| If
you’re staying in or visiting Cambridge when the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race is broadcast on the
BBC, don’t expect to see a soul on the streets.
There’s a real sense of pride amongst the Cambridge
community as every year teams from these two imposing,
historical universities go
head-to-head to claim the River Thames bragging
rights.
The rivalry, however, was born out of a friendship. The
race was the
brainchild of two friends, Charles Merivale and
Charles Wordsworth, students at Cambridge and Oxford respectively.
It was in 1829 that the gauntlet was thrown down, with
Cambridge challenging their counterparts. And since then
the event has grown from strength to strength, continually
capturing the imagination of the British public.
The race held in 2004 was the 150th and attracted a staggering
television audience of 8.9 million people. An estimated
worldwide audience of 500 million watch the race.
The race takes place on the tidal stretch of the Thames
called the Tideway, which runs from Teddington
Lock through central London and then out to the open sea.
The Championship Course runs between Putney and Mortlake.
Cambridge haven’t won as many times as Oxford and
the closest race to date happened in 2003, when Oxford
won by just 12 inches.
In terms of misfortune, though, the teams have been equal.
Cambridge sank in 1859, then again just a mile from the
finish in 1978, while Oxford went under in both 1925 and
1951.
Over the years, aside from those that would become Olympians,
the teams have seen a few celebrity faces, including photographer Lord Snowdon, who rowed for Cambridge in 1950, Lord Colin Moynihan, doing his bit for Oxford in
1977 and the comedian Hugh Laurie, who stepped
out of the Footlights briefly to row for Cambridge in
1980.
When the Cambridge team do return to the city victorious
there’s a parade down the street and plenty of beer
flowing to welcome the winners home.
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