The Eye

Oxford have won the 154th University Boat Race in London, in a gruelling race that took over twenty minutes, the first time that has happened since 1987 .The 4 mile 375 yard course is usually completed in around 16 munutes, but the weather in London this afternoon was unpleasant with rain, and 25 mph winds.

It wasn’t  to be a second win for Cambridge Cox Rebecca Dowbiggin.

Oxford,  the heavier crew, were statistically favourites to win the race – this has happened 63% of the time.

The University Boat Race is an annual national sporting institution in the UK, and was first broadcast by the BBC in 1927. The first television outside broadcast came nine years later and was made up of one static camera at the finishing line.

If you have Real Player installed you can watch that first televised broadcast here

These days the race is covered by around two dozen or more cameras, but alas, most of the United States is unable to watch.  For the first time this year, it was carried by ESPNU live, but as I have one of the most expensive and suckiest US cable providers – Comcast – who DON’T carry ESPNU,  I was unable to watch.

However a big thanks to boatrace on Twitter, who gave an excellent running commentary of the whole proceedings.