Cambridge won both the women’s and men’s contests in the Boat Race for the third year in succesion on Sunday (13 April).
In the women’s Boat Race, Cambridge cruised to an eighth consecutive victory after an early boat clash forced umpire Matthew Pinsent to stop the race on the River Thames.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist could have disqualified Oxford after issuing several warnings, but opted to give Cambridge a third-of-a-length advantage at the restart.
The Light Blues – coxed by Jack Nicholas and featuring two-time US Olympian Claire Collins – made full use of their lead, stretching away to win by almost eight seconds. They have now won 49 out of 79 contests.
In the men’s race, umpire Sarah Winckless – a two-time double sculls world champion and Olympic bronze medallist – was busy telling Cambridge to avoid veering over towards the Dark Blue boat. But it was clear Cambridge – urged on by cox Ollie Boyne – soon had the advantage as they put clear water between them and their rivals.
Oxford had no response with Cambridge extending their lead to over 16 seconds by the finish. Cambridge’s third straight win took their victory tally in the men’s Boat Race to 88 against Oxford’s 81 with one dead heat (in 1877).
