The Lightweight Boat Races

The Lightweight Boat Races are a series of annual rowing races between men's and women's lightweight crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

The Lightweight Boat Races
Contested by
CUBC
(formerly CULRC / CUWBC)
OULRC / OUWLRC
Lightweight Men contested since 1975[1]
Lightweight Women contested since 1984[1]
Lightweight Men's reserves contested 2000–2009 and 2016–2019[1]
Lightweight Women's reserves contested 2012 and 2016–2019
Course The Championship Course[2]
Formerly Henley Regatta course (downstream)[3]
Course length 4.2 miles (6.8 km)[2]
Number of wins[4]
CUBC Men OULRC
30 19
CUBC Women OUWLRC
23 17
Official website
www.lightweightboatraces.co.uk

The first men's race took place in 1975, being joined by the women's race in 1984. Both races are currently held on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake, although they previously formed part of the Henley Boat Races, along with various other rowing races between the two universities, including the openweight women's Boat Race. Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues or half blues and each boat as a Blue Boat. Competitors at the events have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels.

History

Richard Bates, a Cambridge undergraduate, organised a Boat Race between lightweight men's crews of Oxford and Cambridge universities in 1975, to take place at Henley-on-Thames. The race was joined by the openweight women's Boat Race two years later, thus forming the Henley Boat Races, and the first lightweight women's boat race took place at the same event in 1984.[1] Reserve races have taken place on-and-off since 2000 for the lightweight men (Nephthys vs Granta) and since 2012 for the lightweight women (Tethys vs CUWBC Lightweight Reserves).

In 2019, the lightweight men's race moved to the Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake, where it has been held since. The lightweight women's race made the same move the following year in 2020.[2]

For the men's race the average weight of the crew must not exceed 70 kg (154.3 lb / 11 st 0.3 lb), with no rower weighing over 72.5 kg (159.8 lb / 11 st 5.8 lb). For the women's race the average weight of the crew shall not exceed 57kg, and no rower can exceed 59 kg (130.0 lb / 9 st 4 lb).[5]

The races receive annual press coverage,[6][7][8][9][10] and competitors from both Universities have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels.[11][12][13][14]

Results

The history of the results of the races are as follows.[4][15][16][17]

Lightweight Men's Boat Race

  • Cambridge: 30 wins
  • Oxford: 19 wins
No.DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin (Lengths)Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
11975Cambridge6:18-1
21976Oxford6:3211
31977Oxford6:3921
41978Cambridge5.482322
51979Cambridge5.392/323
61980Cambridge6:1524
71981Cambridge6:2125
81982CambridgeNTT26
91983Cambridge5:5327
101984Cambridge5:401+1328
111985Cambridge6:006 ft29
121986Cambridge6:242210
131987Cambridge6:0912211
141988Cambridge5:50212
151989Cambridge5:514+12213
161990Cambridge6:404+34214
171991Cambridge6:3913215
181992Oxford5:402+12315
191993Cambridge5:3912316
201994Oxford5:3534416
211995Cambridge5:2913417
221996OxfordNRO disq517
231997Oxford5:491617
241998Cambridge5:4512618
251999Oxford5:311+12718
262000Cambridge5:402719
272001Cambridge6:334 (raced at Holme Pierrepont)720
282002Oxford5:212820
292003Oxford5:551+14920
302004Oxford5:36121020
312005Oxford5:5131120
321 April 2006Oxford5:182+141220
331 April 2007Oxford3:441 (raced over a shortened course)1320
3423 March 2008Oxford6:152+121420
3522 March 2009Cambridge5:4931421
3628 March 2010Cambridge5:282 ft1422
3727 March 2011Oxford5:54Canvas1522
3825 March 2012Cambridge6:00341523
3924 March 2013Oxford6:491+23 (raced at Dorney)1623
4030 March 2014Cambridge5:303+121624
415 April 2015Cambridge5:554 ft1625
4219 March 2016Cambridge6:19Easily1626
4326 March 2017Cambridge6:071+341627
4418 March 2018Cambridge6:2613 (raced at Dorney)1628
4524 March 2019Oxford17:432+13 (first race on the Tideway)1728
4615 March 2020Oxford18:503+121828
4723 May 2021Oxford14:191+12 (raced at Ely)1928
4820 March 2022Cambridge18:0151929
4920 March 2023Cambridge18:18111930

