The Significance Of The "boat Race" Distance

[[old] mpukita]

Friends:<br /><br />Help!<br /><br />As a relative "newbie" to rowing, I have what is probably a silly question ...<br /><br />I've seen references to "Boat Races", and in searching the forums, it looks like this is a distance of 6780M. What's the significance of this distance, and how did the term Boat Race come to be used for same? I'm certain it's a simple answer that I've somehow missed.<br /><br />Is this, perhaps, the distance that UK universities and clubs row in the fall season (as opposed to 5K head races like we do here in the US)? Just a guess?<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />-- Mark

[[old] SteveV]

It's the distance rowed in the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities. No special significance in the distance, it's just how far it is along the thames between the two bridges they use as start and finish<br /><br /><a href='http://www.theboatrace.org/' target='_blank'>http://www.theboatrace.org/</a><br /><br /><br />The start of the race is marked by the University stone, a few hundred yards upstream from Putney Road Bridge and for the first quarter of a mile, as the crews pass the historic boathouses of Putney Embankment, the course is quite straight. Then begins the first Middlesex bend, said to be worth a third of a length advantage to the crew drawn on that station. The bend is almost three quarters of a mile long, and takes the crews past the Fulham Football ground at Craven Cottage and up towards the Mile Post. <br /><br />The Mile is the first of the classic race timing points and is marked by a bust of Steve Fairbairn, four times a Boat Race oarsman for Cambridge in the 1880s, and founder of the Head of the River Race some forty years later. Oxford got to the Mile in 3 mins 31 secs in 1978 and Cambridge equalled that record 15 years later with the crew that brought an end to the Oxford dominance of the race which had spanned almost twenty years. <br /><br />For the next two miles the bend in the river is entirely in favour of the crew drawn on Surrey (the south side of the river) and is said to be worth about one length to the inside crew. The first landmark after the Mile is Harrod's Repository, the furniture warehouse built by the Knightsbridge store over 100 years ago. This fine Victorian building was constructed using bricks gleaned from the rebuilt Piccadilly underground station, and following Harrods' removal to a computerised warehouse in Osterley it has now been converted to luxury flats. <br /><br />Near the apex of the Surrey bend is Hammersmith Bridge, the only road bridge crossing the course. Cambridge reached this point in 6 mins 20 secs in 1998 with the crew which trounced the record for each subsequent marker all the way up the course. The crews pass St Paul's School boathouse on the Surrey bank and the historic Doves public house on the Middlesex shore before reaching the two mile mark. <br /><br />By now the race has reached that stretch of the course known as Chiswick Reach, marked by the narrow island, Chiswick Eyot, near the Middlesex bank, and a terrace of fine Georgian mansions on Chiswick Mall, the road which runs along the northern shore. <br /><br />At the end of Chiswick Reach is the third timing marker, Chiswick Steps, reached by the 1998 Cambridge boat in 9 mins 56 secs, but then the Surrey bend begins to even out as the crews approach the three mile mark. Here is the point known as the Crossing where the best line for the crews lies directly across the middle of the river; this is where the racing craft lose the shelter of the shore and may be at their most vulnerable from the prevailing south-westerly wind. It was a wind from this direction that was responsible for the last sinking at this point when Cambridge went down in 1978. <br /><br />Now begins the third and final bend in favour of the crew on Middlesex. The race passes under the girders of Barnes Railway Bridge and now there is barely three quarters of a mile to go. The crew that is down at this point has a daunting task ahead. Only twice in the history of the race has the losing crew at this point gone on to win the race. This happened in 1952 and again, 50 years later in 2002. On the Middlesex shore are the vantage points of the playing fields of Dukes Meadow, while the Surrey bank is marked by the White Hart public house and Mortlake Brewery. <br /><br />The Finish Line is just a few yards downstream from Chiswick road bridge and here the crowds on Race Day are as densely packed as those near the Start. What those crowds witness as the crews cross the Line is the ecstasy of the victors and the despair of the losing crew. The Cambridge record breakers of '98 got here in 16 mins 19 secs, breaking the previous record by a staggering 26 secs. Whether one of this year's crews can come anywhere near that time remains to be seen!

[[old] Citroen]

<!--QuoteBegin-mpukita+Dec 3 2005, 05:54 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(mpukita @ Dec 3 2005, 05:54 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Is this, perhaps, the distance that UK universities and clubs row in the fall season (as opposed to 5K head races like we do here in the US)?  Just a guess? <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />It's the most partisan rowing event in the world. You don't choose whether you shout for Oxford (dark blue) or Cambridge (light blue) you are born into the family choice.<br /><br />I have always supported Cambridge.<br /><br />THE Boat Race is run (the date depends on the tide) on the Thames tideway between Putney and Mortlake. The distance is ~6780m (it's acutally an imperial distance of 4miles 1,122feet). The crews are rowing in eights. Before the main teams go off, there's a secondary race between the Goldie and Isis boats.<br /><br />There's nothing better than standing on the river bank at Mortlake, with a pint (20oz) of warm brown beer (Fuller's London Pride or similar) watching the Cambridge boat come across the line ahead of Oxford.

[[old] Stretch]

<!--QuoteBegin-SteveV+Dec 3 2005, 01:10 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(SteveV @ Dec 3 2005, 01:10 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The crews pass St Paul's School boathouse on the Surrey bank and the historic Doves public house on the Middlesex shore before reaching the two mile mark. </td></tr></table><br />It's "The Dove" he gently tuts, having spent many a happy hour in there when resident in Hammersmith lo these many years ago.<br /><br /><a href='http://imageshack.us' target='_blank'><img src='http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/1240/thames142uk.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /></a><br /><br />The Blue Anchor just up the Lower Mall is also worth a stop. I miss proper pubs.

[[old] mpukita]

Thanks! This is great information and an outstanding history lesson. I very much appreciate it!<br /><br />I have GOT to do a pub tour of the UK. I've been through Heathrow more times than I can count, but never off the airport property. I would guess that I could find a rowing chap or two that I've met here to lead the way ...<br /><br /> <br /><br />... wouldn't want to end up in a bad part of town now would I?<br /><br /> <br /><br />My nephew, who rows for McGill University in Montreal, tells me he may be rowing at the Henley next spring. Maybe he needs his American uncle there cheering him on. He's prepping to try to join the U23 Canadian national team training program next summer, and his Collegiate 8 was 5th at the Head of the Charles this year.<br /><br />Proud uncle? Me? No way!<br /><br /> <br /><br />

[[old] monkey]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have GOT to do a pub tour of the UK. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Yes you have Mark, you owe me a drink or three!! <br /><br />My father in law went to Cambride so naturally supports them.<br />Thats why I always support Oxford!