The 162nd Boat Race The Boat Race

This is one of the great British sporting traditions, two ancient

universities going head-to-head on a mighty river in an iconic city.

Welcome to London, welcome to the Thames, welcome to the Boat Races.

Six months of training and hard work... Using every bit of lung

power they have a... Now they are starting to make it count... Now it

is down to real guts and determination... For Cambridge it is

all about determination... Oxford are the winners!

The Thames... Oxford... Cambridge... Two races... Only one possible

outcome. We have ignition! Binary, a number system composed of only ones

and zeros. This ancient simple code is central to modern life. It is

adaptable and evolving, keeping pace with the changing times. Oxford

University Women's Boat Club have won this historic race... But

whatever the era, there are only two options. Zero, one. Friend, enemy.

Win, lose. These ones and zeros can encode vast amounts of data,

plotting improvement and revealing the bigger picture. Life, death. It

is only when the values are lined in the correct order that the system

can be fully understood. Binary, only two values. Win, lose. Which

crew will be the one, which one will be the zero?

It is brutal in its simplicity, you are either a hero or you leave with

zero. This is the Oxford women arriving earlier this afternoon. The

race is in honour of Cancer Research UK. The minibus was being driven by

the woman who was president last year, Anastasia Chitty, who will be

at key member of that grow. For Cambridge, they come here trying to

turn the tide. Oxford have been dominant in recent Boat Races but

this is only the second to be raced on the Tideway. Alice Jackson going

through, their average age is 24. For the men, Oxford coming here off

the back of three wins in a row, they are on a roll, they have won 11

races since the turn of the century, six of the last eight. Some collier

is the cox, Jamie Cook going through there. Cambridge have the benefit of

more Boat Race experience. They have four returning Blues. Their

president is Henry Hoff -- Hoff stopped. They are strong

crew, their form has looked good and they are determined to make sure a

winning day. It is beautiful sunshine right now but we have had

four seasons in a day already. We have had heavy rain, hail stone

before that. The shots are lightning coming down, and actually hitting a

tree there which caught fire. We understand the presentation platform

in that area is not damaged but it now feels lovely, but the water

conditions will be difficult. Anything could happen. This is

earlier for spectators, it has not been an enjoyable afternoon so far

but we are promised it will continue to Brighton and we should get the

better conditions still ahead. It means as far as the race is

concerned, it is going to be choppy out there. These are live

conditions. For the third time this century, the Boat Race is taking

place on Easter Day so happy Easter to everybody and let's welcome

George Nash and constant tying the lewdness, they are now part of Team

GB. This test is different to anything you would experience

anywhere else in rowing. Most rowing is on a two kilometre Lake, you are

usually separated by a line of laying boys from the upper --

opposition. You mentioned the wind, which today will be very bad. You

are coming in blind coming around nothing about your opposition before

you start the race so there is loads of uncertainty, nerves, and it is

altogether a lot more random factors in play. Adding to that, they are

full-time students as well, not full-time athletes. It is an

incredibly demanding lifestyle. George and I are full-time athletes

now. In comparison it is relaxed, sedate. As a student athlete you get

days when you don't have a minute off. You have deadlines, tutorials

and training, extremely draining. I mentioned that Cambridge have been

in good form recently so are you hopeful this could be the year for

the light Blues? You have your scarf on. I have nailed my colours to the

mast early with this scarf. Cambridge have shown good form this

season and I have everything crossed for them today. They are coming in

pretty hot favourites. Constant tying, you are disagreeing with the

word hot. They are real bunch of scrappers. They will get out there

and take on the mantle of being underdogs. If you style it right,

you get the momentum going with you. When you are level against a crew

going against you, the momentum is with you. Five of that crew have

experienced winning, and they have all improved individually. It is not

a write-off at all and I am certainly backing Oxford. The men's

race is due at 4:10pm. Nadine Dorries you were part of the Oxford

crew that won the first-ever race on the Tideway last year -- Nadine. It

is incredibly a motion for me to be back. I remember sitting on the

start line and thinking of all the generations of Oxford women who have

made it happen. You are still at Oxford studying, aren't you? Yes, I

am in my last year. So why aren't you in the boat this year? It

requires a lot of dedication and the women in the boat are balancing this

with their demanding studies. This year I have a lot of projects to

finish and I wanted to focus on my research. Cath Bishop, who was part

of a winning Boat Race group for Cambridge in the 1990s, the guys

were talking about the difference of this challenge and for the women it

is a challenge they haven't had that long to get used to. Yes, it is a

new tradition we are building in a way. There are some things that are

different, obviously we learn and we talked to the men's clubs, on the

other hand we have all done Boat Races and there is something about

the intensity and experience that is the same. Yes, the course has

changed but in many ways it is about raising Oxford and bringing your

best. There is nothing else like it, it is a sporting event which is

utterly unique. Here is what we have coming up... Dark blue has been the

dominant force in the last decade but every dynasty must come to an

end. Nothing ever lasts forever. It is a rowing race and it doesn't

matter what history is around it, deal with what is in front of you.

Last year Oxford were the first women ever to win the Boat Race on

the Tideway. What seemed impossible is now a matter of course. It is

such a huge occasion you don't want it to overwhelm you. If it is light

blue versus dark blue, we have the Varsity victory is covered. It is so

much bigger venue that everybody gets caught up in the narrative.

