The Boat Race

Oxford power into a commanding lead in 2009 (image by kind permission of Tim Delderfield)

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, first rowed in 1829 at Henley, has been rowed over the four and a quarter miles of the Championship Course between Putney and Mortlake for more than 150 years.

The 2012 race will take place on Saturday 7th April. As always, the curtain raiser to an exciting afternoon will be the Isis versus Goldie race (crewed by the Oxford and Cambridge reserves) which starts first from Putney. Last years' race was won by Isis. This will be followed by the Oxford versus Cambridge Race, when Cambridge will be looking to win after losing to Oxford last year.

The PLA is very busy in the time leading up to race day. Preparations for the event start with the installation of moorings for the many commercial craft which carry spectators. The moorings used by the stake boats are also checked. The stake boats are the small craft provided and crewed by the PLA and which are used to line up and and hold the competing boats at the start of the race. 

During the week before the event both of the PLA Marine Services Driftwood craft, 'Driftwood II' and 'Driftwood III',   will cover the course to support Thames21, which is the official registered charity of the Boat Race, in clearing any debris or driftwood. There will be a full course inspection by the PLA's Harbour Master (Upper) and Deputy Marine Services Manager with the Boat Race Director the week before.

On race day three PLA Harbour Service Launches will be on duty. One will patrol the course and then close the River to all traffic at Kew, another will perform a similar task at Wandsworth Bridge, and the third will follow the race itself to help oversee race safety.

In addition, 'Driftwood II' and 'Driftwood III' will be clearing any floating obstructions to ensure the course is safe before standing by at Chiswick and Fulham respectively. Each will have a two-man diving team aboard, supported by the diving vessel 'PLA Diver' on standby at Wandsworth, in case of any emergencies.

Click here to view a slide show of the PLA's work in the run up to the Race.

The Boat Race has a continuing hold on the imagination of the public which is evidenced by the worldwide television audience and the huge crowds that gather to watch from the River banks and bridges. This interest is attributable to the increasingly rare combination of professional standards and amateur values that the Race displays.  Every member of each crew of eight rowers and cox devotes six months of his or her life to juggling both academic and training commitments in the knowledge that he or she has just one chance to win. This chance may be decisively affected by not only how good the other crew is but also by  weather or tide conditions.

The Boat Race is always rowed in late March or early April and the crews are instantly recognisable by their colours - dark blue for Oxford University and light blue for Cambridge University.

For more information please visit the Boat Race or Thames21 websites (both will open in a new window).

For more information about the PLA vessels mentioned above, see "About our Boats"