true.
During the race the crews pass various traditional landmarks, visible from the river:
| Landmark | Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... |
Comments |
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  Westminster School The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain... Boat Club (left), and Cambridge from King's College School Boat Club King's College School Boat Club King's College School Boat Club is the rowing club of King's College School, Wimbledon, London, England.The club's boat house is based on the towpath in Putney, south-west London, on the River Thames. It was previously owned by Barclays... (right). Both clubs are near the Start, just downstream of the Black Buoy. The crews warm up by rowing downstream below Putney Bridge before taking their places at the start. |
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| Putney Bridge Putney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:... |
51.467319°N 0.213756°W |   |
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51.471211°N 0.221132°W |  |
| Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
51.474895°N 0.221655°W |  |
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51.47852°N 0.226987°W |  Steve Fairbairn Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:... . Exactly a mile from the Boat Race start, it is a traditional timing point. The Middlesex bank water continues to be shallow and slack all the way to Hammersmith Bridge. |
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51.482041°N 0.223482°W |  |
| Harrods Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air... Furniture Depository |
51.484633°N 0.227956°W |  |
| Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in west London, just south of the Hammersmith town centre area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side of the river. It allows road traffic and pedestrians to cross to Barnes on the south side of the river... |
51.488129°N 0.230536°W |  |
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51.488983°N 0.235855°W |  |
| Chiswick Eyot Chiswick Eyot is a small, narrow, uninhabited ait in the River Thames. It is on the Tideway near Chiswick, in the Borough of Hounslow, London, England, and has an area of .... ("eight") |
51.487596°N 0.245814°W |  |
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51.487182°N 0.250411°W |  |
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51.482452°N 0.250937°W |  |
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51.47879°N 0.250583°W | Marks the end of the long Surrey bend. The deep water channel is in the centre of the river. |
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51.476572°N 0.252149°W |  |
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51.472736°N 0.253758°W | Crews must pass through the centre arch. 95% of boats leading here have won. Only one boat has won since 1945 when trailing at Barnes Bridge: Oxford came from behind this late in 2002. The Barnes Bridge corner by Emanuel School Boat House is very tight: if both crews are level this is a real test for the coxes. |
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51.470474°N 0.266376°W |  Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world... beer. |
| Chiswick Bridge Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on... |
51.472861°N 0.268151°W |   Chiswick Bridge Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on... is marked by a stone on the south bank and a post on the north bank. |
In the arms of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
, which covers much of the course, two griffin supporters hold oars, one light blue, one dark, in reference to the Boat Race. These colours are highly unusual in English heraldry.
Previous courses
The course for the main part of the race's history has been from Putney to Mortlake, but there have been three other courses:- 1829 — At Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
- 1839 to 1842 — WestminsterWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
to Putney - 1846, 1856, 1862, 1863 — Mortlake to Putney
In addition, there were four unofficial boat races held during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
away from London — 1940 (Henley-on-Thames), 1943 (Sandford-on-Thames
Sandford-on-Thames
Sandford-on-Thames is a village and Parish Council beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire just south of Oxford. The village is just west of the A4074 road between Oxford and Henley.-Early history:...
), 1944 (River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
), and 1945. As none of those competing were awarded blues, these races are not included in the official list.
Media coverage
The event is now a British national institution, and is televisedTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
live each year. As of the 2005 race, the BBC handed over broadcasting rights to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, after 66 years, but it returned to the corporation in 2010.
The most famous commentary on The Boat Race featured BBC radio commentator John Snagge
John Snagge
John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge OBE was a long-time British newsreader and commentator on BBC Radio.Born in Chelsea, London, he was educated at Winchester College and Pembroke College, Oxford, where he obtained a degree in law. He then joined the BBC, taking up the position of assistant director at...
who, his voice filled with excitement during the 1949 staging of the event, reported: "I can't see who's in the lead but it's either Oxford or Cambridge".