Choppy waters, swirling winds, we have tricky conditions on Easter Day

and it could get worse before the men's race at 4:10pm. For those

considering coming out to the banks of the Thames to have a look, the

news is that now it is warm and sunny so get out there. You should

get a good spot as well to enjoy both races. It is a huge social

occasion, around 250,000 people are due to be part of this crowd and in

amongst them I think checking out the pubs is Helen Skelton. The

atmosphere is building in here, this is a pub close to where it kicks

off. I'm not the only one who thinks this is an occasion to be

celebrated, for a lot of Londoners it is an annual event. Quarter of a

million people will line the banks of the Thames today. Among them,

myself and comedian Sean Walsh. Good to see you. Why haven't I got a

microphone? What is your experience of the Boat Race so far? I have no

idea, I am happy to be here. I think there has been a booking error. I

think right now Stephen Fry is going to Stoke to do a university gig. We

are exploring the social side of the Boat Race. You live a stones throw

from here, yet you have never been here. Buy your own admission you

thought it was in Cambridge. I'm usually in bed, it is Sunday. All

right, mate, how was it going? Everyone is enjoying themselves by

the banks of the river. We need to get him involved. Is he part of the

Boat Race? He is part of the enviable atmosphere that we will be

dipping in and out of all afternoon. Who knows what will happen. We look

forward to the uncertainty. The women's crews are out on the water

continuing to warm up, but although this is a head-to-head, it is a

jewel between two incredibly physically fit crews. It is also a

race against the course, and Wayne Common, the winning Cambridge

president two years ago, is out there -- there. You can see the

brooding skies behind me, it is very windy behind me, we have had hail,

wind and lightning. Wind of 40-50 kilometres per hour from the

south-west. Halfway through the course after Hammersmith Bridge it

will be a big headwind, very rough and the crew that handles at best

will win the race. If it gets even rougher than this, it could be

sinking conditions with the crews taking on water. Very entertaining

to watch but no fun for the crews so we don't want to see that today.

There have been awful conditions, six sinkings in total. As and when

they make it to the finish, the Jason Mohammad will be there waiting

for them. Thank you, very good afternoon to you. I am in place at

Mortlake where I will be interviewing the winners and losers.

This course isn't just long, it is also open to the elements.

Therefore, conditions could change dramatically so tactics and strategy

are just as important as brute force and endurance. Matthew Pinsent won

this race twice with Oxford, this is his guide to the river of pain. Four

miles around 17 minutes of pain. It begins at Putney Bridge. The crew on

the left is racing on the Surrey side, the crew on the right,

Middlesex. Three and a half minutes into the race they will

arrive at the first mile marker, then onwards towards Harrods

Depository. Hammersmith Bridge is often a decisive part of the race.

The majority of the crews leading here go on to win. The next bend

gives the crew on the Surrey side a huge advantage, where conditions can

often be rough and windy. Then it is under the central arch of Barnes

Bridge before heading onwards to the finished just before Chiswick

Bridge. That is the challenge that awaits

them but there is no glamour in rowing, you carry your own boat down

to the water, and the Cambridge crew have three returning Blues. Ashton

Brown, Martschenko and Rosemary Ostfeld. They also have the

experience of Myriam Goudet from France. They have core strength and

the experience of former winners. Their average age is 23. They are

very strong. Rosemary knows them well, she has coxed here in the

men's race but you know the comparisons between these crews and

would you make Oxford the strong favourites?

Oxford are the strong favourites, they have experienced winners coming

in as well as a cox who is very talented. Cambridge will be a good

crew but I can't see how they could get past Oxford. Will the conditions

make it more level? Conditions certainly can come into play

depending on whether you get worse on one side than the other, but it's

hard to say until you get into the race. The better crew will get into

it better but one might have a slightly better boat and be sitting

out of the water better. Oxford were impressive last year, what do

Cambridge need to do to catch up? They had an outstanding crew last

year, there are lots of factors that go into a fast boat at the Boat

Race. Having the right coaching and athletes and having belief in your

system, a range of factors. You try to build those year-on-year. It's

quite difficult to make big leaps but if you are losing you have to

try to be more bold about what you might be able to do to make a

difference. Some of those things don't change quickly. Nadine Coyle

are standing and looking out at the river is their part of you that

wishes you were in the Oxford boat? --,

on a daylight this it looks pretty tricky. The conditions are

definitely tricky and it's a big challenge and it is why we train in

all conditions and we go out no matter whether it is raining and no

matter what the wind does and we try to be prepared for all of these

situations. In recent years Oxford have definitely had the upper hand

but over its complete history of the men's and women's races, Cambridge

are actually the most successful, so how do these waves of domination

come about? Can they be broken? Matthew Pinsent reports. Like the

waters of the tidal Thames, the fortunes of the Boat Race come and

go. When the tide is in, morale is sky high, but conversely, when its

download, it's a long way back. -- low. There is a history of winning

runs in the Boat Race, in a period of success it is almost as though

the other team can get nowhere near you, and at this moment it's the

turn of Oxford. This has been a dark blue clean sweep. Sean Bowden's men

have won seven out of the last ten and he has created a dynasty and

under Christine Wilson, the women look to be starting their own.

Moving to London has completely changed the game for both Oxford and

Cambridge. Oxford have only won one race but you get the impression they

are on a roll and Cambridge need to really come back. The dark blues

haven't always had it their own way. In the 1920s Cambridge's men won 13

in a row. And the women did the same at Henley in the 1960s. In the

modern era it was Oxford's turn again with the late Dan Topolski

leading them to ten years of unparalleled success. It builds up

and it can depress the squad but it can also be a stimulus if someone

comes along and says, we have got to stop this, that can be really

motivating. What are being greedy and is needed to build an empire and

create a winning mentality? Once you start on a run of success you keep

being successful, so we had a coach who had an effective programme and

he knew how to win and people were attracted to it. You began to

believe that as long as you went with the system, then you were going

to win. The question is, how do you turn it around? How can you bring

about the end of a dynasty? I think it is that fundamental self belief

that this is our year, we are the ones who can do it, and then you

have to find your own method, making your 2000 strokes better than the

opposition. Everything has to come to an end. Doesn't it? Nothing ever

lasts for ever. It's a rowing race and it doesn't matter about the

history around it, you are dealing with what's in front of you, that's

the bit you can deal with. If we have a look at recent results you

can see that Oxford's dominance, winning eight out of 11 and the

Oxford women have won 11 out of 14. The Oxford success rate coincides

with the period of Sean Bowden as the coach, taking over in 1998,

Constantine, you know how he works, what makes him so successful? He is

one of the most thoughtful and innovative coaches in the sport and

he brings a real focus to everything he does, when you first meet him he

is quite intimidating and he can come across as quite cold but

incredibly analytical and brings intense focus do everything he does.

