The 143rd Boat Race between crews from the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

took place on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

on 29 March 1997. Umpired by former Oxford rower Tom Cadoux-Hudson, Cambridge won in a time of 17 minutes and 38 seconds. In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis by lengths. Cambridge won the 52nd

Women's Boat Race The Women's Boat Race is an annual rowing race between Cambridge University Women's Boat Club and Oxford University Women's Boat Club. First rowed in 1927, the race has taken place annually since 1964. Since the 2015 race it has been rowed on ...

Background

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...

is a side-by-side rowing competition between the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and the

. First held in 1829, the competition is a race along the

in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1996 race by lengths, and led overall with 73 victories to Oxford's 68 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). The race was the last to be sponsored by

Beefeater Gin Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom. Beefeater remained in the Burrough's family control until 1987. It is a 47% or 44% alcohol product (94 proof) in the US, and a 40% alcoh ...

. The first

took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the

Henley Boat Races The Henley Boat Races were a series of annual rowing races between various crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The event included the Lightweight Men's Boat Race from 1975 to 2018, the Women's Boat ...

, 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. 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.

Crews

The weigh-in was held at

the Hurlingham Club The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive private social and athletic club located in the Fulham area of London, England. Founded in 1869, it has a Georgian-style clubhouse set in of grounds. It is a member of the Association of London Clubs. Histo ...

on 24 March 1997. The Cambridge crew, pre-race favourites, weighed an average of more per rower than Oxford, with Cambridge's Alex Story the heaviest man in the race at . The crews were the tallest in the history of the race, with Cambridge averaging to Oxford's . Oxford's Roberto Blanda became the first

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

from Italy. Cambridge's crew featured three former Blues, while Oxford's crew contained none. Cambridge were coached once again by

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, while Oxford were guided by Dutchman René Mijnders, who had led

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

to Olympic gold in Atlanta in the men's eight.

Race description

Oxford's non-rowing boat club president Ed Bellamy won the toss and selected the Surrey station as the starting point for his crew, Cambridge therefore started from the Middlesex station. Immediately from the start, Cambridge cox Kevin Whyman steered into the Oxford water, closing the lateral gap between the boats and securing a series of warnings from race umpire Tom Cadoux-Hudson. Oxford held a lead of a few feet round the Fulham bend, but the crews were level at the mile post. By

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough ...

, Oxford had pulled away marginally to hold a one-third length lead, but superior steering by Whyman around the Surrey bend pulled Cambridge back into contention, level by the Chiswick Steps, and a length ahead by

Barnes Bridge Barnes Bridge railway station, in Travelcard Zone 3, is on The Terrace, Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in south west London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway. It is on the Houn ...

. Moving across, Cambridge took Oxford's clear water and passed the finishing post six seconds and two lengths ahead. It was Cambridge's fourth consecutive victory and took the overall record to 74–68 in their favour. By the end of the race, umpire Cadoux-Hudson had issued 132 warnings to the crews. In the reserve race, Cambridge's

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in th ...

beat Oxford's Isis by lengths, and in the 52nd running of the

, Cambridge also triumphed.

Reaction

Olympic gold medallist

Steve Redgrave Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave (born 23 March 1962) is a British retired rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships golds ...

presented Cambridge with the Beefeater Trophy and both crews with their medals. Oxford's coach Mijnders said "After the big bend, Cambridge were actually flying ... the further the race went on, the better Cambridge rowed". Cambridge coach Williams noted "Some of our boys took some stick in the press, but they responded to the pressure and were brilliant." Oxford's stroke and Olympic bronze medallist

Tim Foster Timothy James Carrington Foster, MBE (born 19 January 1970) is an English rower who won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Career He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the World Rowing Junior Cha ...

told his crew "We'll always remember we lost the Boat Race, but don't forget we are still good rowers." Cadoux-Hudson stated in an interview that there were two occasions where the blades clashed: "Cambridge were being warned on one occasion and Oxford on the other, so I think it equalled out at the end. I don't think it affected the outcome".

References

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1997 The Boat Race 1997 in English sport 1997 in rowing 1997 sports events in London March 1997 sports events in the United Kingdom