Women's Boat Race 2014

Last updated

69th Women's Boat Race
Date30 March 2014 (2014-03-30)
WinnerOxford
Margin of victory4 lengths
Winning time5 minutes 50 seconds
Overall record
(CambridgeOxford)
41–28
UmpireJudith Packer

The 69th Women's Boat Race took place on 30 March 2014. The race, between crews representing Oxford University Women's Boat Club and Cambridge University Women's Boat Club, was umpired by Judith Packer. Cambridge's crew, the heavier of the two, was entirely British, while Oxford's boat included rowers from Canada, Switzerland and the United States. Oxford won by four lengths in a time of 5 minutes 50 seconds, their second consecutive win. The victory took the overall record in the event to 4128 in Cambridge's favour. It was the last time the race would be conducted over a 2 km (1.2 mi) straight race as part of the Henley Boat Races.

Contents

Background

The Women's Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between eights from Oxford University Women's Boat Club and the Cambridge University Women's Boat Club that has taken place since 1927. Oxford went into the race as champions, having won the previous year's race by one and three-quarter lengths; Cambridge led 4127 overall. [1] It was the last time the race would be conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, along a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) stretch of the River Thames referred to as the Straight Course which is used for the Henley Royal Regatta since 1924. [2] The 2015 race would be conducted on The Championship Course on the same day as men's race. [3]

Cambridge's number five, Catherine Foot, remarked "After training, I step back and think 'wow, I'm part of this incredible tradition'. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing than training for this event", while Oxford's stroke Amber de Vere said "All the training has been leading up to this weekend. Next year is definitely exciting and it has added something to training, but as a crew, we're only thinking about Sunday." [4] This year's race was umpired by Judith Packer and was sponsored by Newton Investment Management, a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon, for the third successive year. [3] [5]

Crews

Cambridge's bow Caroline Reid (left) and Oxford number seven Anastasia Chitty (pictured in 2015) Boat Race 2015 - Reid & Chitty.jpg
Cambridge's bow Caroline Reid (left) and Oxford number seven Anastasia Chitty (pictured in 2015)

During the build-up to the race, the two universities sent trial boats to race on 19 December 2013. For the first time in the history of the competition, this took place on the Tideway on part of the Championship Course. The two Cambridge boats were named Nudge Nudge and Wink Wink (with a third reserve boat called Say No More), [6] while Oxford's trialists rowed in Cleopatra and Boudicca. [7] Both trials were overseen by Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Winckless. [7]

The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 73.2 kg (161 lb) per rower, 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) more than their opponents. [8] Three members of Oxford's 2013 crew returned to race in 2014: Alice Carrington-Windo, Maxie Scheske and Anastasia Chitty. Cambridge's boat included two double Blues in Caroline Reid and Holly Game, while four other members of the crew had taken part in the previous year's race. [9] Every member of the Cambridge crew was British, while Oxford's boat included Canadian Elizabeth Fence, German/Britons Carrington-Windo and Scheske, Nadine Graedel Iberg from Switzerland and American Laura Savarese (who had rowed in the Harvard–Yale Regatta for Harvard University on four occasions). [3] [10]

SeatCambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
Oxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
NameCollegeNationalityWeightNameCollegeNationalityWeight
Bow Caroline Reid Jesus British64.4 kg (142 lb)Elizabeth Fenje Kellogg Canadian58.6 kg (129 lb)
2Kate Ashley Peterhouse British75.0 kg (165 lb)Alice Carrington-Windo Kellogg German/British67.2 kg (148 lb)
3Holly Game Girton British74.6 kg (164 lb)Maxie Scheske (P) Magdalen German/British64.8 kg (143 lb)
4Isabella Vyvyan Hughes Hall British87.2 kg (192 lb)Lauren Kedar Exeter British75.4 kg (166 lb)
5Catherine Foot Girton British71.0 kg (157 lb)Nadine Graedel Iberg Lincoln Swiss72.6 kg (160 lb)
6Melissa Wilson Gonville and Caius British77.0 kg (170 lb)Laura Savarese Corpus Christi American73.6 kg (162 lb)
7Claire Watkins Clare British72.6 kg (160 lb)Anastasia Chitty Pembroke British69.4 kg (153 lb)
Stroke Emily Day Emmanuel British64.0 kg (141 lb)Amber de Vere Somerville British72.0 kg (159 lb)
Cox Esther Momcilovic (P) Clare British52.4 kg (116 lb)Erin Wysocki-Jones Pembroke British49.6 kg (109 lb)
Sources: [8] [11] [12] [13]
(P) boat club president [3]

Race

A newly designed trophy (pictured in 2015) was presented by Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking. Boat Race 2015 - Women's Trophy (01) (cropped).jpg
A newly designed trophy (pictured in 2015) was presented by Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking.

Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Berkshire side, handing the Buckinghamshire station to Oxford. [14] At 3 p.m., umpire Palmer dropped the flag to start the race. [15] Both crews went off rating 40 strokes per minute and after the first 500 metres (550 yd) Oxford were half a length ahead. By the time the crews passed the Upper Thames Rowing Club, Oxford's lead was over a length. Cambridge made a series of pushes; both crews were warned by the umpire to avoid a collision. Oxford continued to extend their lead to win by four lengths, the largest winning margin since the 2010 race. Their time was 5 minutes 50 seconds, six seconds slower than the record time set by Oxford in the 2006 race. [3] [16] The victory was Oxford's second consecutive win and their sixth in the last seven; [17] it took the overall record in the event to 4128 in Cambridge's favour. [1]

The former Oxford cox Rachel Quarrell, writing in The Daily Telegraph stated that the race "was won in storming style" and suggested the contest was over within the first two minutes. [14] A newly designed trophy, to replace the existing wooden shield, [18] was awarded to the Oxford president by Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking who had won the Women's lightweight double sculls at the 2012 Summer Olympics. [19] [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henley Boat Races</span> Annual rowing races in Britain

The Henley Boat Races were a series of annual rowing races between various crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2014</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2003</span> 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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2012</span> 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+14 lengths, in a consolidated time of 17 minutes 23 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+12 lengths in a time of 17 minutes and 27 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2011</span> Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2010</span> 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+12 lengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2008</span> 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 120th Boat Race took place on 6 April 1974. 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. It was won by Oxford who passed the finishing post 5+12 lengths ahead of Cambridge, in a winning time of 17 minutes 35 seconds, the fastest in the history of the race, beating the existing record set in the 1948 race. It was umpired by Ran Laurie.

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+12 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Races 2015</span> 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 68th Women's Boat Race took place on 24 March 2013. The race, between crews representing Oxford University Women's Boat Club and Cambridge University Women's Boat Club, was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races. It took place on a 2 km (1.2 mi) stretch of water on 2012 Olympic venue Dorney Lake. Cambridge were the heavier of the crews and consisted of an all-British crew, while Oxford's boat included a Hungarian rower and an American cox. Oxford won the race by one and three-quarter lengths in a time of 7 minutes 11 seconds, their first win since the 2011 race. The victory took the overall record in the event to 41–27 in Cambridge's favour.

The 67th Women's Boat Race took place on 26 March 2012. The race was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races and took place at Henley-on-Thames. In a race umpired by multiple Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent, Cambridge won by one quarter of a length in a time of 6 minutes 38 seconds, their first win since the 2007 race. The victory took the overall record in the event to 41–26 in Cambridge's favour.

The 66th Women's Boat Race took place on 27 March 2011. The race was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races and took place at Henley-on-Thames. Oxford won by one length in a time of 6 minutes 24 seconds, their fourth consecutive win. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–26 in Cambridge's favour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Races 2016</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Races 2017</span> 2017 boat races between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The Boat Races 2017 took place on 2 April 2017. 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 second 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2018</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2019</span> Cambridge vs Oxford rowing race, April 2019

The Boat Race 2019 took place on 7 April 2019. 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. This was the 74th women's race and the 165th men's race, and, for the fourth 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 2022</span> Cambridge vs Oxford rowing race, April 2022

The Boat Race 2022 was a side-by-side rowing race which took place on 3 April 2022. Held annually, The Boat Race is contested between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, usually along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames, known as the Tideway, in south-west London. This was the 76th women's race and the 167th men's race. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 85–80 and 45–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively. The race returned to the Tideway after the previous year's race had taken place without spectators, on the River Great Ouse. This followed the cancellation of the 2020 race as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. 1 2 "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  2. "History of the course". Henley Royal Regatta. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Oxford win the 2014 Newton Women's Boat Race". The Boat Race Company Limited. 30 March 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  4. Barretto, Lawrence (27 March 2014). "Women's Boat Race: Oxford & Cambridge set to renew rivalry". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  5. Morrissey, Helena (4 April 2015). "Helena Morrissey: 'Tide turns in favour of boat race women'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  6. "First CUWBC Tideway Trial VIIIs". Cambridge University Women's Boat Club. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Women make history with thrilling trials". The Boat Race Company Limited. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 "As the Men and Women's Blue Boats Weighed-In Together Yesterday, It Was the Cambridge Men's Crew and Women's Crew That Topped the Scales". University of Cambridge. 11 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.(subscription required)
  9. "Henley Challenge marks five days to go until the historic Women's Boat Race". The Boat Race Company Limited. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  10. Quarrell, Rachel (30 March 2014). "Women's boats in arms race to prepare for historic tideway move". The Sunday Telegraph . p. 9.
  11. "Women's Boat Race: Oxford beat Cambridge by four lengths". BBC Sport. 30 March 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  12. "Crews". Oxford University Women's Boat Club. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  13. "Henley challenge marks five days to go until the historic women's boat race". The Boat Race Company Limited. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  14. 1 2 Quarrell, Rachel (30 March 2014). "Boat Race 2014: Ineradicable Oxford women demolish Cambridge for second year running". The Daily Telegraph .
  15. Longmore, Andrew (30 March 2014). "Women chart new course". The Sunday Times . Archived from the original on 27 July 2014.(subscription required)
  16. "Light Blues have no answer to Oxford dominance". Cambridge News . 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  17. Lowe, Alex (31 March 2014). "Oxford claim victory over Cambridge but miss record in women's Boat Race". The Times .(subscription required)
  18. Rock, Lucy (30 March 2014). "Women rowers catch up with men at the Boat Race". The Observer . Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  19. Mahoney, Lizzie (19 February 2014). "New Women's Boat Race trophy unveiled". The Cambridge Student . Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  20. "Sophie Hosking, Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2015.