He won't follow the crowd and he makes his own decisions. He is a bit

of a pioneer in the sport, I think. It has made Oxford a club that

everyone else in the sport wants to emulate. Obviously he is a coach

through and through. Steve Trapmore came to Cambridge with a good

reputation as a row, he was the stroke of the eight that won Gold

for Team GB at the Sydney Olympics. What is he like as a coach? Steve,

similarly, is quite meticulous, and similarly analytical. He is a bit

more personable and Sean, but incredibly passionate and works

incredibly hard and is always the first guy into the shed and the last

guy to leave, regularly putting in 13 or 14 hour days down there and

the passion rubs off on the guys. He is always kind of keen on the

technical aspects of the sport, he was famed as being a very particular

rower in how he moved and road, and he is keen to instil the passion for

technique in the guys. This is his sixth Boat Race in charge with one

win so for our. At Oxford, do you get the feeling there that the

system is trusted because the system has proved so successful? Is it

about process more than personality? It's a different race, as George

spoke about earlier. It's different to usual international racing and

you need to understand the race and the river and the tactics. If you

have a coach like Sean Bowden, or example, who has won year after

year, not only does he clearly understand that but is his athlete

will trust him straightaway. Going back to the women's race, Cambridge

were absolutely dominant, what did they have then that Oxford didn't?

They had a really strong coaching team with legendary Ron and Roger,

these amazing coaches who turned many of those closet into Olympians

over an incredible period. We had a lot of talent coming through. -- he

turned many of us into Olympians. We certainly tried different things and

they have looked at bringing in guest coaches and freshness and

inspiration to lift things and get the edge. It also comes down to the

talent that you have at the beginning of the season and there is

only a short period, September to March, to mould these athletes, some

of whom are incredibly new to the sport. It is a lot to do in a short

period. Four years ago they recruited a woman with Olympic

experience, Christine Wilson is Canadian but had worked with the USA

at the Olympics and coached men at Yale and Cornell. She has a holistic

approach to the crew and students, she believes in developing their

personalities as well as talent, but she does expect the best out of

them. To be able to work with somebody who is that talented, in a

high-performance environment, is incredible. She knows more about how

I work than I do. There is an underlying desire to really gain her

respect. We are going to organise you into two groups, one will start

in the tanks and one on the station and then there will be a swap, OK?

The building of every team is a little bit of a mysterious process.

They don't have to be best friends, but they do have to trust each other

and finding those dynamics isn't ever a straight line approach. You

said your job is to worry, so do you have nights where you are lying in

bed and worrying about your number six or the dissertation they should

have finished? It is a coaches job to worry behind-the-scenes, so I do

have sleepless nights. I have never met a coach who can look at a boat

and immediately assess how they can improve and what they can do to get

better. It's way more compact and connected to the foot stretch and

the hull. We like to think we are in control but at the end of the day

it's up to them. As it gets closer to race day, what do you say to them

to stop them obsessing because most of us would? We stay focused on the

process, always elevating the standard of these women. It's almost

like a polishing of rough diamonds. She has taken the time to invest in

you, and there is always that desire to hear that comment where she says,

that's the right idea. At different times, these women, they do need

bolstering. Because what they are doing is just flat out impressive.

I'm not sure I could do it. I'm pretty excited about what this crew

can do at their best. Their performance on the day is their

message to the world. If they are prepared and they show up when it

matters, that's pretty fun to watch. And they do look very strong in

training, I have to say. Katherine Grainger, the Olympic champion, is

beside me. You have seen Christine in action. They have a good setup,

Oxford? They do, and they have confidence that the system and

coaching works and the athletes need to fit into the system the best they

can. How about you? We are set for Rio, how are things, how are you? We

are not set yet, a few months to go but we are aiming for Rio now, as

soon as the clock ticked into 2016 that is everyone's focus. The final

countdown. We are announcing the crews in the coming weeks. Game on.

Presumably for some people it is still very open? The big selection

dates have come and gone and everyone has improved as much as

they can. The coaches are fine tuning the boats for Rio. It is not

relaxed and comfortable yet, there are still more athletes than we need

so there will be cuts and that is tough for everyone in the squad.

