The Boat Race 2008

154th Boat Race
Oxford celebrate winning the 154th Boat Race
Date	29 March 2009 (2009-03-29)
Winner	Oxford
Margin of victory	6 lengths
Winning time	20 minutes 53 seconds
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford)	79–74
Umpire	John Garrett (Oxford)
Other races
Reserve winner	Isis
Women's winner	Oxford
← 2007 2009 →

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.^[1] 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.

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

Background

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues")^[2] and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").^[2] 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.^[3] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.^[4][5] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Oxford by over a length in the previous year's race and the overall lead, with 79 victories to Oxford's 73.^[6] The race was sponsored by Xchanging for the fourth time.^[7]

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.^[8] 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.^[6]

Crews

Oxford's crew weighed an average of 12 pounds (5.4 kg) more per rower than their opponents,^[9] and featured the oldest competitor in Boat Race history in 36-year-old American Mike Wherley.^[10] Cambridge crew consisted of six Britons, two Australians and an American, while Oxford's comprised four Americans, three Britons, an Australian and a German.^[9] Both coxes, Nick Brodie and Rebecca Dowbiggin, were former Blues, while Cambridge also saw 30-year-old Tom Edwards return, having rowed in 2006.^[9] Cambridge's boat club president Dan O'Shaughnessy was the seventh Light Blue president not to row in his own Blue Boat.^[11]

Seat	Oxford				Cambridge
	Name	Nationality	Age	Weight	Name	Nationality	Age	Weight
Bow	Jan Herzog	German	33	14 st 4 lb	Colin Scott	British	22	13 st 8 lb
2	Toby Medaris	Australian	23	16 st 2 lb	Tim Perkins	Australian	29	15 st 0 lb
3	Ben Smith	British	21	15 st 6 lb	Henry Pelly	British	24	13 st 13 lb
4	Aaron Marcovy	American	24	16 st 1 lb	Tobias Garnett	British	24	14 st 10 lb
5	Mike Wherley	American	36	15 st 8 lb	Peter Marsland	British	23	16 st 0 lb
6	Oliver Moore	British	22	15 st 14 lb	Tom Ransley	British	22	15 st 11 lb
7	Charles Cole	American	21	15 st 2 lb	Tom Edwards	Australian	30	13 st 12 lb
Stroke	Will England	American	22	15 st 5 lb	Ryan Monaghan	American	23	15 st 3 lb
Cox	Nick Brodie (P)	British	21	8 st 6 lb	Rebecca Dowbiggin	British	24	7 st 10 lb
Source:[9] (P) – boat club president – Monaghan replaced Shane O' Mara due to illness, three days before the race.[12]

Race

The Oxford boat passing the finishing post

Oxford were pre-race favourites, but Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station.^[13] Oxford took an early lead,^[14] but the boats closed on each other, and Umpire John Garrett was forced to issue a number of warnings to both coxes in an attempt to prevent a collision. By Craven Cottage, Oxford were nearly a length ahead and Cambridge responded; by the time the crews passed under Hammersmith Bridge they were level. Along Chiswick Eyot Oxford moved ahead once again, and were clear of Cambridge after 30 strokes. Oxford extended their lead to pass the finishing post in 20 minutes 53 seconds, six lengths and 22 seconds ahead of their opponents.^[13] Driving rain, strong winds and choppy water resulted in the slowest winning time for over sixty years,^[14] but the largest margin of victory since the 2004 race.^[6]

Oxford's Isis beat Cambridge's Goldie by three-and-a-quarter lengths in the reserve race.^[6] Oxford won the 44th running of the Women's Boat Race by half a length.^[6]

Reaction

Oxford cox, Nick Brodie, is thrown into the River Thames as part of the celebrations.

Oxford's Oliver Moore said "we got the rage going in the crew, and we started to kill it, we hit an awesome rhythm".^[13] Cambridge coach Duncan Holland congratulated his opponents: "Well done to Oxford, they were much faster on the day".^[13] Following tradition, the victorious Oxford crew tossed their cox Brodie into the Thames.^[15]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 University Boat Race.

• Official website

The Boat Race
	Oxford University Boat Club (crews) Oxford University Women's Boat Club Cambridge University Boat Club (crews) Cambridge University Women's Boat Club
	The Championship Course Results Blue Boat Goldie Stones
	Henley Boat Races OU Lightweight Rowing Club OU Women's Lightweight Rowing Club CU Lightweight Rowing Club CU Women's Lightweights
	The Boat Race 1829 1836 1839 1840 1841 1842 1845 1846 1849 1849 1852 1854 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
	Women's Boat Race 1927 1929 1930 1934 1935 1936 1939 1941 1973 1974 1975 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1993 1994 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
	The Boat Races 2015 2016 2017
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