The Boat Race 2011

Last updated

157th Boat Race
Approaching the Bandstand - Boat Race 2011.jpg
Oxford leading Cambridge heading towards the Bandstand
Date26 March 2011
WinnerOxford
Margin of victory4 lengths
Winning time17 minutes 32 seconds
Overall record
(Cambridge–Oxford)		80–76
UmpireRob Clegg
Other races
Reserve winnerIsis
Women's winnerOxford
← 2010 2012 →

The 157th Boat Race took place on 26 March 2011. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race was won by Oxford. Of the eighteen competitors in the race, thirteen were British. The race was sponsored for the second time by Xchanging.

Contents

Oxford won the Women's Boat Race by four lengths while Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis in the reserve race.

Background

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. First held in 1829, the competition is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) race along The Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. [1] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. [2] [3] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 2010 race by 1+1⁄3 lengths, [4] and led overall with 80 victories to Oxford's 75 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [5] The race was sponsored by Xchanging for the seventh consecutive year, [6] and it was the second time that the title had been given over to sponsorship; as such it was referred to as the "Xchanging Boat Race". [7] The BBC broadcast the event in the United Kingdom, in high-definition for the first time. [8]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races. [9] The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race. [4]

Crews

The Cambridge crew was "slightly heavier" than their opponents, weighing in at a ceremony at City Hall overseen by Boris Johnson at 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) more per rower than Oxford. [10] Thirteen of the eighteen competitors were British, the highest proportion for a decade. [11] Of the two crews, Cambridge featured three returning Blues to Oxford's one. [12] Oxford University Boat Club's president Ben Myers suggested "we're home-grown guys, we know about the Boat Race and we're keen". [10] Oxford were coached once again by Sean Bowden, who set their boat up as "tandem rigged" (where two consecutive crew row on the same side of the boat), the first time such a configuration had been used in the Boat Race since 1975. [12] Steve Trapmore was making his debut as Cambridge's coach. [11] Oxford's stroke, Simon Hislop, had recovered from testicular cancer in time to participate in the race. [13]

George Nash (second left) rowing with Cambridge in 2013 The Cambridge ship's complement during The Boat Race in spring 2013 (2).JPG
George Nash (second left) rowing with Cambridge in 2013
Constantine Louloudis (pictured in 2015) rowed at number 6 for Oxford. Boat Race 2015 - Louloudis (cropped).jpg
Constantine Louloudis (pictured in 2015) rowed at number 6 for Oxford.
SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg 		Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameAgeNationalityWeightNameAgeNationalityWeight
Bow Moritz Hafner26German/Swiss12 st 9 lbMike Thorp20British13 st 13 lb
2Ben Myers (P)21British15 st 6 lbJoel Jennings23British15 st 6 lb
3Alec Dent21British/French14 st 2 lbDan Rix-Standing20British14 st 0 lb
4Ben Ellison22British14 st 11 lb Hardy Cubasch 30Australian/German15 st 10 lb
5Karl Hudspith22British14 st 8 lb George Nash 21British15 st 5 lb
6 Constantine Louloudis 19British14 st 10 lbGeoff Roth23Canadian15 st 6 lb
7 George Whittaker 29British13 st 10 lbDerek Rasmussen (P)23American12 st 11 lb
Stroke Simon Hislop26British14 st 8 lbDavid Nelson27Australian14 st 13 lb
Cox Sam Winter-Levy18British8 st 9 lbLiz Box23British/Australian8 st 4 lb
Source: [10]
(P) – boat club president

Races

The Championship Course along which the race is rowed University Boat Race Thames map.svg
The Championship Course along which the race is rowed

Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station. [14] Despite falling slightly behind early on in the race, Cambridge rowed their way back into contention and umpire Rob Clegg was forced to warn both crews as the coxes steered towards one another. [14] Following a brief clash of oars, Oxford started to pull away again at Harrods Furniture Depository. At Hammersmith Bridge, the Oxford cox called for push, shouting "2003" to invoke memories of the narrowest margin of victory in the history of the event in the 2003 race. [14] Passing St Paul's School, Oxford took the lead and steered across and in front of the Cambridge boat. Despite attempts to keep in touch with Oxford, Cambridge fell farther and farther behind, and Oxford passed the finishing post four lengths clear in a time of 17 minutes and 37 seconds. [4] [14]

Oxford won the 66th Women's Boat Race by four lengths, their third consecutive victory. Oxford's Isis beat Cambridge's Goldie in the reserve race by six lengths. [4]

Reaction

Cambridge number four Henry Cubasch remarked "They had the strength, character and went for it; we just let them slip." [15] Oxford's Constantine Louloudis said "We held Cambridge in high regard. But I certainly didn't predict a margin like that." [14] Cambridge president Rasumussen called it a "stinging defeat". [16]

Related Research Articles

The Boat Race Rowing race on the River Thames

The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's and women's races, as well as races for reserve crews. It is also known as the University Boat Race and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The men's race was first held in 1829 and has been held annually since 1856, except during the First and Second World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The first women's event was in 1927 and the race has been held annually since 1964. Since 2015, the women's race has taken place on the same day and course, and since 2018 the combined event of the two races has been referred to as "The Boat Race".

The Boat Race 2014 Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 160th Boat Race took place on 6 April 2014. Following a clash of oars which broke one of the Cambridge boat's rigger backstays, Oxford won the race by 11 lengths, the largest margin of victory since 1973.

The Boat Race 2003 2003 boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The 149th Boat Race took place on 6 April 2003. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. The lead changed twice during the race, which Oxford won by one foot (30 cm), the smallest margin of victory in the history of the event. The close race has been described as "epic", while multiple Olympic gold-medallist Steve Redgrave suggested that the race was the "greatest we will see in our lifetimes".

