March 21, 2002. Copyright, 2002, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Blues battling for glory on the water
By Julie Mullins

LONDON, March 21, Graphic News:  Known simply as ÒThe Boat RaceÓ, this classic sporting event between EnglandÕs two oldest and most famous universities is renowned throughout the world. In addition to the thousands of people lining the four and a quarter mile course from Putney to Mortlake every year, the Boat Race will be watched on television by some 460 million people in around 160 countries. 

One of the few great amateur challenges left in a world increasingly dominated by highly paid professional sports, the Boat Race has attracted the cream of international oarsmen for over 100 years. Crew members can be of any nationality but must be a student at either Oxford or Cambridge.

Preparation begins as early as October, six months before race day. On average the students will train six hours a day, six days a week over this period, so that for each stroke taken in the race itself, each student will have trained for two hours.

The first University Boat Race first took place in 1829 when Cambridge student Charles Merival sent a challenge to his friend, Charles Wordsworth, at Oxford. That first race, held in Henley-on-Thames, was so successful -- contemporary newspapers report crowds of 20,000 travelled to watch -- that the town later organised their own regatta, which duly became Henley Royal Regatta, the worldÕs premier rowing event.

The Boat Race itself transferred to Westminster after that first year but traffic congestion in London soon rendered this impractical. In 1845 it moved six miles upstream to the then country village of Putney and in 1856 it became an annual event, excepting only the war years.

Memorable events have included four sinkings -- Cambridge in 1859 and 1978, Oxford in 1925 and 1951 -- and one dead heat, in 1877. 

1976 saw Oxford break the 17-minute barrier for the first time at the start of a long winning streak broken only once before 1993, when Cambridge confounded the critics by beating a highly-fancied Oxford crew captained by Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent.

Since then Cambridge has re-established dominance, losing only the race in 2000, and setting a new course record in 1998 of 16 minutes 19 seconds after fielding the heaviest and tallest crew in Boat Race history.

In 2001 Cambridge won by two and a half lengths, despite early clashes when Oxford were half a length ahead, which resulted in the race being stopped and restarted after Cambridge bowman Swainson lost an oar.

Source: theboatrace.org