It's fair to say that there is one certainty, they are the hottest

favourites of any of the British athletes going to Rio, to win gold,

that is these two. Its two in a row at the European Championships. They

are the world champions again. Great Britain are Olympic champion! They

are the worthy winners. They are here today and they will be

doing the honours in the presentation later. Let's head out

to Jason who I hope has got them. Yes, thanks very much, the

excitement is mounting here at the finish line, and Heather and Helen

are beside me. You were out on the water, what were the conditions

like? It was sunny and the water was flat but by mid-morning it was a

different story. I hope it's OK. The conditions will be crucial this

afternoon? Yes, especially because you have to go on one side or the

other and the coxes will have a big job to do. You are handing out the

trophy is, how honoured are you to be here? Really honoured because we

know this will be the highlight of their years. I'm sure they were

probably won't remember who hands then the trophy but it's a big deal

for us and it's nice to be asked. Feeling good for Rio? At the moment

we are feeling strong but there are still a few months to go. A bit more

training to do but everything is on track. Good luck for Rio and we look

forward to seeing you a of Brazil. Helen Skelton, where are you? We are

at the Blue Anchor, bit of a pilgrimage for both racegoers. I've

never seen so many middle-class people in my life! It's like a

Waitrose on Black Friday! Look how many pastel colours there are! This

really is an event for everybody. Especially now that the women's race

happens on the same day, the second year. Lots of families gather on the

south side of the river to catch a glimpse of this historical event,

part of the nation's rich tapestry. I have a question, do the women have

cox? They certainly do, that is a very important role. This boat is

the same length as a double-decker bus. That is big. They are steering

using a rudder the size of a credit card and every time they use that

they are breaking the boat, they have to find the best line. I have

rowed and paddled a lot, there is a lot of pressure on these rowers,

including the lady who is looking for success in the Cambridge number

five seed, Daphne Martschenko. Rowing means everything to me, I

started when I first got into secondary school. And I was never

athletic before that. It completely changed my life in terms of giving

me the confidence to be able to do sport and Excel. To be able to come

here and have hundreds of thousands of people watching the race, that is

unparalleled compared to anything I had ever experienced before in my

life. It's not an easy sport, how difficult and demanding is your

schedule? We take the train three days a week to Ely come and we have

a session which enables us to get back in time for 9am lectures. In

the afternoon we will have a erg or a weights session. You train in the

same way as professional full-time athletes but you are studying as

well, how difficult is it? Some days you feel like Superwoman because you

can accomplish all you need to do in the academic sphere and you go and

crush it on an ergo session. The closing stages of a painful row for

Cambridge. We have a lot of drive this year and the energy in the

squad has been incredible. Thereafter re-of us returning from

last year and it's definitely an advantage especially because our cox

Rosemary Ostfeld was the blue boat cox last year, coming back is a huge

asset for us. It sounds like you get a lot out of the sport but on race

day, how serious is the Boat Race to you? It is the event that you spend

all year training for and it's always in the back of your mind that

that is the goal that you are working towards. It is the Boat Race

and that's the only race that matters. Daphne is one of three

returning Blues in the Cambridge boat.

We are live on the banks of the Thames. The course, twisting and

turning, stretching ahead of them. Four and a quarter miles. Cath

Bishop is with me, and how often would they do a race over four and a

quarter miles? Not very often. The Cambridge crew raced in the same

course but the other way round, but in a timed race, a time trial. It is

not something you do, even at Olympic level, you wouldn't race two

kilometres that often. You would do shorter, sharper pieces that would

build up ready to do this. We will talk more about tactics, but first

let's meet the two teams about to compete in the Women's Boat Race.

First up, the Coxes. Morgan Baynham-Williams is Debbie tent, one

with international experience. American Rosemary Ostfeld returns to

give orders to the Cambridge crew. And stroke, Lauren Kedar. Muddy

backcourt is striving for her second straight win with Oxford. Cambridge

president Hannah Roberts steps up after two years of experience in the

reserve boat. It is such a huge occasion you don't want the

excitement to overwhelm you. At six, hoping to make it four wins from

four appearances, Anastasia Chitty. For Cambridge, 27-year-old French

international Myriam Goudet. Elo Luik becomes the first Estonian to

compete. Daphne Martschenko will be hoping to make amends for last

year's defeat. Two more first timers at three, Joanne Jansen and Alice

Jackson. At two, MS spruce, while Fiona Matalin follows in the

footsteps of her grandfather, who rowed for Cambridge in 1951. I feel

very lucky to be sitting in his seat. And there is a Canadian

flavour out bow, Emma Lukasiewicz, while Ashton Brown for Cambridge has

Canadian nationality. And they are the crews whose

stomachs will be churning right now and they will be trying to focus on

the challenge ahead. Let talk about the Coxes, Baynham-Williams and

Ostfeld, how do they shape up? Morgan is an extremely experienced

international cox and I think she will put her crew in an excellent

place today. Is it likely they will have pumps on board on these boats?

I'm pretty sure they will have their pumps on board. You need a good

amount of water before it is worth taking the weight of the pumps but

given the conditions predicted, I suspect they will have opted to put

the pumps in. Cath, does it add weight? It doesn't make a huge

amount of difference, and if both crews have them there is no real

advantage. Does that mean it is much more difficult for a crew to sink or

is it still possible? It is pretty difficult for recruit to sink. You

can move to find better water. They are small boats, it is still

possible and if the waves high enough the water can fill into the

boat so it can happen. Not that they will be thinking about that, I

suspect it is all positive. Yes, although the Coxes will be prepared

for the water, they will be prepared to make decisions about their

steering if it comes to it. The sun is out now, so hopefully the

conditions will be much more pleasurable for the spectators.

Andrew Cotter will describe the Cancer Research UK Women's Boat Race

of 2016. Good afternoon. You think of all the

work that has been done, and that will pay off in the next 20 minutes.

The waiting is almost over, but you can see the life in the river

already from the overhead shots. That wind as they sit in the start

is coming from the left and a little bit behind. You think perhaps of the

Thames as flowing out to sea in a linear direction, west to east, east

to west, but it doesn't, it weaves around. They head north-west

firstly, and into the second half of the race they will turn round into

the wind and the river will be venomous. Wayne will be out on the

river, and it is pretty lively already. Yes, there is a heck of a

wind. It will be hard for these boats to stay straight off the

start. Both will have to work hard to stay aligned. The minutes feel

like ours and it is even worse when there is this kind of wind out

today. And the start is so important. You might not think it

would be in a race of four and a quarter miles but the first few

strokes are there building blocks. They set the race for you, and to

get a good start is vital. You can see also the difficulty here that in

these conditions the boats will start to display around little bit.

