The Boat Race 2010

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.

156th Boat Race
Advertising banner for the 2010 Boat Race
Date3 April 2010
WinnerCambridge
Margin of victory​1 1⁄3 lengths
Winning time17 minutes 35 seconds
Overall record
(Cambridge–Oxford)		80–75
UmpireSimon Harris
(Cambridge)
Other races
Reserve winnerGoldie
Women's winnerOxford
← 2009 2011 →

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 (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues")[1] and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").[1] First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.[2] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.[3][4] Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 2009 race by ​3 1⁄2 lengths,[5] while Cambridge led overall with 79 victories to Oxford's 75 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[6] The race was sponsored by Xchanging for the sixth consecutive year,[7] but it was the first time in the 180-year history of the Boat Race that the title had been given over to sponsorship; as such it was referred to as the "Xchanging Boat Race".[8]

Prior to the race, Oxford University Boat Club president and Dutch international rower Sjoerd Hamburger claimed "Last year we had an exceptional crew, power-wise, which we don't have this year, but we're starting to match the times we did last year, so I'm very pleased".[9] His Cambridge counterpart, American Deaglan McEachern, responded: "we're faster".[9] Umpire and former Cambridge Blue Simon Harris suggested that he did not anticipate any problems with the two coxes obeying his instructions: "I've been impressed by the coxes, how they've responded to the umpire's calls".[10]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up 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.[11] 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.[5]

Crews

Cambridge's crew weighed an average of 1 pound (0.45 kg) per rower more than Oxford.[12] The Dark Blues were coached by Sean Bowden for the 13th time while the Light Blues saw Chris Nilsson act as chief coach for the second time.[13] Cambridge's crew featured four Britons, three Americans and two Canadians, while Oxford's consisted of three Americans, two Britons, and rowers from Ireland, The Netherlands, Canada (dual nationality) and Germany.[12]

Oxford's crew included the Winklevoss twins (Cameron and Tyler), who rowed in the 2008 Olympic Games for the United States in the men's coxless pair.[14] Cambridge's bowman, Canadian international rower Robert Weitemeyer, had won the gold in the men's eight at the World Rowing Cup in 2007.[15]

Twins Tyler (left) and Cameron Winklevoss rowed for Oxford.
Seat Oxford
Cambridge
Name Nationality Name Nationality
BowBen MyersBritishRobert WeitemeyerCanadian
2Martin WalshIrishGeoff RothCanadian
3Tyler WinklevossAmericanGeorge NashBritish
4Cameron WinklevossAmericanPeter McClellandCanadian
5Sjoerd Hamburger (P)DutchDeaglan McEachern (P)American
6Matt EvansCanadian/BritishHenry PellyBritish
7Simon GawlickGermanDerek RasmussenAmerican
StrokeCharlie BurkittBritishFred GillBritish
CoxAdam BarhamandAmericanTed RandolphBritish
Source:[16]
(P) – boat club president[13][17]

Race
Cambridge passing Oxford at Chiswick Pier

Oxford were pre-race favourites,[18] and won the toss, electing to start the race from the Surrey station.[19] They took an early lead and were nearly half a length up on Cambridge by the time the crews passed the Harrods Furniture Depository.[19] The boats closed in on one another and umpire Harris was forced to issue a number of warnings to both coxes as the crews came close to clashing oars.[18] The Light Blues pulled themselves back into contention around the Chiswick Reach and took the lead into Corney Reach.[19] Oxford attempted to find a quicker racing line and were still in touch, but Cambridge inched away from them, passing the finishing post ​1 1⁄3 lengths ahead in a time of 17 minutes 35 seconds.[5][19][20]

Oxford won the 65th Women's Boat Race by four lengths, their third consecutive victory. Oxford's Isis beat Cambridge's Goldie in the reserve race by two lengths, their first win in three years.[5]

Reaction
The Cambridge crew moments after securing their first victory in three years

Cambridge cox Randolph exclaimed "The whole way through I was thinking: 'We could win it, we could win it, we could win it".[19] Race umpire Simon Harris declared "it was a fantastic race".[18] Olympic medallist Steve Redgrave remarked "All credit to Oxford ... but all the way from the bend on there was only going to be one winner. It just took Cambridge a little while before they believed it was going to happen."[19]

References
  1. "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer. 6 April 2003. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  2. Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  4. "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  5. "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  7. "Boat Race sponsor Xchanging to end contract". BBC News. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  8. 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.
  9. Quarrell, Rachel (1 March 2010). "Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race crews throw down gauntlet in quest for edge". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  10. Quarrell, Rachel (2 April 2010). "Boat Race 2010: Cambridge out to upset odds against heavy favourites Oxford". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  11. "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.
  12. Cockcroft, Lucy (3 April 2010). "Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race takes on an international feel". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  13. Quarrell, Rachel (4 April 2010). "Boat Race 2010: Pain of defeat is hard to endure for Oxford's Sjoerd Hamburger". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  14. Nuttall, Chris (21 September 2012). "Winklevoss twins steer new course". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.(Subscription required.)
  15. "Rob Weitemeyer". www.worldrowing.com. International Rowing Federation. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  16. Gough, Martin (1 March 2010). "Twins who sued Facebook named in Oxford Boat Race crew". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  17. Quarrell, Rachel (31 March 2010). "Boat Race 2010: Cambridge will put up a fight this year, says Rob Weitemeyer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  18. Quarrell, Rachel (3 April 2010). "Boat Race 2010: Cambridge beat Oxford in 156th university showdown". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  19. Bull, Andy (3 April 2010). "Cambridge surprise favourites Oxford to win the Boat Race". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  20. "Cambridge beat Oxford in 156th Boat Race". BBC Sport. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
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