Blues Record Famous Boat Race Victory

Cambridge have upset the odds to win the 156th Boat Race.

Oxford were red-hot favourites but the Light Blues came from behind to record a famous victory, their first since 2007.

Cambridge coach Chris Nilsson told The Tab he was “delighted with the result” and had “always believed the boys could deliver a big performance”.

Earlier Goldie completed a two length demolition of Isis to set up a Cambridge clean sweep.

Photos: Copyright Hannah Copley.

Sjoerd Hamburger chose the Surrey station after winning the toss for Oxford in calm conditions.

After an even start, the signs began to look ominous for the Light Blues as Oxford had a half-length lead by the Mile Post.

But clever steering from Cambridge cox Ted Randolph and solid rowing from the crew kept them in touch under Hammersmith.

By Chiswick Eyot, as the advantage of the Surrey bend began to run out, the Light Blues had clawed back a few seats and the Oxford advantage was down to a quarter-length.

As the boats passed Chiswick Steps, Cambridge took the lead for the first time in the race, moving into the final corner which favoured their station.

Umpire Simon Harris urged the crews to part as the Light Blues pulled out a half-length, rowing smoother and longer than their opposite numbers.

With Chiswick bridge approaching, a big push from Oxford saw them take back a few seats but Deaglan McEachern’s men pulled away again to take victory by one-and-a-half lengths.

After the race, McEachern described his crew’s stunning victory as “an affirmation of everything we’ve been doing all year. It’s a team effort and we came away with what we thought we would”.

The result came as a shock after bookmakers made Oxford overwhelming favourites to extend their winning run to three years.

Punters could get odds of 7-2 on a Light Blue victory before the race and anyone following Hardy Cubasch’s gambling tip last week should have had plenty of beer money last night!

A delighted Head Coach Chris Nilsson, for whom victory answered those criticising his late crew changes, told The Tab that the race “proves the bookies know nothing about rowing!”