The Boat Races 2016 | Read 10 Min

The Boat Races 2016
Men's race winner's trophy
Date	27 March 2016 (2016-03-27)
Men's race
Winner	Cambridge
Margin of victory	2+1⁄2 lengths
Winning time	18 minutes 38 seconds
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford)	82–79

The 2016 Boat Races (also known as The Cancer Research UK Boat Races for sponsorship purposes) 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.

Trials for the race took place on the Championship Course in December 2015, and the selected crews took part in several practice races in the build-up to the main event. The weigh-in for the men's and women's races took place on 1 March 2016 with both Cambridge's men and women the heavier crews. Pre-race betting on the men's and women's event had Cambridge's men and Oxford's women as favourites to win.

In the men's reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie were beaten by Oxford's Isis by two lengths, their sixth consecutive defeat. In the women's reserve race, Cambridge's Blondie defeated Oxford's Osiris by three lengths, their first victory since the 2011 race. In the women's race, Oxford won easily as Cambridge nearly sank in rough conditions. It was Oxford's fourth consecutive win, and their eighth in nine races. The men's race was won by Cambridge by two and a half lengths, their first victory since the 2012 race, taking the overall record in the event to 82–79 in their favour.

Background

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course, between Putney and Mortlake on the River Thames in south-west London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. Oxford went into the 2016 race as defending champions, having won the 2015 race by a margin of six lengths, but Cambridge led overall with 81 victories to Oxford's 79 (excluding the 1877 race, officially a dead heat though claimed as a victory by the Oxford crew).

It was the first time in the history of The Boat Race that all four senior races – the men's, women's, men's reserves' and women's reserves' – were held on the same day and on the same course along the Tideway. Prior to 2015, the women's race, which first took place in 1927, was usually held at the Henley Boat Races along the 2,000-metre (2,200 yd) course; on at least two occasions in the interwar period, the women competed on the Thames between Chiswick and Kew. For the fourth year, the men's race was sponsored by BNY Mellon while the women's race was sponsored by BNY Mellon's subsidiary, Newton Investment Management. In January 2016, it was announced that the sponsors would donate the title sponsorship to Cancer Research UK and that the event was to be retitled "The Cancer Research UK Boat Races". There is no monetary award for winning the race, as the journalist Roger Alton notes: "It's the last great amateur event: seven months of pain for no prize money".

On Sunday 27 March, the women's race started at 3:10 p.m. British Summer Time, the women's reserve race (between Oxford's Osiris and Cambridge's Blondie) at 3:25 p.m., the men's reserves' race (between Oxford's Isis and Cambridge's Goldie) fifteen minutes later and the men's race a further half-hour after that at 4:10 pm. The men's race was umpired for the fifth time by Simon Harris, who had overseen the inaugural Tideway running of the Women's Boat Race in 2015. He rowed for Cambridge in the 1982 and 1983 races and was most recently umpire for the men's race in 2010. Rob Clegg, umpire for the 2011 race and three-time Oxford Blue, took charge of the women's race. The men's and women's reserves' races were umpired by Sarah Winckless and Judith Packer respectively, Winckless becoming the first-ever female official of a men's race.

Although around 250,000 spectators were expected to line the banks of the river, engineering works and poor weather reduced the attendance. The event was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on the BBC. Numerous broadcasters worldwide also showed the main races, including SuperSport across Africa, the EBU across Europe, SKY México across Central America, TSN in Canada and Fox Sports in Australia. It was also streamed live on BBC Online.

Coaches

The Cambridge men's crew coaching team was led by their Chief Coach Steve Trapmore. Trapmore, a gold medal-winning member of the men's eight at the 2000 Summer Olympics, was appointed to the post in 2010. He was assisted by Ed Green, the former head coach at University College Cork and development coach at Molesey Boat Club. Donald Legget, who rowed for the Light Blues in the 1963 and 1964 races acted as a supporting coach, along with coxing coach Henry Fieldman (who steered Cambridge in the 2013 race) and the medical officer Simon Owens. Sean Bowden was Chief Coach for Oxford, having been responsible for the senior men's crew since 1997, winning 11 from 16 races. He was a former Great Britain Olympic coach and coached the Light Blues in the 1993 and 1994 Boat Races. His assistant coach was Andy Nelder who has coached the senior boat since 2006.

OUWBC's head coach was Christine Wilson who had been appointed in 2012. She was advised by former Dark Blue Neil Chugani, winning cox in the 1991 race. Cambridge's women were coached by former Goldie coach Rob Baker who was assisted by Paddy Ryan and Nick Acock, along with guest coach Jonathan Conder.

Trials

Dates for the trials, where crews are able to simulate the race proper on the Championship Course, were announced in November 2015.

Women's

The women's trials took place on The Championship Course on 10 December 2015. The race between the Oxford boats, Scylla and Charybdis, was umpired by Rob Clegg and was described as "phenomenal". After an even start, Scylla held a one-length lead by Craven Cottage, extending it to two lengths by Hammersmith Bridge. A strong head wind caused rough water, and conditions worsened past Chiswick Eyot. Charybdis, stroked by OUWBC president Maddy Badcott, began to close the gap and took the lead around the second of the Surrey bends, to win the encounter by three lengths.

