The Varsity Yacht Race is a yacht race between
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
Cambridge University
, 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 ...
.
The Varsity Yacht Race has been raced since 2003 and became a Half-Blue sport in 2008; since then a full
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 ...
can be awarded at the discretion of the Blues committee The format is fleet racing on the
Solent
The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay to ...
using 37' yachts with a mixed crew of eight. A second boat that welcomes less experienced racers also competes in the same fleet against a Cambridge second boat. the series stands 3–2 to Oxford. The teams compete for the Yacht Varsity Trophy.
The race is normally run just before
BUSA and after the end of Lent term, to give both teams time to train up some of their new intake and get more training before BUSA. The racing normally takes place during a Sunsail regatta weekend, but entering other races, such alternating between the
Fastnet and Cork or
Cowes Week
Cowes Week ( ) is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily sailing races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,000 competitors ranging from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailin ...
has been mooted for the future if funding can be found. The Cambridge University Cruising Club (CUCrC) donated a cup, which is awarded to the winner each year.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varsity Yacht Race
Oxbridge