Barry Davies
Barry Davies
Barry George Davies MBE is a British sports commentator. He has covered a wide range of sports in a long career, primarily for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
was the voice of the Boat Race for the BBC for the years 1993 to 2004. Peter Drury
Peter Drury
Peter Drury, born 1968, is ITV Sport's number two football commentator, a role he has held since joining the network in 1998.A politics graduate from Hull University, Peter began his career as a journalist with Hayters sports agency before joining BBC Radio Leeds in 1990 as a football and cricket...
then took over as the main commentator for ITV from 2005 to 2009.
The race which took place on 30 March 1895 became the subject of one of the world's first motion pictures
The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race (1895 film)
The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Birt Acres...
directed by Birt Acres
Birt Acres
Birt Acres was a photographer and film pioneer.Born in Richmond, Virginia to English parents, he invented the first British 35 mm moving picture camera, the first daylight loading home movie camera and projector, Birtac, was the first travelling newsreel reporter in international film history and...
.
Ethnographer Mark de Rond described the training, selection, and victory of the 2007 Cambridge crew in The Last Amateurs: To Hell and Back with the Cambridge Boat Race Crew.
Competitors
Although the contest is strictly between amateurs and 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
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
standard rowers to compete, notably including four times Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent
Matthew Pinsent
Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
who rowed for Oxford in 1990, 1991, and 1993. Olympic Gold medallists from 2000
Rowing at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Rowing events at the 2000 Summer Olympics:The event is probably most noted for Steve Redgrave's winning his fifth Olympic gold medal in as many games in the British men's coxless four. However, there were a number of other dramatic races. Both the men's and women's single...
- Tim Foster
Tim Foster
Timothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
(Oxford 1997), Luka Grubor
Luka Grubor
Luka Grubor is a competition rower, born in Zagreb, who competed for Yugoslavia and Croatia, and became Olympic champion for Great Britain....
(Oxford 1997), Andrew Lindsay
Andrew Lindsay
Andrew Lindsay is a British competition rower and Olympic champion.Lindsay won a gold medal in coxed eights at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, as a member of the British rowing team....
(Oxford 1997, 1998, 1999) and Kieran West
Kieran West
Kieran Martin West, MBE is a British rower and Olympic champion.-Education:Born in Kingston upon Thames, West was educated at Dulwich College, in south-east London, before going to Christ's College, Cambridge in 1995, to study for a BA in Economics and Land Economy, followed by a PGCE in...
(Cambridge 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007) - and 2004
Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre and featured 550 competitors taking part in 14 events....
- Ed Coode
Ed Coode
Ed Coode, MBE is a British rower, twice World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist.Educated at Papplewick School, Ascot, Eton College, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford University, where he attended Keble College and rowed in the Oxford crew at the 1998 Boat Race.Coode won his first World...
(Oxford 1998) have also raced for their university. Other famous participants in the race include Andrew Irvine
Andrew Irvine (mountaineer)
Andrew "Sandy" Comyn Irvine was an English mountaineer who took part in 1924 British Everest Expedition, the third British expedition to the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest....
(Oxford 1922, 1923), Lord Snowdon
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, GCVO, RDI is an English photographer and film maker. He was married to Princess Margaret, younger daughter of King George VI and younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II....
(Cambridge 1950), Colin Moynihan
Colin Moynihan
Colin Berkeley Moynihan, 4th Baron Moynihan PC is a former Olympic coxswain who became a businessman, politician and sports administrator.-Early life:...
(Oxford 1977), and Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
(Cambridge 1980).
Academic status
There are no sporting scholarships at Oxford or Cambridge, so in theory every student must obtain a place at their university on their academic merits, but there have been unproven accusations that these students are admitted to the universities for their rowing skill without meeting the normal academic standards.From 1978 to 1983 the race was won every year by Oxford crews that included Boris Rankov
Boris Rankov
Boris Rankov is a professor of Roman history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He was born August 9, 1954.Educated at Bradford Grammar School , then subsequently Corpus Christi College, Oxford , Professor Rankov is perhaps best known for his participation in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race,...
, who was then a graduate student at Oxford and recognised as a powerhouse of the crews. Although Rankov was a bona fide student (and is now a professor at the University of London), this led to the establishment of the informal "Rankov Rule", to which the teams have adhered ever since, that no rower may compete in the boat race more than four times as an undergraduate, and four times as a graduate.