The 148th Boat Race took place on 30 March 2002. Oxford won the race by three-quarters of a length, one of the narrowest margins of victory in the history of the contest.

The Boat Race 2012 2012 boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The 158th Boat Race took place on 7 April 2012. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames in London. Despite Cambridge having the heavier crew, Oxford were pre-race favourites having had a successful preparation period, including a victory over Leander. Cambridge won the toss and chose to start on the Surrey side of the river. Partway through, with the boats level, the race was temporarily halted to avoid injury to protester Trenton Oldfield, who swam in front of the two crews. After the race was restarted, one of the Oxford crew suffered irreparable damage to his blade following a clash of oars with the Cambridge boat, ending Oxford's chances of victory. The race was eventually won by Cambridge by 4+1⁄4 lengths, in a consolidated time of 17 minutes 23 seconds.

The 151st Boat Race took place on 27 March 2005. Oxford won the race by two lengths in a time of 16 minutes 41 seconds. The race, umpired by the six-time Boat Race winner Boris Rankov, featured seven Olympic rowers. It was the first time the event was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV.

The 153rd The Boat Race took place on 7 April 2007, and featured the most non-British rowers in the history of the event. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The Cambridge crew were considerably heavier than their opponents. Oxford won the toss but Cambridge won the race by 1+1⁄4 lengths in a time of 17 minutes 49 seconds.

The 159th Boat Race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on 31 March 2013. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The Cambridge crew featured the first rower from the Czech Republic to compete in the event. Umpired by former Olympic medallist and former Oxford rower Matthew Pinsent, Oxford won by a margin of 1+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 17 minutes and 27 seconds.

The Boat Race 2010 Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 156th Boat Race took place on 3 April 2010. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race was won by Cambridge. Of the eighteen competitors in the race, six were British. Of the non-British rowers, the Oxford crew featured the American Olympic finalists, the Winklevoss twins. It was the first time the race had a title sponsor; it was also known as the "Xchanging Boat Race", having been sponsored by Xchanging.

The 155th Boat Race took place on 29 March 2009. Oxford's crew was the heaviest in the event's history and which featured five Olympic rowers, including silver medallist Colin Smith and bronze medallist George Bridgewater. Cambridge took an early lead, only to be caught and overtaken by Oxford, who won the race by 3+1⁄2 lengths.

The Boat Race 2008 Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 154th Boat Race took place on 29 March 2008. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford won the race. Oxford's crew featured the oldest competitor in Boat Race history. The race took place in very difficult weather conditions – strong winds and heavy rain – resulting in the slowest winning time in over sixty years. Oxford won by six lengths, the largest margin of victory since the 2004 race.

The 152nd Boat Race took place on 2 April 2006. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford, whose crew contained the first French rower in the history of the event, won the race by five lengths which was umpired by former Oxford rower Simon Harris.

The 147th Boat Race was won by Cambridge by 2+1⁄2 lengths. It was the first time in the history of the event that the race was stopped and restarted, following a clash of blades.

The 129th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1983. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The pre-race preparation saw Cambridge threaten to boycott the race for the first time, following the inclusion of Boris Rankov in the Oxford boat. The crews were the two heaviest in the history of the event, and featured ten former Boat Race competitors. Oxford won the race by 4+1⁄2 lengths.

The 140th Boat Race took place on 26 March 1994. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Cambridge won by 6+1⁄2 lengths. The race saw the first competitors from Norway in the history of the race, in brothers Snorre and Sverke Lorgen. It was also the first time that both competing coxes had previously won the event.

The 116th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1970. Held annually, it is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post 3+1⁄2 lengths ahead of Oxford, securing Cambridge's third consecutive victory. The race was particularly notable for the "unorthodox" steering of the Oxford cox Ashton Calvert.

The Boat Races 2015 Annual race between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The 2015 Boat Races took place on 11 April 2015. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. For the first time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were all held on the Tideway; in the men's reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie faced Oxford's Isis after the women's race, as a preliminary to the main men's race, while the women's reserve race, held the day before, saw Oxford's Osiris race against Cambridge's Blondie.

The Boat Races 2016 2016 boat races between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The 2016 Boat Races took place on 27 March 2016. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. For the first time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were all held on the Tideway on the same day.

The Boat Race 2018 2018 boat races between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The Boat Race 2018 took place on 24 March 2018. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. For the third time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were all held on the Tideway on the same day.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Boat Race sponsor Xchanging to end contract". BBC News. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Quarrell, Rachel (19 November 2009). "University Boat Race to have title sponsorship from 2010 onwards". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "The 2011 Boat Race in HD for first time". BBC Press Office. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "A brief history of the Women's Boat Race". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Quarrell, Rachel (7 March 2011). "Boat Race 2011: Oxford remain defiant despite champions Cambridge leading the way at official weigh-in". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  11. 1 2 Newman, Paul (25 March 2011). "Boat Race: Oxford rely on mind games to make splash". The Independent . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  12. 1 2 Lowe, Alex (26 March 2011). "Boat Race: Impressive Oxford beat Cambridge". The Independent . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  13. ↑ Quarrell, Rachel (25 March 2011). "Boat Race 2011: Oxford's Simon Hislop fit to race after fight with cancer". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Quarrell, Rachel (26 March 2011). "Boat Race 2011: Oxford trounce Cambridge and overturn the odds". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "Boat Race 2011: Oxford clinch victory over Cambridge". BBC Sport. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  16. ↑ Ronay, Barney (26 March 2011). "Oxford upset the odds and dominate Cambridge in 157th Boat Race". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
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