RowingRelated

The Lightweight Boat Races, 2020 (Illustration: RR) This year has been, well, a tough one so far. But, if this was to be the only time Oxford and Cambridge matched up against one another on the Tideway in 2020, at least it was a great show. The above race was a historic event for women's lightweight rowing, as it marked the first time the women's lightweight match between Cambridge and Oxford was contested on the 4-mile, 374-yard Championship Course . And the race proved worthy of such a milestone. In the words of the silver-tongued Robert Treharne Jones , "It's a popular myth that the crew leading at Hammersmith is the one that will take the victory." It was certainly looking like Oxford's day coming underneath Hammersmith Bridge, having had the better of a clash in the first third of the race, and with the advantage of the bend as the crews rowed past the Chiswick Eyot. Cambridge, however, held on—and then moved just when the conditions were at ...

The RowingRelated Top 30 (Photo: 1899 Cornell Rowing Team) ROWING is a sport heavily steeped in history. It can boast some of the longest running traditions in contemporary sport, from the Doggett’s Coat & Badge , to Henley Royal Regatta , to the Boat Races of both the Oxford and Cambridge variety as well as that between Harvard and Yale. Learning from the best has always been one of our top priorities here on RR, and so here we look back at our picks for the Top 30 Rowing Coaches of All Time , in hopes of both appreciating those that have gone before as well as the excellence of our contemporaries. As with all ranking systems, it's not perfect, but it's a start—and the hope is that it will generate discussion not only about the past, but also about the future of our sport as we move further into the 21st century. Also note: There are regrettably few women in this list, but that is a reflection of a general, historical and present underrepresentation of women in...

It's nearly time for the Boat Race , and both Oxford and Cambridge will be in the midst of intense training cycles before tapering down to the big day. Still, Oxford Brookes is in top form (preparing for the Head of the River in their own right), and when all was said and done, it was nothing short of a historic week for Brookes on the Tideway. "This is the first time a Brookes crew has beaten both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year, and it is testament to the strength in depth of the squad that the 2nd VIII also beat both Goldie and Isis." —BROOKES|Rowing The first of the two fixtures was against Oxford. As you'd expect, both pieces are extremely hard fought, with Brookes only taking a real advantage in the first piece in the final minute (an advantage that they push out to roughly 3/4 of a length by the end). The second fixture, held just last weekend, came against Cambridge. Rather amazingly, the two pieces look almost identical to those against...

Op-Ed: A Celebration of Spirit While, in the not-too-distant past, we've had to lament troubles that beset one of the most storied traditions in our sport, 2016's event proved to be a shining example of why the Boat Races are still so important, and so relevant to every level of rowing.

Which Blue is your pick to win the Boat Races this year? This year's grudge match on the Thames marks another historical move forward for the event, as it's the first time that both the men's and women's races have had the same name: The CRUK Boat Races. And, it just wouldn't be us if we didn't shoot our mouths off about what we think is going to happen. Here's our take on who'll be tops on the Tideway this weekend.

C2 monitor from OUBC test, via  @OUBCsquad (Screen capture) The answer, it would appear, is yes. (And we should have seen this coming.)

This week's 'Throwback Thursday' post is from this year's Torpids, following the successful campaign of Hertford College's top men's eight. Torpids , held in late February/early March, is traditionally the first of two 'Bumps' racing series held at Oxford, pitting college crews against one another along a stretch of the River Thames known as the Isis (which gives its name to OUBC's reserve crew for the Boat Races). The second series of bumps racing is Summer Eights , or simply Eights, which is similar in structure, and is held at the end of May.

With only a few hours left to go before the 2015 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races take over the Tideway for the renewal of the age-old rivalry between two of the world's oldest universities, it's a time for reflection. So we're flashing back this Friday to 2003—a race that, after 4 miles and 374 yards, came down to 1 foot.