In order to protect the status of the race as a competition between genuine students, the Boat Race organising committee in July 2007 refused to award a blue to 2006 and 2007 Cambridge oarsman Thorsten Engelmann
Thorsten Engelmann
Thorsten Engelmann is a German rower. Engelmann started rowing at age 9 because his father was the President of a rowing club in Berlin...
, as he did not complete his academic course and instead returned to the German national rowing team to prepare for the Beijing Olympics. This has caused a debate about a change of rules, and one suggestion appears to be that only students that are enrolled in courses lasting at least two years should be eligible to race.
Evidence suggests that participants in the boat race are indeed academically capable: the 2005 Cambridge crew, for example, contained four Ph.D students, including a fully qualified medical doctor and a veterinarian.
Standard of the crews
The question whether the Boat Race crews are up to the standard of international crews is difficult to judge, since the Boat Race crews train for a long-distance race early in the season, so their training schedule is quite different for crews training for international regattas over 2000 metres that take place later in the year.The Boat Race crews do race against selected club and international crews in the build-up to the race, and are competitive against them, but again these matches are over various non-standard distances, against crews that might not have been together as long as the Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
crews.
In 2005 a strong Oxford crew, similar to that which had raced in the Boat Race, entered the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta losing to the winning German international crew in the first round by a third of a length. The same year, Cambridge won the Ladies Challenge plate at the HRR.
In 2007 Cambridge were entered in the London Head of the River Race
Head of the River Race
The Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4.25 mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:...
where they should have been measured directly against the best crews in Britain and beyond. However, the event was called off after several crews were sunk or swamped in rough conditions. Cambridge were fastest of the few crews who did manage to complete the course.
Sponsorship
The Boat Race has been sponsored since 1976, with the money spent mainly on equipment and travel during the training period. The sponsors do not have their logos on the boats or kit during the race, but provide branded training gear and have some naming rights. Boat Race sponsors have included LadbrokesLadbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
, Beefeater Gin
Beefeater Gin
Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin bottled, and distributed in the United Kingdom, by the company of James Burrough. It is a 47% alcohol product in the US and New Zealand, and a 40% alcohol product elsewhere in the world . 40% alcohol is 80 proof in the US...
, Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management plc is an international investment management group, managing assets for both institutions and private investors from offices around the world. Its head office is in Aberdeen, Scotland. The company is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:The company was...
, and the business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions to a third-party service provider. Originally, this was associated with manufacturing firms, such as Coca Cola that outsourced large segments...
company Xchanging
Xchanging
Xchanging PLC is an outsourcing company for business processes, with a wide range of multinational customers in 42 countries.Xchanging offer a range of "partnering" and outsourcing contract arrangements. In "partnering", Xchanging share any profit and capital benefits from productivity...
, who will sponsor the race until 2012. Controversially, in the renewal of the deal with Xchanging, the crews agreed to wear the sponsor's logo on their kit during the race itself, in exchange for increased funding . Prior to this, all sponsorship marks had been scrupulously discarded on boating for the competition, in line with the race's amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
and ‘Corinthian’ spirit. Xchanging
Xchanging
Xchanging PLC is an outsourcing company for business processes, with a wide range of multinational customers in 42 countries.Xchanging offer a range of "partnering" and outsourcing contract arrangements. In "partnering", Xchanging share any profit and capital benefits from productivity...
also became title sponsor in November 2009 so, since the 156th Race, the event is known as The Xchanging Boat Race.
Other Oxford/Cambridge Boat Races
Although the heavyweight men's 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 GoldieGoldie (Cambridge University Boat Club)
Goldie is the second boat of the Cambridge University Boat Club, who compete in an annual rowing race against Isis on Boat Race Day each year. The boat is named in tribute to CUBC's legendary President John Goldie who also gave his name to the Goldie Boathouse...
for Cambridge).
