151st Boat Race
Date27 March 2005 (2005-03-27)
WinnerOxford
Margin of victory2 lengths
Winning time16 minutes 41 seconds
Overall record
(Cambridge–Oxford)		78–72
UmpireBoris Rankov[1]
(Oxford)
Other races
Reserve winnerGoldie
Women's winnerCambridge
← 2004 2006 →

The 151st Boat Race took place on 27 March 2005. Oxford won the race by two lengths in a time of 16 minutes 41 seconds. The race, umpired by the six-time Boat Race winner Boris Rankov, featured seven Olympic rowers. It was the first time the event was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV.

In the reserve race Goldie beat Isis and Cambridge won the Women's race.

Background

The Boat Race is an annual rowing eight competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. First held in 1829, the competition is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) race along The Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.[2] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide.[3] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 2004 race by six lengths,[4] and led overall with 78 victories to Oxford's 71 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[5] The race was sponsored by Xchanging for the first time,[6] and it was the first year the event was televised in the United Kingdom by ITV, following a £1.75 million pound five-year deal, therefore ending the 50-year relationship the event had with the BBC.[7]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races.[8] The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.[4]

Crews

The Oxford crew (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") was the heaviest in Boat Race history,[9] with over a 21 pounds (9.5 kg) per crew member over the Cambridge crew (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").[10] Both crews had an average age of 25. The Oxford crew featured five Britons, three Americans and a Canadian while the Cambridge crew consisted of four Germans, three Britons, an American and an Australian.[11][12] Seven of the rowers had represented their countries at the Olympic Games.[9] In the Cambridge crew, Heidicker rowed for Germany at both the Sydney and Athens games, Briton Tom James, German Sebastian Schulte and American Luke Walton also rowed in Athens.[12] Oxford's Olympians included Britons Andy Triggs Hodge and Robin Bourne-Taylor, and Canadian Barney Williams, all of whom competed in Athens.[12] According to the BBC, the former Oxford coach Dan Topolski rated both crews as good enough to make an Olympic final.[13]

Robin Bourne-Taylor was Oxford's bowman.
Seat Oxford
Cambridge
Name Nationality Age Name Nationality Age
BowRobin Bourne-TaylorBritish23Luke WaltonAmerican25
2Barney WilliamsCanadian28Tom EdwardsAustralian27
3Peter ReedBritish23Henry AdamsBritish24
4Joseph von MaltzahnBritish26Steffen BuschbacherGerman27
5Chris LiwskiAmerican24Sebastian SchulteGerman26
6Mike BlomquistAmerican23Matthias KleinzGerman28
7Jason FlickingerAmerican27Tom JamesBritish21
StrokeAndy Triggs HodgeBritish25Bernd HeidickerGerman26
CoxAcer NethercottBritish27Peter RudgeBritish23

Race description

The Championship Course along which the Boat Race is run

Cambridge won the coin toss and elected to start from the northern bank (the "Middlesex side") of the Thames.[9] At race time, conditions were cloudy and cool, with rain falling midway through.[14] The race umpire was Boris Rankov, a six-time successful Oxford Blue.[1]

Cambridge made a poor start allowing Oxford to take the early lead, but warnings from umpire Rankov forced the Oxford cox Acer Nethercott to steer out of the racing line and relinquish the advantage. As they approached Hammersmith Bridge, Oxford out-rated Cambridge and held a half-a-length lead.[14] Taking a clear-water advantage before reaching Barnes Bridge, Oxford passed the finishing post two lengths ahead, with a time of 16 minutes, 41 seconds.[9] It was their third victory in the previous four years and brought the overall result to 78–72 in Cambridge's favour.[4] At the finish, following tradition, the Oxford crew threw their cox, Nethercott, into the water in celebration.[15]

In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis.[14] Earlier, Cambridge won the 60th Women's Boat Race by 2+1⁄3 lengths.[4]

Reaction

Oxford's number two, Williams, had lost out on gold in the Athens Olympics by two inches, he said "I knew how much it was going to hurt to lose so half of me is just so glad we didn't lose".[16] The departing Cambridge coach Robin Williams said of his crew "They fought like tigers and should be proud of themselves".[16] Cambridge's stroke Heidicker admitted "It was a bad start ... we never really established our own rhythm. Maybe we weren't cool enough in that situation."[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Davies, Gareth A. (27 March 2009). "60 Second Interview: Boris Rankov, Boat Race Umpire". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "Boat Race sponsor Xchanging to end contract". BBC News. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  7. ↑ Gough, Martin (23 March 2014). "Boat Race enters new era". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 February 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "A brief history of the Women's Boat Race". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Oxford capture Boat Race success". BBC Sport. 27 March 2005. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Oxford unveil record crew weight". BBC Sport. 22 March 2005. Archived from the original on 29 May 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Meet the Oxford University team". BBC Sport. 21 March 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 "Meet the Cambridge University crew". BBC Sport. 21 March 2005. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  13. ↑ Gough, Martin (24 March 2005). "How good are the Boat Race crews?". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "The Boat Race as it happened". BBC Sport. 27 March 2005. Archived from the original on 1 April 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "University Boat Race photos". BBC Sport. 27 March 2005. Archived from the original on 29 May 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  16. 1 2 Gough, Martin (27 March 2005). "Victory eases Williams' pain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
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