They cannot really drift too far ahead of each other, but they can

move in different directions and start to point towards one bank or

the other. The women are racing a couple of hours before high tide,

the men will race one hour before, but the river flows with them

because the tide is coming in. They are down at Putney Bridge, the

famous starting point. There is a little stone in the South bank,

University Stone, which marks the starting line of the Boat Race. And

Oxford are on the Surrey station. They won the toss and chose that.

Just as Cambridge in the men's race, they won the toss and chose that as

well. We are one-minute or so away from the start. Can this Cambridge

crew somehow bridge the gap that was clearly there last year and in

recent seasons as well because Oxford have dominated this. They

dominated last year. Both crews with three returning Blues.

The umpire for this one is Rob Clegg, there he is, he rowed in the

1990s for Oxford. Arms in the air tell us. Rosemary Ostfeld is not

happy with the way her boat is sitting at the moment. When her arm

drops, that will signify that she is ready. Ready to go now. Rosemary

Ostfeld puts her hand up again. Both crews have got to be satisfied that

their boat has just the right direction to start. As I say, they

are drifting around, but Rob Clegg is ready. You can see the arm of

Rosemary Ostfeld up again, and Morgan Baynham-Williams has her arm

up. When her arm goes down, the tension and go will be the simple

instruction. Quickly, Cath, it is so important to get this good start.

Crucial. If you are not ahead in the first period, it is really hard to

come back. It is crucial to commit. Rosemary Ostfeld is happy. Ready

now, so they go, and Oxford just sitting there for a moment on the

start as Cambridge seem to get out more brightly. It is a real bruising

efforts for the first minute or so, then they settle into things but

this start is so important. Oxford really didn't look ready for that

start, contrary to the practice start I saw them do on Friday. They

looked really good and sharp, so I'm quite surprised they really seemed

to struggle at the first stroke. As you can see, they are coming back

into it now. They have a very strong mid-race pace, once they got off

this initial fast, hard part of the race they will be into it. Just a

fraction down at the moment, Oxford. Cambridge will have the initial

advantage of the bend round Craven Cottage. Oxford were really caught

napping. It is certainly going to help the Cambridge girls feel it has

gone well from the first moment, they will be settling themselves

down as the body releases the adrenaline and the sheer intensity

of that start as well. They are beautiful conditions at the moment.

It is bouncy out there, and will get even more lively past Hammersmith

Bridge. You can see Oxford have made up for that start, and they are

beginning to eke ahead. They will have to try to come round the

outside of the initial bend, which will favour the Cambridge crew on

the northside of the river. Cambridge are working hard, putting

in a bit of a push. It will be a big commitment point, the Cambridge

girls have talked about the importance of coming out of start

and maintaining the intensity that keeps them in the race that will

give them a chance later. You can see Cambridge's stroke rate is

slightly higher, they are taking more strokes per minute than Oxford

which means the pace they are setting might be more unsustainable.

They are getting close to clashing and Rob Clegg, the umpire, is

warning them. Both coxes know the line they are allowed to take. Many

hours' training. They are creeping together. This actually means the

coxes are fighting for the water and getting the advantage on this first

bend will be crucial. Of course they are looking for the same line. The

reason they both look for the same line is because the fastest water is

in the middle. It actually comes out at Craven Cottage, it is quite far

out from the north bank and they are both fighting for that fast water at

the moment. It is a good race in the early stages. Rosemary Ostfeld has

done a good job of holding Oxford out on the initial bend. Oxford have

also done a good job of staying with her. She's doing a great job of

keeping her crew in the race, but I suspect after this bend Oxford will

creep out on the straight. Not too much between the crews in terms of

their bows, and also the blades coming closer together, we might see

a clash. We see a shot of how wide they have to come round past Craven

Cottage because the faster water is closer to the Southbank as we look.

Of course when we get that overhead view, it is easy to see where they

are on the river, but when you are sitting in that boat, it is really

difficult to get that same perspective. Yes, that's one of the

hardest things of coxing the Boat Races, knowing where the best line

is. As I know from my horrible experience of the Boat Race, you can

do a lot to make mistakes as a cox and this looks like a significant

moment for Oxford as they are coming onto the straight. There are stages

in races where the cox will ask for a push, it certainly seems to have

happened for Oxford. Even with that, Oxford have taken out almost half a

length. They did what they wanted, what they

talked about earlier in the week, having a good start and keeping up

the intensity but now they have to find something that can give them

that speed per stroke. You can hear Rosemary Ostfeld, the very

experienced Cambridge cox, the returning Blue. Let's listen in. 34,

push it again. Likes! You have got it. Legs through -- legs! You have

got it, guys. All right, I need you to now. Those cries you are very

familiar with, Zoe. Constant encouragement. Yes, you can start to

hear the desperation creeping in, she knows that this is a really

vital moment to keep her crew in the race and I do think they have done a

good job so far against a very strong Oxford crew. It looks like

Oxford have now made their decision to start to move away. What you can

really see is that they have a bit more length, Oxford, the oars are in

the water for a bit longer which adds up on each stroke, 35 strokes

per minute, inching away, they added that push. Cambridge are going to

struggle at this point in the race to find more length, everything you

do day by day, the training, to row a long stroke that you can maintain

under pressure, and Oxford are doing it better at the moment. As they

sail past one of the more familiar sights, the Harrods Depository, they

are expensive flats now, and you can see that Oxford are beginning to go

clear. Ashton Brown in the bow seat is the only one who can see

anything. They are going towards Hammersmith Bridge. Coming close

together again. This is desperate for Cambridge because now the Big

Ben favours Oxford so this will be a hard six minutes for Cambridge. --

the big bend. It has been a heck of a race up to this point but Oxford

after the bad start just had a better, longer rhythm. A minute ago

I saw them putting in 20 or 30 strokes, a big push. You can see the

difference it has made and if they can do that again they can get away

from Cambridge in the next minute or two. Once again, Rosemary Ostfeld

trying to purge on their crews. They have crept a bit back and once again

they are coming closer together. -- urging on. This will really hurt

Cambridge, they have done a great job to get back and they have not

broken contact so Oxford should not come across in front at this point.