CUWBC's trial, Twickenham racing against Tideway, took place in rough water and windy conditions. The race was also umpired by Rob Clegg with both boats getting away together. Twickenham took an early lead, and following a steering error in which Tideway struck a buoy before Hammersmith Bridge, Twickenham were 2+1⁄2 lengths ahead by Chiswick Eyot and pulled away to win by four lengths.

Men's

The men's trials were conducted three days after the women's, on 13 December, also along The Championship Course. The Dark Blues, rowing in Business and Pleasure, were umpired by Simon Harris. Pleasure drew away to hold half a length's lead by the top of Putney Embankment, extending it to three-quarters of a length as the crews passed Harrods Furniture Depository. Although Business made a push to close the gap, Pleasure held their lead below Barnes Bridge but began to tire. Business started to reduce the deficit but too late, as Pleasure passed the finishing post half-a-length ahead.

Cambridge's trial boats were named Fuerte and Listo (strong and clever in Spanish) with the club's president Henry Hoffstot occupying the latter's number seven seat. Fuerte made the better start but by Barn Elms, the crews were level. With the umpire having to warn both crews for encroaching into each other's water at Fulham, Fuerte's Luke Juckett caught a crab, allowing Listo to take a small lead. Fuerte regained the advantage under Hammersmith Bridge and were a length ahead by Chiswick Eyot. Taking advantage of the clear water, Fuerte moved across in front of Listo, and rowed on to win by four lengths.

Build-up

Cambridge were considered the favourites by bookmakers to win for the first time since the 2012 race. Bookmakers considered Oxford's women to be favourites to retain their title for the fifth consecutive year.

Women's

CUWBC competed against Oxford Brookes University Boat Club along the Tideway on 31 January in a two-segment race. In inclement weather, Cambridge started from the Surrey side of the river for the first segment, and were quickly behind. By Craven Cottage, Oxford Brookes were one-third of a length ahead, but CUWBC drew level by Harrods, and led under Hammersmith Bridge by a length to take victory. Oxford Brookes took Surrey for the second piece, starting at Chiswick Eyot. A close start saw the umpire John Garrett warning the crews for encroaching into each other's water, ultimately culminating in a clash under Barnes Bridge as Cambridge were pulling away. A "boat-stopping crab" put paid to any chance of Oxford Brookes recovering the deficit, and CUWBC won the second segment by three lengths.

CUWBC took on Molesey Boat Club on 22 February in a race from the Chiswick Steps to the Start post. A good start from the Light Blues saw them almost a length ahead by Chiswick Eyot, and move into a clear water advantage by St Paul's School. A further length's advantage was taken by Hammersmith Bridge which was soon extended to two by Harrods and three by the Mile Post. Despite encountering a strong headwind, CUWBC continued to pull away from Molesey and passed the Start line six lengths clear. Six days later, OUWBC competed against Molesey in a three-piece set on the Championship Course. Aggressive steering from the Dark Blues earned them several warnings from the umpire during the first race, and although it was initially close, OUWBC pulled away to hold a length's lead by the Mile Post before passing under Hammersmith Bridge two lengths ahead. The second segment from the Mile Post to Chiswick Eyot featured further clashes between the crews, but Oxford dominated, leading by three lengths at St Paul's boathouses and winning by four lengths. In the third race, Molesey took an early lead but OUWBC recovered before the crews shot Barnes Bridge, finishing the piece two lengths ahead.

Men's

The Light Blues faced Oxford Brookes on the Tideway on 30 January, in a two-piece race. Cambridge selected Surrey and were a length down by the Town Buoy. At the first bend in the river by Craven Cottage, Oxford Brookes held a lead of nearly two lengths, but CUBC began to reduce the deficit. By Hammersmith Bridge, the crews were nearly level and despite warnings from the umpire, Cambridge held their aggressive line to pass the finish line at Chiswick Eyot two lengths ahead. In the second race, the crews rowed back from Chiswick Eyot to the Finish Post. Although Oxford Brookes took a narrow lead, the Light Blues were ahead by Chiswick Pier and took clear water advantage to win by more than three lengths. Goldie had lost both races against an alternate Oxford Brookes crew earlier.

On 22 February, it was OUBC's turn to race against Oxford Brookes, in two segments over the Championship Course. After an even start to the first contest, the Dark Blues held a slight advantage heading into the first bend. Oxford Brookes recovered, and were two-thirds of a length ahead as the crews passed below Hammersmith Bridge. OUBC took advantage of a caught blade to move back into contention, but the race was ended prematurely as a sailing boat intervened on the course. The Dark Blues took an early lead in the second race, but despite being a length up, failed to take a clear water advantage. Oxford Brookes drew back and by Barnes Bridge held a small lead, on which they capitalised in the rough water to finally pass the Finish Post two lengths clear of OUBC.