Oxford Cambrigde Race 09

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The Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, was held today.
http://www.theboatrace.org/

It was the 155th race and Oxford won. We managed to get a spot by the river about 5 minutes before the race started, which surprised me - I thought that it would be about 8 people deep, even though we were about half way along the course.

The idea for a rowing race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge came from two friends - Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his Harrow schoolfriend Charles Wordsworth (nephew of the poet William Wordsworth), who was at Oxford.

On 12 March 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford and thus the tradition was born which has continued to the present day, where the loser of the previous year’s race challenges the opposition to a re-match.

The Modern Boat Race still runs along the same lines but has now become a major international sporting occasion drawing millions of viewers from around the world.

On Race Day up to 250,000 spectators crowd the banks of the Thames from Putney to Mortlake to witness the action.

Cambridge currently lead the series since 1829 by 79-74. Oxford won the 2008 Race.


One of the highlights of the afternoon was the wake from the motor boats which accompanied the rowers, they left quite a large wake and at one point a large wave splashed up the side and hit the spectators - we managed to largely avoid getting wet but stepped back anyway - then the second one hit and to our amusement got the girl next to us again, while she was emptying water out of her boot from the first wave...hehehehe...
I was surprised by how "big" an event it is over here, i thought it wouldnt draw quite so much attention but it was televised. As we were mid-course, we managed to see them go past, then wander back to the pub and watch the end.

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Photos

me
hehehe its a creepy one.

Singapore Airlines
Cos why not.

And all the other boats..
Yes indeed - heaps of other boats trailing alongside, in addition to the two row boats... including a police boat.