That was both crews coming together and you could hear the umpire

warning both of them to move apart. That was far too close for me. You

don't want a clash in the Boat Race, I know that far too well. That

looked a bit risky but having said that Rosemary Ostfeld is keeping her

crew in the race. A great job not to lose

contact, looked as though Oxford would move away but the Cambridge

girls fought hard to hold on. Can they now, this is critical, hard for

them on the outside of the bend because the bandage is with Oxford,

but what can they do? The blade of the number two seed, of Cambridge,

Fiona Macklin, was very close to Oxford. They have put in another

push now. They are coming together again. -- number two seat. It all

favours Oxford now and they are in charge of this race now. The water

is more choppy there too. Much harder, the advantaged is definitely

with Oxford. Cambridge are battling hard. This is what we promised you,

coming around the bend and heading into the wind, as they go, South,

South West, once you get past Chiswick Eyot, you can see the river

and how they are having to battle and which crew can cope better? It's

just one of those things in the Boat Race, you have to deal with this

water in an Olympic event where you have time, but that is not something

you do in the Boat Race. I was coxing the veterans Boat Race and

the water was appalling. It is good to see both of the crews still

rowing reasonably cleanly into this water. There is a better view, from

up high if looks placid but down there you can see them grappling

with it. These boats are designed to cut through the water, but this is a

real test of all of their technique. Yes, you can really see on the

right-hand side your picture how rough the water is and it might

affect Cambridge more than Oxford. They do look like they have slightly

rougher water. And you can now see that Oxford are starting to move

away and how those waves are really hitting Cambridge hard. They are

getting filthy water sent down to them, as if it weren't bad enough,

now they have all sorts of puddles and dirty water. It's very

difficult. The Cambridge boat is rocking around. Almost impossible

conditions to row in. Cambridge are trying to maintain contact. It is

absolutely Drupal down here and Cambridge got the worst of it

because they were furthest from the shelter of the Surrey bank and in

the last 30 seconds Cambridge have taken on real water, I saw a few big

waves coming into their boat and I assume they have turned on the pumps

but it's looking very heavy now. You can see Rosemary Ostfeld heading for

the shelter of the Surrey bank to get out of it. For some reason

Oxford are in the worst of the waves and now are struggling. That's a

strange move, look at Oxford there, with a quizzical look on your face?

I'm not sure what they were thinking there, they have the better water on

the Surrey line and Oxford have headed into the rougher water now.

The Oxford cox Morgan Baynham-Williams is a very

experienced character. Heading at running speed towards each other.

Oxford clearly thought better of that decision and came back. They do

have clear water, they have the bend anyway. That almost let Cambridge

back into it. This bend is running fast for Oxford, they had plenty of

clear water and that mistake has really cost them, Cambridge do have

a bit bend left after we get past Barnes Bridge. There is water being

taken on there, the pumps will be working hard, they have splashed

boards as well. Cambridge are hanging on once again. I'm not sure

Oxford will make that mistake again with a desperate lunge to the north.

That's what a major error by Oxford. -- that was a major error. Can

Cambridge capitalise? It's hard to add anything to what you are doing

in rough water because you are being constantly thrown off your rhythm by

the conditions. Hopefully they will sense how much they caught them up

and now they will have to make a move somehow and get some confidence

that Oxford are making mistakes out there. You always work so hard on

your technique and it comes down to just feathering the blade and you

come out in these conditions and it's a very different prospect,

Oxford have pulled clear again and you can see their lead. The river is

in venomous mood today and it will play a major part in the race and

certainly in the men's race. That's what makes racing on the Tideway

such a glorious thing, it is alive and it has character. It has

personality. It gets angry. This is an angry day for the tide way.

Oxford still have the lead, almost a length clear now and they still have

the advantage, the bend is playing out now, but they still have the

slight advantage of the large sweeping bend as they head down

towards Barnes and now the order has been restored. For a moment it was

frightening for Oxford and I'm sure Morgan Baynham-Williams will look

back on that but they have a better rhythm now and they will reassert

their authority in the race. There is more life in the Oxford crew,

they have got that sort of lightness, their boat is higher. It

looks heavier for Cambridge. It's hard to get out of place where it is

so heavy, each stroke, how can you lighten it? You have to put more

effort in and everyone does it together. At this point with this

level of fatigue that incredibly difficult. As we leave the pier

coming into the last third of the race, Oxford have a commanding lead

but Cambridge are sticking with them and it will be interesting to see

what happens if the water stays rough. With that clear water in the

final bend there is no advantage for Cambridge because Oxford can choose

their line, but you can see the chop in the water and its fascinating

conditions. The flotilla behind is chopping up the water as well.

Rosemary Ostfeld is making a bit of a move as well towards the Middlesex

bank. Just hanging in there, a couple of links, certainly Oxford

are in control but Cambridge still have an outside chance. -- a couple

of lengths. On the Surrey side, the Oxford side of the river, there is a

real patch of dead water, it's very flat and shallow and slow. It looks

like Oxford are now crossing over and obviously looking to stay out of

the shallow water. If Cambridge move back Oxford will have to move back

towards the slower water. Cambridge are struggling with the water, big

waves, really rocking them, the boat was rocking each way. It is tough

going out there and there is not much shelter because this is the

worst bit in terms of waves. Oxford have made a big move out of the

stream, they decided they don't want to be in the rough water and are

moving straight into the bank and I'm not sure it will pay off. That

is a risk. A long way out of the best water now. This is a test of

coxing. We are finding out where the stream is and whether the roughness

is giving them an advantage or slowing them down. All of the

Tideway legends will say that you have to stay in the stream. Shallow

water towards the bank but Oxford believe that there might be smoother

water there, and it will cancel out the lack of stream to help them.

