So that’s that: victories for Cambridge’s men and women take their respective leads to 84-80 and 44-30. That’s all from me. Same time next year?
Boat Race 2019: Cambridge cruise to double victory – as it happened
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A victorious James Cracknell is beaming. “At the start I thought, ‘I’ve missed this.’ The first few minutes was great, but they just didn’t drop. It was a humdinger all the way! It maybe wasn’t a 10/10 performance but it was pretty much an eight or a nine.”
And here’s our report:
Cambridge win the men's race!
It’s victory for a breathless Cambridge by just over a length, and can barely muster the obligatory “hip hip hooray” to their beaten rivals. The win was rarely in doubt – but they were made to work for it, and in the end finished in 16mins 57secs – 28 seconds behind the all-time record. A halfhearted appeal from Oxford is rejected by the umpire.
So that’s a double victory for them today. Much port will be quaffed in Cambridge tonight.
We’re on to the home straight. Cracknell and the gang are being pushed to the limit by Oxford – they summon one last heave.
Oxford have moved inside as the teams go past the Chiswick Steps, and the gap is tightening a tad. Cambridge remain in control but this isn’t in the bag. Toby de Mendonca cajoles his team gallantly … though Cambridge have found a bit more in the tank now.
The patters looks to be set: Cambridge cruising clear as Oxford hang in there with their fingernails. “They’ve not moving anywhere,” barks Oxford cox Toby de Mendonca, but they are: Cambridge are getting away.
As the teams pass under Hammersmith Bridge, Cambridge look to be inching away. They’ve put daylight – and four seconds – between the boats
Oxford keep within touching distance as the Surrey bend, which will favour Cambridge, nears. “DRIVE!” shrieks Cambridge cox Matthew Holland, and his men comply.
Cambridge build on their lead, but Oxford are staying close and oars clash as Toby de Mendonca’s team make up some vital ground. The umpire orders the teams to move apart.
The men's race in under way!
And we’re off! The heaves begin, as do the cheers, as umpire Rob Clegg unleashes the two teams. An aggressive start from Cambridge sees them get away quicker. They lead by half a length after a minute and a half.
Just a few minutes to go now, with both teams out on the water. James Cracknell sits towards the back of his boat, focus steady, shoulders rippling. His team, coxed by Matthew Holland, are strong 2/9 favourites. (A dead heat, by the way, is 150/1)
And the men’s crews are as follows:
Cambridge: Dave Bell; James Cracknell; Grant Bitler; Dara Alizadeh; Callum Sullivan; Sam Hookway; Freddie Davidson; Natan Wegrzycki-Szymczyk; Matthew Holland (cox)
Oxford: Charlie Pearson; Ben Landis; Achim Harzheim; Patrick Sullivan; Tobias Schroder; Felix Drinkall; Charlie Buchanan; Augustin Wambersie; Toby de Mendonca (cox)
Cambridge’s win last year took their overall lead to 83-80. The record time in the men’s race is 16mins 19 secs, set by Cambridge in 1998.
Meanwhile, Cambridge’s women soak up their victory:
Blazer watch:
Some pre-race reading:
So, attention turns to the 165th men’s race, with James Cracknell’s Cambridge team having won the toss and chosen the Surrey side.
Oxford march out to the water. They’re coxed by Toby de Mendonca and are 0.2kg heavier that their rivals (the teams’ average height is exactly equal).
That’s a third successive win and a 44th overall for Cambridge women, who look as spent as they are proud. Their official time was 18min 47secs – just 14 seconds off the 2017 record, and a hell of a performance.
Oxford’s women, meanwhile, are in tears. “We rowed the best race we could have done and were outgunned on the day,” says a magnanimous Ellie Shearer. “The last week was one of the best of my life – we’ll be friends for life.”
Cambridge win the women's race!
No late errors from Hugh Spaughton’s crew as they hit the finish line and collectively collapse in triumph. A rout! They’ve earned their “hip-hip hooray” from the crowd.
They’re under Barnes Bridge, and that record will likely just elude them. Barring a Devon Loch job, Cambridge’s win is a formality now as they ease towards the finish line.
They teams pass under Chiswick Bridge. A mile to go, and Cambridge may be in with a chance of the record here. We’ll see…
It’ll take some doing for Cambridge to muck this one up. Ellie Shearer continues to yell at her crew but it’s a vain effort, they’re struggling. “You’re making them suffer!” she shouts, unconvincingly.
Cambridge have steamed well clear, and Oxford cox Eleanor Shearer looks queasy as she does her best to gee up her troops – and drops an F-bomb in the process. Most uncivil.
Oxford make up some ground, but not much, on the inside lane as the teams turn past Craven Cottage. “Squeeze it out!” roars Cambridge cox Hugh Spaughton – his team are a clear length ahead now.
Both teams have found a steady stride and, a couple of minutes in, Cambridge inch ahead thanks to an aggressive start.
The women's race begins!
“Go!” bellows umpire Richard Phelps, and the rowers are off along the 4.2 mile course, Oxford a nose ahead because of their side.
The women are readying themselves on the water, game faces affixed. Just a couple of minutes now until the starting pistol is fired. Cambridge the 11/4 favourites.
Cambridge are also the marginal favourites for the women’s race – coxed by Hugh Spaughton, their rowers are on average 1cm taller and 1.2kg heavier. They are chasing a third win on the trot, and will be well aware of the all-time record, set by their predecessors two years ago: 18min 33 secs.
Today’s course:
Weather watch
Bleak. But not disastrous. The skies above the Thames are unrelentingly grey, and it’s chilly – 11 degrees to be precise – but more importantly, wind is negligible.
Meanwhile, Cambridge have only gone and won the toss for both events, the scamps. Both teams chose the Surrey side.
The women’s boat club presidents exchange a crunching handshake. Eleanor Shearer, on the left, is also Oxford’s cox today.
The women march out, boats on their shoulders, and plonk them in the Thames shallows. It starts to rain. Respective crews are as follows:
Cambridge: Tricia Smith; Sophie Deans; Laura Foster; Larkin Sayre; Kate Horvat; Pippa Whittaker; Ida Gortz Jacobsen; Lily Lindsay; Hugh Spaughton (cox)
Oxford: Isobel Dodds; Anna Murgatroyd; Renee Koolschijn; Lizzie Polgreen; Tina Christmann; Beth Bridgman; Olivia Pryer; Amelia Standing; Eleanor Shearer (cox)
Pre-race reading:
Preamble
The 165th boat race between the distinguished souls of Oxford and Cambridge will feature the event’s oldest ever competitor, with Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell – currently perusing human evolution at Cambridge University – dusting off the Lycra at the ripe old age of 46.
The west Londoner grew up a mile and a half from the Mortlake finish line before winning gold medals in Sydney and Athens, and unsurprisingly, his presence is this year’s headline attraction. It has also made his 1-4 favourites to triumph – which would make it three wins out of four for Cambridge men after their rivals’ unbroken trio between 2013-15.
Before that though is the women’s race, with an Oxford crew – coxed by Ellie Shearer and with three returning rowers from 12 months ago – looking to avenge last year’s seven-length defeat.
In the meantime, we can entertain ourselves with the all-English spectacle of intoxicated toffs, Morris dancers and miserable weather.