The women's eights, women's reserve eights, men's lightweight eights and women's lightweight eights race in the Henley Boat Races
Henley Boat Races
The Henley Boat Races are a number of rowing races between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Taking place on the River Thames at Henley, they are for crews that do not compete in the main University Boat Race on the 6,779m Championship Course in London:* Women's Boat Race *...
, usually a week before the men's heavyweight races. There is also a 'veterans' boat race, usually held on a weekday before the main Boat Race, on the Thames between Putney and Hammersmith.
Build-up
Training for the boat race officially begins in September, before the start of term. The first public tests are in November at the British Indoor Rowing ChampionshipsBritish Indoor Rowing Championships
The British Indoor Rowing Championships is an indoor rowing event organised by Concept2. It first began in 1991 with the first event held in Henley-on-Thames attracting 200 competitors. Over the years it outgrew all of its venues and has been held since 2000 at the National Indoor Arena in...
where each university sends around 20 rowers to compete. Everyone races 2 km on an indoor rower
Indoor rower
An indoor rower, or rowing machine, is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. Indoor rowing has become established as a sport in its own right...
with the club presidents using adjacent machines. Both universities also send crews to the Head of the River Fours
Head of the River Fours
The Fuller's Head of the River Fours is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:...
race in London which is raced over the reverse Boat Race course, that is to say the Championship course from Mortlake to Putney.
In December, the coaches put out Trial Eights where two crews from the same university race each other over the full boat race course. These crews are given names such as Kara and Whakamanawa (Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
words for strength and honour, Cambridge 2004) or Cowboys and Indians (Oxford 2004). Other trials boat names have included such pairings as Guns and Roses.
Over the Christmas period the squads go on training camps abroad, where final places for the blue boats are decided. After the final blue boat crews have been decided they race against the top crews from the UK and abroad (e.g. in recent years they have raced Leander
Leander Club
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...
, Molesey
Molesey Boat Club
Molesey Boat Club is a rowing club on the river Thames in England.-Location:The Club is situated on a stretch of the River Thames between Molesey Lock and Sunbury Lock...
, the German international crew, and a composite crew of Olympic scullers). These races are only over part of the course (from Putney to Chiswick Eyot
Chiswick Eyot
Chiswick Eyot is a small, narrow, uninhabited ait in the River Thames. It is on the Tideway near Chiswick, in the Borough of Hounslow, London, England, and has an area of ....
).
In case of injury or illness, each university has ten extra rowers, eight in the reserve boats Isis and Goldie, and two as the spare pair. Isis and Goldie race 30 mins before the Blue Boat event over the same course. As for the spare pair, in the week before the main event they race each other from the mile post to university stone (i.e. from a point one mile into the Championship Course back to the Boat Race start). In the final week, there is also an official weigh in and the average crew weights announced. The perceived slight advantage of being the heavier crew leads to the practice of drinking large volumes of water directly before the weigh in order to artificially increase weight for a short period of time.
Popular culture
Boat race became such a popular phrase that it was incorporated into CockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
rhyming slang, for "face".
Results and statistics
The detailed nature of the record-keeping over the event's history has many record statistics being carefully monitored. A selection of the more frequently cited statistics includes:- Cambridge: 80 wins
- Oxford: 76 wins
- Dead heats: 1
- Most consecutive victories: Cambridge, 13 (1924–36)
- Cambridge Reserves (Goldie): 29 wins
- Oxford Reserves (Isis): 17 wins
- Course record: Cambridge 1998 – 16 minutes, 19 seconds (average speed 24.9 kilometres per hour (15.5 mph), including the effect of the favourable tide)
- Heaviest rower: Thorsten EngelmannThorsten EngelmannThorsten Engelmann is a German rower. Engelmann started rowing at age 9 because his father was the President of a rowing club in Berlin...
, Cambridge 2007, (110.8 kilograms (244.3 lb)) - Lightest rower: Alfred Higgins, Oxford 1882, 9 st 6.5 lb (60.1 kg; 132.5 lb)
- Heaviest crew: Oxford 2009, (99.7 kg) average
- Tallest rower: Josh WestJosh WestJoshua "Josh" West is a British rower.-Early life:West is Jewish, was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. His mother is American, and his father is British.-Rowing career:...
