The University Boat Race

The first race took place in 1829 following a challenge between two old school friends, Charles Merrivale and Charles Wordsworth and later became an annual event, which has been rowed every year except during the two World Wars.

In 1845 the venue moved from Henley to the four and half mile course from Putney to Mortlake in South West London.  Here the two crews of nine extremely fit young men and women of dark blues from Oxford and light blues from Cambridge, take part in a unique sporting event, watched by thousands on the riverbank and millions on TV around the world.  The actual date and time changes from year to year depending on the tides, but it is normally around the same time as Easter. 

This years boat race has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.  The two boats usually flash pass in a couple of seconds and once the cheering is over, the enjoyment of boat race day for onlookers by the riverbank is in the hosts of parties which are held in pubs, restaurants and homes along the course of the Thames.  The river is then left to calm from the massive following traffic of boats associated with the race before the rest of the races are held.

However this year, just as we could see the two boats emerging round the corner masses of loud sirens filled  the air, blue lights began flashing and helicopters swept overhead.

Some people in the group had been listening to the commentary on their phones and were able to keep us up to date with the antics of a stupid, smirking, anti-elitist protester who had swum in-between the boats and very narrowly escaped being whacked around the head with the force of one of the oars.  He was removed, arrested and the race was re-started. Unfortunately, moments later the Oxford crew clashed with Cambridge resulting in one of their oars snapping half way down.  They carried on, the oarsman continuing with his stump, but obviously at a disadvantage, so Cambridge soon pulled away and won the race.

It was a very subdued win as Alex Woods, one of the Oxford crew, collapsed with exhaustion as the effects of having waited about in the cold wind before the restart sent his body into metabolic chaos.  Being at the end of the boat, it was at least five minutes before anyone noticed he was unconscious and not just relaxing. Once alerted, the rescue boats were soon on the job, swiftly getting him off to hospital and I’m pleased to say he is reported to have made a full recovery.