The Boat Race
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 155th running of the race on Sunday 29th March 2009 saw Oxford emerge the winners by three and a half lengths. This was Oxford's 75th victory since 1829 and the fourth in five years. The PLA was very busy in the time leading up to race day. Preparations for the event started with the installation of moorings for the many commercial craft which carry spectators. The moorings used by the stake boats were 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', covered the course to support Thames21, which is the official registered charity of the Boat Race, in clearing any debris or driftwood. There was also a full course inspection by the PLA's Harbour Master (Upper) and Deputy Marine Services Manager with the Boat Race Director on Saturday 28th March. On race day three PLA Harbour Service Launches were on duty. One patrolled the course and then closed the River to all traffic at Kew, another performed a similar task at Wandsworth Bridge, and the third followed the race to help oversee race safety.
In addition, 'Driftwood II' and 'Driftwood III' cleared any floating obstructions to ensure the course was safe before standing by at Chiswick and Fulham respectively. Each had a two-man diving team aboard, supported by the diving vessel 'PLA Diver' on standby at Wandsworth, in case of any emergencies. 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.
The 2010 race will take place on Saturday 3rd April. The Isis versus Goldie race (crewed by the Oxford and Cambridge reserves) will start from Putney at 4.00 pm. This will be followed at 4.30 pm.by the Oxford versus Cambridge Race, when Cambridge will be determined to stop their rivals from gaining their fifth victory in six years. In the meantime, 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"
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