, Cambridge 1999-2002, 6 ft 9.5 in (2.07 m) - Tallest crew: Cambridge 1999, 6 ft 6.3 in (1.98 m) average
- Oldest rower: Mike Wherley, Oxford, aged 36 years 14 days, on 29 March 2008 (winner)
- Oldest competitor: Andy Probert (cox), Cambridge, aged 38 years 86 days, on 4 April 1992
Full results by year
| No. | Date | Winner | Time | Ox total | Cam total | Reserve Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxford | 14:03 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | Cambridge | 36:00 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Cambridge | 31:00 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 4 | Cambridge | 29:03 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 5 | Cambridge | 32:03 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 6 | Oxford | 30:01 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 7 | Cambridge | 23:03 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 8 | Cambridge | 21:05 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 9 | Cambridge | 22:00 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 10 | Oxford | foul | 3 | 7 | ||
| 11 | Oxford | 21:36 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 12 | Oxford | 25:29 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 13 | Cambridge | 25:45 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 14 | Oxford | 22:05 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 15 | Cambridge | 21:23 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 16 | Oxford | 24:04 | 7 | 9 | ||
| 17 | Cambridge | 26:05 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 18 | Oxford | 23:03 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 19 | Oxford | 24:04 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 20 | Oxford | 23:06 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 21 | Oxford | 21:04 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 22 | Oxford | 21:24 | 12 | 10 | ||
| 23 | Oxford | 25:35 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 24 | Oxford | 22:39 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 25 | Oxford | 20:56 | 15 | 10 | ||
| 26 | Oxford | 20:04 | 16 | 10 | ||
| 27 | Cambridge | 22:04 | 16 | 11 | ||
| 28 | Cambridge | 23:01 | 16 | 12 | ||
| 29 | Cambridge | 21:15 | 16 | 13 | ||
| 30 | Cambridge | 19:35 | 16 | 14 | ||
| 31 | Cambridge | 22:35 | 16 | 15 | ||
| 32 | Oxford | 22:02 | 17 | 15 | ||
| 33 | Cambridge | 20:02 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 34 | dead heat | 24:08 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 35 | Oxford | 22:15 | 18 | 16 | ||
| 36 | Cambridge | 21:18 | 18 | 17 | ||
| 37 | Oxford | 21:23 | 19 | 17 | ||
| 38 | Oxford | 21:51 | 20 | 17 | ||
| 39 | Oxford | 20:12 | 21 | 17 | ||
| 40 | Oxford | 21:18 | 22 | 17 | ||
| 41 | Cambridge | 21:39 | 22 | 18 | ||
| 42 | Oxford | 21:36 | 23 | 18 | ||
| 43 | Cambridge | 22:03 | 23 | 19 | ||
| 44 | Cambridge | 20:52 | 23 | 20 | ||
| 45 | Cambridge | 20:48 | 23 | 21 | ||
