THE Boat Race is almost here as Oxford and Cambridge lock horns once again on the River Thames.
Cambridge have been dominant in both the men’s and women’s races in recent years and own the overall record over rivals Oxford.
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Has a boat ever sank at the Boat Race?
There have been four previous sinkings in the Men’s Boat Race, starting with 1912 with both boats sinking due to stormy weather. In 1951, the Oxford boat sank while in 1978 it was the turn of Cambridge. In 1984, Cambridge suffered one of the race’s most farcical sinkings when their boat collided with a tug and split in half. That was the last recorded sinking in the men’s race, but in 2016 the Cambridge women completed the race even though their boat had begun to sink.
The Boat Race 2025
What happens if one or both boats sink?
If both boats sink, the teams will race again at a later date. This last happened in 1912, when Oxford won the re-arranged race two days after the original.
When is the Boat Race 2025?
This year’s version of the Boat Race takes place on Sunday, April 13. There has been huge drama in the build-up after FOUR Cambridge rowers were banned after Oxford complained over eligibility rules. There are also concerns – again – over the quality of the water in the River Thames, with Sir Steve Redgrave saying the levels of E.coli are a “real worry”. There are four races – the men’s and women’s and reserve races for each. The timings are as follows:
- 1.21pm – 79th Women’s Boat Race
- 1.36pm – Women’s Reserve Race: Osiris (Oxford) vs Blondie (Cambridge)
- 1.51pm – Men’s Reserve Race: Isis (Oxford) vs Goldie (Cambridge)
- 2.21pm – 170th Men’s Boat Race
The event will be aired live on BBC One and can be live streamed via BBC iPlayer. Alternatively, SunSport will blog all the action from the Thames as it happens.