That I'm not sure about Oxford going to the Surrey bank and heading for

the shelter, but I think Cambridge have coxed this better and given

themselves a chance. There are still three lengths now. But Cambridge are

resolutely staying on the racing line and Oxford are heading for

shelter. This is just the most interesting steering I have ever

seen, at least in the last ten years of the Boat Race. The creative

coxing going on today. Morgan Baynham-Williams of Oxford making a

hugely calculated move to head for the save water along the Middlesex

bank. At first I thought she was crazy but now I see what is

happening with Cambridge in front of me I think Morgan was the smart one,

Cambridge have half sunk. I can see white horses engulfing the Cambridge

boat. You can see the difficulties that Cambridge are in. All sorts of

trouble now and the pump will be working so hard. You can see the

water, standing in the shell will stop Cambridge are in real

difficulty. This is where the Cambridge men's boat sank in 78 and

it would take a lot with about with modern advances do sink but you can

see the difficulties they have. This is not something that the pumps can

do. There is a good chance that the Cambridge boat won't make it to the

finish line. Cambridge are going to lose this race, and now it's a

battle to finish. That is the view from Rosemary Ostfeld, you can see

what she is dealing with! The water is splashing around inside the boat.

And it's creeping almost over the bow, into the seat of Ashton Brown.

The real bother now, and suddenly the decision by Oxford to head for

the shelter of the bank seems like amassed a stroke. Cambridge in real

trouble here. Cambridge has already shipped more water earlier so they

were carrying more water from after Hammersmith. It will be incredibly

difficult for them. They are not racing, they are literally in

survival mode. The stroke rate is right down, Oxford are heading for

victory, a long way clear and not far from the finish. Cambridge are

labouring their way through the waters of the Thames today. They

will have to graft simply to finish. They will head for the central span

of Barnes Bridge and the rather more Syrian progress of Oxford. Cambridge

are a long way back and it's hard graft now. If they can get a bit of

clear water the pumps. Working, as there is more water filling in the

pumps can't keep up, so perhaps as they clear out of Barnes Bridge now

they can stay a bit higher out of the water and they might start

shipping some of it out and you will see the pumps feeding over the side

of the boat and see them shooting water out. But with water like this

I think they might not make it. There have been no sinkings in the

women's Boat Race so far and I fear we may be about to see one. They are

now almost fully underwater. I can't see how the Cambridge boat will make

the finish line. What a moment, a red flag has been waived and in the

shadows of Barnes Bridge Cambridge are sinking. Cambridge, you will

have to state to the side, we will pick you up. If you want to keep

going you can keep going. History has been made but not the history we

wanted to see today. They want to keep going, they are here. They will

be 1000 metres to go, but there are now heading to the side, they want

to keep going says Rosemary Ostfeld and they all will want to keep in

but is it even possible? If they can find some shallow water,

they might get some water out of the boat. I cannot see how they will get

to the finish line, but perhaps they will. They clearly want to finish

this race. This will be a victory of sorts in itself if they can make it

to the finish. Oxford are long way clear and made the decision through

Morgan Baynham-Williams to head for shelter. Oxford sail on, pushing on

towards victory here in the 71st Women's Boat Race. A dark blue

victory it will be once again, and victory once more for the likes of

Anastasia Chitty, muddy blood clot, Lauren -- Maddy Badcott and Lauren

Kedar. They have been through hell and high water. In March you can get

all sorts of wind and weather you don't get in some of racing. It is a

different world from the Olympics and brings these other factors that

the weather and the water throws at you. But the moment will shortly

belong to Oxford once again, as they come up to the brewery and finished

just before Chiswick Bridge. You can just see hidden by the trees and the

shelter of the north bank, Cambridge are gamely battling on. I'm sure

they will finish this now, it seems to have cleared a little bit for

them but it will be victory once again for Oxford. They have chosen

their course through Morgan Baynham-Williams. Oxford are going

to win, and by a handsome margin as well. They have beaten Cambridge,

they have beaten the conditions as well, they have mastered the river,

in all its devilish nurse today. Oxford win the 71st Women's Boat

Race. I think Oxford have done a good job of keeping it together,

they made a couple of serious mistakes, not just off the start but

also that steering error, but they made an excellent decision to head

for safety and they were the better crew in terms of their ability to

keep going through the rough water. There is Lukasiewicz and Anastasia

Chitty embracing. They have these moments that are such familiar

moments to all who have watched the Boat Race over the years as they

gathered beneath Chiswick Bridge and they are long way in the distance,

and Cambridge struggle on, and it has been a real struggle but the

fact they are finishing it is something. It has been a struggle

and a loss, and it is a novel tough blow for Cambridge who have been

trying to come back and have a crew that can win the race. In the first

half of the race they did really take it to them and hang on, there

are some positives there, but otherwise Cambridge haven't had

enough on the day once more. So it will be a fourth successive defeat

for Cambridge in the Women's Boat Race, but past the finish post they

come. It will be of no consolation to them at all because they know in

this race it is when or lose, all or nothing, but they have finished, but

they have been beaten by Oxford and the river today. It is always a

desolate feeling, there is no consolation at this point. What they

have been through, the tests they've had, how far they have been

stretched, and in the end the result is a loss and that means nothing to

take home. In recent years I've not seen a more graphic demonstration of

what the river can do and why these races are so special and difficult

at times. Absolutely, that's what makes the Boat Race more exciting

and more interesting to the spectator than some of the Olympic

courses, is the fact that these races can change so quickly. It is

something they do in their preparation. The coaches have got to

make sure they know the river and they can prepare the cox is to make

those decisions that we saw the Oxford cox thinking about. The

Cambridge cox have that choice to make as well. I wonder if the men

watching this, we have the two reserve Boat Races to come as well,

they will be fascinated viewers because there is so much to learn.