The buildup to this year's Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races has seen the bookmakers heavily favor  Oxford for both the men's and women's events, and, given the results from the Tideway Fixtures and the indirect comparisons to be made, that seems a logical conclusion. On both counts, Oxford has had arguably stronger results, and a side-by-side comparison of the athletes seems to show that the Dark Blues have the experience and talent edge in 2015. Finishing touches. A photo posted by Rowing Photography (@rowingphotography) on Apr 9, 2015 at 12:01pm PDT However, all of that is out the window as soon as the flag drops and the races begin on Saturday, and Cambridge will be keen to prove the doubters wrong.

This past weekend marked the renewal of the Henley Boat Races rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge, and while the bookmakers have 'tabbed' Oxford as the favorites in the men's and women's Boat Races on the Tideway, Cambridge scored not one but two victories over the Dark Blues just a few miles up the Thames.

This week's video offers an intense look at life as a member of Oxford University Boat Club . The crews for the 2015 Boat Races were announced on Friday, and this year's event will be historic in that it will be the first time that the men's and women's races have been held on the Tideway together on the same day. While there's evidence that the Cambridge men and women have made strides over the course of their winter training, so far the bookmakers and the pundits agree that Dark Blue is the favored colo(u)r to win again this year.

George Bridgewater racing at the 2015 New Zealand Rowing Championships (Photo: Steve McArthur) Already a double Olympian after Beijing, where he won a bronze medal with partner Nathan Twaddle in the men's pair, George Bridgewater decided it was time for a new challenge. The next chapter in his life took him from Oxford (where he won the Boat Race) to Hong Kong, where he put his considerable competitive drive to good use in the business world. But something wasn't quite right—Bridgewater knew that he could still be competitive on the water as well, and last year made the decision to give it one more go. The goal: Rio 2016. Here, George shares some insights about his previous Olympic experiences, his time away from the sport, and the journey back to elite-level training and racing with Rowing New Zealand.

The OUBC Christmas sweater row (Photo courtesy Mike DiSanto) The following is the second installment of Harvard Alum Mike DiSanto's training log from the 2014-2015 season with the Oxford Blues , this one detailing the Trial VIIIs and their winter training camp in France. From Mike: Hey everyone, Hope the winter training is going well. I haven’t been home since Christmas but I’m hearing Boston is currently under about four feet of snow! Sometimes living abroad has its perks and not having to deal with a frozen river and consecutive months on the erg is definitely one of them. When I last checked in , OUBC had just taken part in a successful Fuller’s Fours Head. Since then a lot has happened and I’ll do my best to bring you up to speed.

This week's featured video comes to us via Oxford University Boat Club, and offers an inside look at their training and preparation for...actually, it's a series of precisely executed, boy-band dance moves, as well as some impressively edited reverse lip-syncing (from 1:16)—a clear indication that the banter level has achieved new heights in the build up to this year's Boat Race. When you think about it, what better way to strike fear into the hearts of your opponents than with a parody R&B viral video? And, far from letting the men's squad have all the fun, the Oxford women have upped their Christmas sweater game. The team showcased an impressive range of Christmas jumpers today! #WhichBlueRU #darkblue pic.twitter.com/LnytGGGrtq — OUWBC Squad (@OUWBCsquad) December 8, 2014 The gauntlet has been thrown down—suffice it to say, we're looking forward to seeing how Cambridge responds. (Will the Light Blues go full Daniel Radcliffe ?) Have a submission ...

Oxford University racing the Head of the River Fours (Photo courtesy of Mike DiSanto) Harvard alum Mike DiSanto , who recently returned from a trip to New Zealand for the Gallagher Great Race , is back and training once again with Oxford University Boat Club —and, evidently, it's going well. DiSanto and his teammates turned a lot of heads on the Thames a week ago with their performance in the men's elite four with coxswain—an event that they won, while placing ninth among all crews (yes, in a field that included quads and straight fours). The following is the first dispatch from Mike for RR about his training and racing with OUBC, with more to come as winter looms.