Lightweight Women's Boat Race

  • Cambridge: 23 wins
  • Oxford: 17 wins
No.DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin (Lengths)Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
11984Cambridge-1
21985Cambridge-2
31986Oxford12
41987Cambridge13
51988Cambridge14
61989Cambridge6:37115
71990Cambridge7:352+1316
81991Cambridge7:482+1417
91992Cambridge6:35318
101993Cambridge6:18Easily19
111994Cambridge6:231 ft.110
121995Oxford6:192210
131996Cambridge6:36Canvas211
141997Cambridge6:37Canvas212
151998Oxford6:36Canvas312
161999Oxford6:01+122+34412
172000Oxford6:222+12512
182001Cambridge7:373 (raced at Holme Pierrepont)513
192002Oxford6:064613
202003Oxford6:512713
212004Oxford6:0834813
222005Oxford6:5512913
231 April 2006Cambridge6:00Canvas914
241 April 2007Oxford4:111 (raced over a shortened course)1014
2523 March 2008Cambridge7:01131015
2622 March 2009Oxford6:302+121115
2728 March 2010Oxford6:012+341215
2827 March 2011Cambridge6:431+121216
2925 March 2012Oxford6:481+131316
3024 March 2013Oxford7:334+34 (raced at Dorney)1416
3129 March 2014Oxford6:083+121516
325 April 2015Cambridge6:263 ft.1517
3319 March 2016Oxford6:54Canvas1617
3426 March 2017Cambridge6:4531618
3518 March 2018Cambridge7:2412 (raced at Dorney)1619
3630 March 2019Oxford6:282+121719
3715 March 2020Cambridge23:246 (first race on the Tideway)1720
3818 May 2021Cambridge18:082+12 (raced at Ely)1721
3920 March 2022Cambridge19:59151722
4020 March 2023Cambridge23:3461723

Lightweight Men's Reserves (Nephthys vs Granta)

  • Oxford: 12 wins
  • Cambridge: 6 wins
DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin (Lengths)Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2000Cambridge5:502+34-1
2001Oxford71211
2002Oxford5:33221
2003Cambridge6:192+1222
2004Oxford5:45Canvas32
2005Oxford6:074+1242
1 April 2006Oxford5:26552
1 April 2007Oxford4:08R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.62
23 March 2008Oxford6:29R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.72
22 March 2009Oxford6:15R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Beat Durham.82
Race in abeyance 2010 - 2015
13 March 2016Cambridge-1+14 (Raced in 4x)83
19 March 2017Oxford6:1912 (Raced in 4+)[18]93
18 March 2018Cambridge7:2434 (Raced in 4+ at Dorney)94
22 March 2019Oxford1 (Raced in 2– from Putney to Mile Post)104
14 March 2020OxfordCanvas (Raced in 2- from Putney to Mile Post)114
23 May 2021Oxford1 (Raced in 2- at Ely)124
18 March 2022Cambridge2 (Raced in 2- from Putney to Mile Post)125
18 March 2023Cambridge5 (Raced in 2- from Harrods to Putney)126

Lightweight Women's Reserves (Tethys vs CUBC Lightweight Women's Reserves)

  • Cambridge: 5
  • Oxford: 2

Raced on the Friday before the main event in a 4+ in 2012, and incorporated into main race day in 2016.

DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin (Lengths)Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2012Cambridge(Raced in 4+)-1
19 March 2016Cambridge8:5534 (Raced in 2-)-2
26 March 2017Cambridgeeasily (Raced in 2-)-3
18 March 2018Oxford8:15easily (Raced in 4+ at Dorney)13
30 March 2019Cambridge1+12 (Raced in 2-)14
14 March 2020Oxford7 (Raced in 4+ from Putney to Hammersmith)24
18 May 2021noneno race run24
19 March 2022OxfordCambridge unable field a crew34
18 March 2023Cambridge3 (Raced in 4+ from Harrods to Putney, CUBC boat had 3 openweight rowers who did not weigh-in)35

See also

References

  1. "History". Henley Boat Races. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022.
  2. "The Lightweight Boat Races". Lightweight Boat Races. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  3. "Henley Boat Races - Course Map". Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  4. "Results". Henley Boat Races. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021.
  5. "Henley Boat Races".
  6. "Rowing: Day for Light Blue celebration as Cambridge sweep Henley Boat Races". The Independent. 22 March 1993. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2016; "Women's Boat Race: Cambridge women pass examination of rowing prowess". The Independent. 21 March 1994. Retrieved 16 April 2015; "The Henley Boat Races". Cherwell. 31 March 2010.
  7. "Natalie Redgrave helps Oxford win Women's Boat Race". BBC Sport. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  8. "Rivals share spoils at competitive Henley". The Telegraph. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  9. "Clean sweep for Oxford over Cambridge at Henley Boat Races at Dorney Lake". The Telegraph. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  10. "Oxford Dominate Henley Boat Races 2013". Henley Herald. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2017; "Oxford Dominate in Last Women's Boat Race in Henley". Henley Herald. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2017; "Cambridge Win 3 out of 4 at the Henley Boat Races". Henley Herald. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2017; "Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races". Henley Herald. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2017; "Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races". Henley Herald. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018; "Cambridge University lightweights enjoy success at Henley Boat Races". Cambridge Independent. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019; "Cambridge Blues make light work of Henley Boat Races". Varsity Online. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. "The Other Boat Race". BBC Sport. 30 March 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  12. "CULRC". CULRC Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  13. "Men's Lightweight Rowing Club". Oxford University Sport. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  14. "International Success". Oxford University Women's Lightweight Rowing Club. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  15. "The Boat Race Lite". Hear The Boat Sing. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  16. "The Lightweight Boat Races: Results". The Lightweight Boat Races. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  17. "Cambridge dominates the 2023 Interactive Investor Lightweight Boat Races". Cambridge University Boat Club. 20 March 2023.
  18. OULRC [@OULightweights] (19 March 2017). "Final result for today's reserve race: Nephthys beat Granta by 1/2 Length #HenleyBoatRaces #LightweightBoatRace" (Tweet) via Twitter.
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