| 46 | Cambridge | 20:14 | 23 | 22 | ||
| 47 | Oxford | 22:03 | 24 | 22 | ||
| 48 | Oxford | 21:48 | 25 | 22 | ||
| 49 | Oxford | 19:01 | 26 | 22 | ||
| 50 | Oxford | 18:45 | 27 | 22 | ||
| 51 | Oxford | 21:39 | 28 | 22 | ||
| 52 | Oxford | 20:05 | 29 | 22 | ||
| 53 | Oxford | 20:01 | 30 | 22 | ||
| 54 | Oxford | 19:12 | 31 | 22 | ||
| 55 | Oxford | 22:15 | 32 | 22 | ||
| 56 | Cambridge | 21:04 | 32 | 23 | ||
| 57 | Cambridge | 18:45 | 32 | 24 | ||
| 58 | Oxford | 22:31 | 33 | 24 | ||
| 59 | Cambridge | 19:09 | 33 | 25 | ||
| 60 | Cambridge | 19:33 | 33 | 26 | ||
| 61 | Cambridge | 21:37 | 33 | 27 | ||
| 62 | Oxford | 20:35 | 34 | 27 | ||
| 63 | Cambridge | 19:25 | 34 | 28 | ||
| 64 | Cambridge | 20:26 | 34 | 29 | ||
| 65 | Cambridge | 19:02 | 34 | 30 | ||
| 66 | Oxford | 19:05 | 35 | 30 | ||
| 67 | Oxford | 20:14 | 36 | 30 | ||
| 68 | Oxford | 18:29 | 37 | 30 | ||
| 69 | Oxford | 22:05 | 38 | 30 | ||
| 70 | Oxford | 20:53 | 39 | 30 | ||
| 71 | Cambridge | 20:23 | 39 | 31 | ||
| 72 | Cambridge | 21:11 | 39 | 32 | ||
| 73 | Cambridge | 19:45 | 39 | 33 | ||
| 74 | Cambridge | 19:27 | 39 | 34 | ||
| 75 | Oxford | 20:54 | 40 | 34 | ||
| 76 | Cambridge | 18:41 | 40 | 35 | ||
| 77 | Cambridge | 21:05 | 40 | 36 | ||
| 78 | Cambridge | 19:29 | 40 | 37 | ||
| 79 | Cambridge | 20:14 | 40 | 38 | ||
| 80 | Cambridge | 20:25 | 40 | 39 | ||
| 81 | Cambridge | 19:24 | 40 | 40 | ||
| 82 | Cambridge | 19:09 | 40 | 41 | ||
| 83 | Cambridge | 19:26 | 40 | 42 | ||
| 84 | Cambridge | 19:11 | 40 | 43 | ||
| 85 | Cambridge | 20:57 | 40 | 44 | ||
| 86 | Cambridge | 18:03 | 40 | 45 | ||
| 87 | Cambridge | 19:48 | 40 | 46 | ||
| 88 | Cambridge | 21:06 | 40 | 47 | ||
| 89 | Oxford | 22:39 | 41 | 47 | ||
| 90 | Oxford | 20:03 | 42 | 47 | ||
| 91 | Cambridge | 19:03 | 42 | 48 | ||
| 92 | Oxford | 19:54 | 43 | 48 | ||
| 93 | Cambridge | 23:01 | 43 | 49 | ||
| 94 | Cambridge | 17:05 | 43 | 50 | ||
| 95 | Cambridge | 18:57 | 43 | 51 | ||
| 96 | Cambridge | 20:15 | 43 | 52 | ||
| 97 | Cambridge | 20:05 | 43 | 53 | ||
| 98 | Oxford | 20:23 | 44 | 53 | ||
| 99 | Cambridge | 19:54 | 44 | 54 | ||
| 100 | Oxford | 20:23 | 45 | 54 | ||
| 101 | Cambridge | 19:01 | 45 | 55 | ||
| 102 | Cambridge | 18:36 | 45 | 56 | ||
| 103 | Cambridge | 19:01 | 45 | 57 | ||
| 104 | Cambridge | 18:15 | 45 | 58 | ||
| 105 | Oxford | 18:52 | 46 | 58 | ||
| 106 | Oxford | 18:59 | 47 | 58 | ||
| 107 | Cambridge | 19:22 | 47 | 59 | ||
| 108 | Cambridge | 19:46 | 47 | 60 | ||
| 109 | Oxford | 20:47 | 48 | 60 | ||
| 110 | Cambridge | 19:18 | 48 | 61 | ||
| 111 | Oxford | 18:07 | 49 | 61 | Isis | |
| 112 | Oxford | 19:12 | 50 | 61 | Isis | |
| 113 | Oxford | 18:52 | 51 | 61 | Goldie | |
| 114 | Cambridge | 18:22 | 51 | 62 | Goldie | |
| 115 | Cambridge | 18:04 | 51 | 63 | Goldie | |
| 116 | Cambridge | 20:22 | 51 | 64 | Goldie | |
| 117 | Cambridge | 17:58 | 51 | 65 | Goldie | |
| 118 | Cambridge | 18:36 | 51 | 66 | Goldie | |
| 119 | Cambridge | 19:21 | 51 | 67 | Goldie | |
| 120 | Oxford | 17:35 | 52 | 67 | Goldie | |
