BOAT RACE: LIVE BLOG

LIVE updates of the 160^th Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race here.

GDBO.

Hello and welcome to The Tab’s coverage of the 2014 BNY Mellon Boat Race. One of the highlights in the Varsity calendar – a highlight of sporting prowess, Oxbridge rivalry, platform for protesting and ridiculously over-sized men.

Former Blues cox, three times junior GB cox and wake-boarding world record holder, Ed Bosson will also be onside, offering up some technical analysis of the race (as well as our own).

Get involved with this Boat Race report! Tab readers, send us your photos and thoughts to [email protected] or tweet us @TabSport or @TabCambridge. Or even, voice your opinions in the comments below, as you are all so good at doing normally.

17:28 Anticipation mounting for the main event as Isis and Goldie reserve boats fly past. Claire Balding looking sensational.

17:29 The Tab are reporting from the Boatie heartland: The Dulwich Boat House.

17:31 News that Cambridge loss the toss. Malcolm Howard, the Oxford President, all 108kg of him chose the Surrey Side

17.32 Crowds move onto the river from Craven Cottage after the Cambridge VICTORY. A good omen?

 

Congratulations to CUAFC for wining the 130th Varsity Football. That’s it from football good luck to the rowers. pic.twitter.com/MGEig9tk7w

— Tab Sport (@TabSport) April 6, 2014

 

17:41 At a loss at what to do this evening? Come to the Boat Race after party. Follow this link for more info.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/826381807388377/

17:43 Now seems as good a time as any to look at the teams:

Bow: Michael Thorp – 88kg

2: Luke Juckett – 84.2kg

3: Ivo Dawkins – 89.2kg

4: Steve Dudek – 101kg

5: Helge Gruetjen – 99.6kg

6: Matthew Jackson – 94.4kg

7: Joshua Hooper – 92kg

Stroke: Henry Hoffstot – 89.6kg

Cox: Ian Middleton – 53.6kg

 

Total Weight Ex. Cox 728kg

Average Weight Ex. Cox 92.3kg

And the lesser side in so many ways:

Storm Uru (bow seat, NZ), 80.4

Tom Watson (two seat, Can), 72.1

Karl Hudspith (three seat, GB), 91

Tom Swartz (four seat, US), 81.2

Malcolm Howard (five seat, GB), 108.2

Michael Di Santo (six seat, US), 89.2

Sam O’Connor (seven seat, NZ), 88.8

Constantine Louloudis (stroke seat, GB), 93.6

Laurence Harvey (cox, GB). 54.8

17:45 Cambridge is 2.65kg per man heavier. Word on the street informs us that the heavier crew has won 9 of the past 12 races. Bodes well.

17:50 STORM URU may win it on the name front but mystery and exoticism means nothing on the water.

17.52 What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog that counts. Nevertheless, we are still the bigger dogs.

17.53 Shout out to Trenton Oldfield. Bit chilly for a swim today.

 

Not watching a sport which is run by a couple of cox #boatrace

— andrew flintoff (@flintoff11) April 6, 2014

18:00 And they’re off! Oxford are known for their fast start, Ed Bosson reminds us. Keep calm.

18:01 Just like a boulder gathering momentum…

18:02 Cambridge making an unexpectedly good start.

18:02 Andrew Hodgeson, Head of Cambridge Power Lifting, says “who gives a sh*t, they don’t even lift #powerliftingchampions”. Don’t speak too soon, chappy.

18:03 WHAT? CAMBRIDGE HAS LOST AN OAR. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

18:04 I believe he just caught a crab #weveallbeenthere

18:05 They are trying so hard but are still slower than the cyclists. Come on guys this is embarrassing.

18:06 Cambridge really have very little chance of catching up now. Trenton please come back!

18:06 Bosson notes “there’s no real way back into the race unless something big happens to the Oxford crew”.

18:06 Seems it was Cambridge who were being warned at the time – no chance of a DQ.

18:07 Seat Number 5 for Cambridge putting in a HELGE a lot of effort though.

18:08 Constantine Louloudis of Oxford seems to be edging ever closer to his third of three victories for Oxford. Adding to his Olympic medal. What a bellend.

18:09

I wonder how people would feel if we turned this off? #boatrace @tabcambridge pic.twitter.com/fPsyz3HZGY

— Beth Swords (@bethlswords) April 6, 2014

18:10 The lead ain’t diminishing any time soon.

18:11 Bosson says it “will be tough for the guys to motivate themselves here – not being able to see Oxford but knowing there are no puddles coming past”.

18:12 Oxford racing at 13mph to Cambridge’s 11mph. The speed of a lardy cyclist.

18:13 Hey guys, miracles DO happen. We could catch up these 10 lengths….

 

Oxford have beaten Cambridge to win the #boatrace. The two boats oars came close to clashing leaving Cambridge well behind in the aftermath.

— Sportsmedia (@SportsmediaUK) April 6, 2014

18:14 Yes, Cambridge were the underdogs at 5-2 to win. But this was unexpected.

18:16 And Oxford have won.

18:20 Last year Oxford cheated. Have they done it again?

https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2013/04/01/blades-of-glory/

18:20 Cambridge have appealed – the umpire checks footage. Dulwich Boathouse is quiet with fear, anticipation but mainly disappointment.

18:21 Umpire maintains that the ‘incident’ was Cambridge’s own fault.

18:21 Replay on BBC shows Seat Number 7 Juckett took quite a blow.

18:21 UMPIRE CONFIRMS OXFORD VICTORY. Bugger.

18:22 78th victory for Oxford. We’re still on 81 though… Can’t imagine this will make the guys feel any better though.

18:23 (what on earth is this Oxford guy’s bandana?)

18:25 Cambridge emerging from the water, looking woeful. To be fair though, if the race could have been won on size of thigh, Cambridge would certainly have had it.

18:28 Steve Dudek sticks by his “phenomenal group of men”. Think of Nash: “Win or lose, the Boat Race is a life-defining experience.”