Few Words About Oxford And Cambridge University Boat Race

There is a lot of excitement in people for the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge University. I have neither attended any of these top two British Universities, nor do I have an avid enthusiasm for rowing, still I am fascinated for this traditional race of the two boats over exactly 4 miles and 374 yards. There are millions of audience along with me, as the televised event is broadcast, from the historic River Thames, to hundreds of countries. The thought for this race between paragons of academia was of two students, both named Charles, funnily enough. Charles Wordsworth was at Oxford University and Charles Merivale was at Cambridge.

On March 1829, it was the beginning of this race, with the challenge of Cambridge to Oxford. Since then, this has been turned in a tradition, that the loser of a year’s race to challenge the other boat to a rematch the following year. In Oxfordshire, it was 10th June 1829, when thousands of enthusiastic people descended on the small town of Henley-on-Thames. This huge audience was there to witness the first ever staging of the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge’s best rowing teams. In a further unenviable turn of events the race had to be stopped shortly after both boats had begun to be rowed. The race was started again and it was Oxford, that won the first boat race against Cambridge. As far as the study is concerned, the members of both crews do not get any special dispensation.

The student must resign from that year’s boat squad, if they can’t keep up with their academic commitments. They organise the race on a Sunday in March or April and the main event is preceded by a competition between Isis and Goldie. That is why these boats are kept reserved for Oxford and Cambridge. About half an hour later the Blue Boats, as the first teams of each University are known, takes place. Cambridge is light blue and Oxford dark blue.

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