This week's video comes to us from the Tideway, where yet another Boat Race was marked by a singular incident that proved to be, as Henri Cartier-Bresson might have described it, "the decisive moment." Once again, the race was more closely contested than most thought it would be through the early stages—much like the first half of the now infamous 2012 Boat Race , which was later marred by outside interference, and then by a disastrous clash that sheared off a blade in the Oxford boat—only to finish in a veritable parade. The disappointing thing is that we didn't get to see a true reflection of Cambridge's speed over the full course. It's no-one's fault—take a look at the slow-motion replay in the video to fully comprehend just what a freak accident it was—as a host of circumstances conspired to make for the worst possible outcome: just as Luke Juckett is squaring his blade to the water, Oxford seven-man Sam O'Connor's blade emerges from the...

The 160th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is upon us, and it wouldn't be right if we didn't throw our hat into the ring and offer a prediction for today's outcome. Given the experience, horsepower, and recent history for Oxford, we're backing the Dark Blue to repeat as champions in 2014, this time by a margin of five lengths. From top to bottom, the Oxford lineup is fantastic on paper, and looks to be living up to that potential given the results from their Tideway fixtures. Cambridge will have a tall task before them, and will no doubt put up a valiant fight, but over the course of four miles (and in potentially rough conditions ) the experience and caliber of the Dark Blue crew will more than likely make this an open water victory. (And, based on the results of our RR reader poll, 80% of you agree.) The race is set for 1755 GMT. The veterans races yesterday saw a trio of victories for Cambridge . You can follow all the action via Twitter ( @theboatrace ), and keep...

The 2013/2014 Trial VIIIs races are now in the books, and the anticipation is already beginning to mount for the main events, scheduled for Sunday, 30 March at 3:00pm GMT (women) and 6 April at 6:00pm GMT (men). For many on the outside, however, the Oxbridge men's and women's Boat Races appear to be something of a foregone conclusion. Oxford are, to put it bluntly, comparatively stacked on both counts. And, judging from the lineups that the men raced over the weekend, they know it—they appear to have raced two mixed eights (splitting up their Olympians) against one another for more of a sparring session than a true selection piece. Let's take a closer look at the Oxford lineups, shall we?

2013-03 Boat Race Selection - Images by Iain Weir The 2013 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race was everything that the Boat Race should be—hard fought, closely contested, and fairly won. Oxford , led by two-time Olympic medalist Malcolm Howard at stroke, showed that they had the grit and determination to gut out a close race despite being heavy favorites, which is a testament to their mental toughness. While the focus is always on the winning crew, Cambridge showed equal tenacity, if not boat speed, on the Tideway today, and a real star emerged from the Light Blue crew. His name? Henry Fieldman . The Oxford start was, as widely predicted, very good, and saw the Dark Blues have an almost immediate advantage. However, the same crafty coxing that saw his GB crew to victory at the E.ON Hanse Cup in 2010 were in evidence early and often, as Fieldman steered a brilliant line through Hammersmith, tucking into the Oxford blades just slightly and disrupting them just enough to keep his CUB...

Photo: Cambridge launches for the 2008 Boat Race (© B. Kitch) The crews for both the men's and women's Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races have been announced, and there is a ton(ne) of international talent on display. The men's boat race will feature two double Olympians in the form of Oxford stroke Malcolm Howard and Cambridge two seat Milan Bruncvik —a first for the Boat Race. Howard won gold with the Canadian men's eight in Beijing, and took silver at Eton Dorney. Sitting right behind him? Constantine ('Stan') Louloudis , British stroke from the Olympic bronze medal-winning crew in 2012. Nothing against Niles Garratt (UW alum) and Alexander Scharp of Cambridge, but that is one hell of a stern pair for Oxford. The Cambridge crew (follow the link for a Bloomberg video interview with Steve Dudek, Alex Fleming and Ty Otto), which bounced back from its fixture against Washington with a solid performance against Leander , also features a 2012 GB Olympic bron...