| 121 | Cambridge | 19:27 | 52 | 68 | Isis | |
| 122 | Oxford | 16:58 | 53 | 68 | Isis | |
| 123 | Oxford | 19:28 | 54 | 68 | Goldie | |
| 124 | Oxford | 18:58 | 55 | 68 | Goldie | |
| 125 | Oxford | 20:33 | 56 | 68 | Goldie | |
| 126 | Oxford | 19:02 | 57 | 68 | Isis | |
| 127 | Oxford | 18:11 | 58 | 68 | Isis | |
| 128 | Oxford | 18:21 | 59 | 68 | Isis | |
| 129 | Oxford | 19:07 | 60 | 68 | Isis | |
| 130 | Oxford | 16:45 | 61 | 68 | Goldie | |
| 131 | Oxford | 17:11 | 62 | 68 | Isis | |
| 132 | Cambridge | 17:58 | 62 | 69 | Isis | |
| 133 | Oxford | 19:59 | 63 | 69 | Goldie | |
| 134 | Oxford | 17:35 | 64 | 69 | Goldie | |
| 135 | Oxford | 18:27 | 65 | 69 | Isis | |
| 136 | Oxford | 17:22 | 66 | 69 | Goldie | |
| 137 | Oxford | 16:59 | 67 | 69 | Goldie | |
| 138 | Oxford | 17:44 | 68 | 69 | Goldie | |
| 139 | Cambridge | 17:00 | 68 | 70 | Goldie | |
| 140 | Cambridge | 18:09 | 68 | 71 | Goldie | |
| 141 | Cambridge | 18:04 | 68 | 72 | Goldie | |
| 142 | Cambridge | 16:58 | 68 | 73 | Goldie | |
| 143 | Cambridge | 17:38 | 68 | 74 | Goldie | |
| 144 | Cambridge | 16:19 | 68 | 75 | Isis | |
| 145 | Cambridge | 16:41 | 68 | 76 | Goldie | |
| 146 | Oxford | 18:04 | 69 | 76 | Isis | |
| 147 | Cambridge | 17:44 | 69 | 77 | Goldie | |
| 148 | Oxford | 16:54 | 70 | 77 | Isis | |
| 149 | Oxford | 18:06 | 71 | 77 | Goldie | |
| 150 | Cambridge | 18:47 | 71 | 78 | Isis | |
| 151 | Oxford | 16:42 | 72 | 78 | Goldie | |
| 152 | Oxford | 18:26 | 73 | 78 | Goldie | |
| 153 | Cambridge | 17:49 | 73 | 79 | Goldie | |
| 154 | Oxford | 20:53 | 74 | 79 | Isis | |
| 155 | Oxford | 17:00 | 75 | 79 | Isis | |
| 156 | Cambridge | 17:35 | 75 | 80 | Goldie | |
| 157 | Oxford | 17:32 | 76 | 80 | Isis |
Unofficial wartime races
| Date | Location | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead... |
Cambridge |
| 1943 | Sandford-on-Thames Sandford-on-Thames Sandford-on-Thames is a village and Parish Council beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire just south of Oxford. The village is just west of the A4074 road between Oxford and Henley.-Early history:... |
Oxford |
| 1944 | River Great Ouse River Great Ouse The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in... , Ely Ely, Cambridgeshire Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens... |
Oxford |
| 1945 | Unknown | Cambridge |
See also
- Oxbridge rivalryOxbridge rivalryRivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a phenomenon going back many centuries. During most of that time, the two were the only universities in England and Wales, making the rivalry more intense than it is now....
- Varsity matchVarsity matchA varsity match is a sporting fixture between two university rivals; in its original and most common form, it is used to describe meetings between Oxford University and Cambridge University.-Popular British and Irish Varsity matches:*University of Oxford v...
- List of Oxford University Boat Race crews
- List of Cambridge University Boat Race crews