The races will be very interested. It will be interesting to see if

they are getting any feedback from their coaches somehow from the bank

of what has happened during this race because that would be vital

information. And a word, Zoe, for Morgan Baynham-Williams, because it

was a big decision to make for the north bank and we thought that at

the time, and I think it was the wrong decision at the time, but it

proved to be right later on to go for the shelter. The first decision

was a mistake and she got lucky that Cambridge didn't close on them more

but the second decision was definitely the right decision. He

saw them waving their penguin which they found floating around and

became their crew mascot so that's what she had ready for this part of

the race. In the Cambridge boat the penguin would have come to a sorry

end. In 1978 in the men's race the crew were in a similar position but

they made for the shelter under the sensible guidance of the umpire. The

victory belongs to Oxford, once again they have won the women's

race. You can see Emma Spruce coming forward, and Anastasia Chitty, what

a strength she has been as well. The president last year, and her fourth

Blue Boat, her fourth victory. What a record she has. It is a really

class group, there has been a real core that have competed for many

years, that have really contained and sent on that forward from

year-to-year of what is required to win. There we are, Oxford are the

winners and steered very well in the end by their cox, Morgan

Baynham-Williams. Let's hear from her now. Morgan

Baynham-Williams is with me, high-fiving everybody as she gets

off the boat. Talk us through the strategy. It got pretty wavy and I

think there was a point I realised the waves were outweighing the

benefit in the stream. We went for more shelter so I decided to get the

guys over there as quickly as I could. We had the pumps on and off

all the way trying to get the water out. They did such a good job, the

wind picking up and they could barely hold on to the blades. I

tried to drive them out of the wash as best I could. When we came round

the corner from Barnes, the waves were down a bit and I thought stay

there. Would you agree you didn't get off to the best possible start?

I think our foregirl may have missed a stroke. Maddy Badcott is here as

well, amazing performance from your crew but also your cox. We are so

lucky to have Morgan, she smashed it. Those conditions are probably

worse than anything I have rowed on but we train all year to be ready

for anything and we are so glad it turned out well. How does this

compare to last year, as President? Last year I was over the moon to win

but this year in some ways it means so much more to me because I have

worked so hard to build this team. This was an insane race and I'm so

glad our training paid off. And you have such an incredible team spirit,

don't you? Yes, this is probably the best team I have ever been part of.

Because we care so much for each other and for Morgan, we have built

so much over this year that I think that's what got us through the race.

Let's have a word with Anastasia Chitty. We chatted last year when

new won as President, how does this compared to last year? The race was

very different. Entirely different conditions. I never imagined they

could be that bad. It was so exciting. Morgan got her tactics and

strategy absolutely bang on today. She did a great job. We saw Rosemary

moving from Cambridge and we realised we needed to get over

there. Four in a row, how does that sound? It is pretty exciting, I've

been fortunate enough to work with four -- these girls for four years.

From the excitement of Oxford, to the desperation of the Cambridge

crews, but how well they did to finish, because particularly down

Chiswick Reach, the bow worst taking on so much water, it was up to their

thighs. Katherine Grainger, that was more like watching America's Cup!

And I bet they are wishing they had huge sales to help them. It is very

dramatic. The cameras can pick up a lot, but when you are an athlete in

that position, when the boat is full of water and the pumps are not

responding quicker enough to get the water out, and you are fighting it,

the Cambridge to finish at all is a huge achievement for them. Here,

Rosemary Ostfeld puts her hands in the air to say I want to carry on.

She is sitting in water. Yes, the part she is sitting on is the lowest

part. The umpire brings up the red flag to say it is OK to stop, it is

a safety precaution, and it is their decision to stop the race. They have

been preparing for months and months, nobody wants to finish two

thirds down the course. Bill -- they will be upset to lose in that way.

Let's hear the reaction of the Cambridge crew.

The president Hannah Roberts is here, and all of the crew decided to

surround her for the interview. That is an amazing end to the race,

carrying on such remarkable team spirit. There wasn't really an

option that we didn't finish. We have bought so much into this year,

and obviously the result was not going to go our way but we had to

see it through to the end. When did you realise it was all going wrong?

Through the second half, it started coming in faster than our pumps

could get it out. Once it was filling up, there was no way the

pumps could overcome it. I know it is defeat, I know you have worked so

hard, how proud are you of your wonderful crew? I am so proud. I

couldn't ask for better women to do with this and I'm so proud.

Commiserations. Thank you. Hannah Roberts, the president of the

Cambridge women's club. There is Christine Wilson, the coach, who has

now continued her 100% record, four from four from her and she has some

setup there. They were utterly dominant but it was a memorable

race. I cannot remember seeing anything like that and I wonder what

it was like on the banks. Helen Skelton is around about the

Hammersmith point, they were still afloat at that stage. Yes, the crowd

were whooping as they went by, even Sean Walsh got excited. I found an

activity that means Sean is too exhausted to talk. Are you trying to

suggest those ladies had a pathetic attempt? How hard is it? At least I

didn't think. Let's stick to the activity where he cannot talk. How

gutted will they be? So gutted, it is really tough but they did so

well, and the sink is really unfortunate but they have done very

well so they should be proud. And plenty of people will be proud of

them. It is a phenomenal effort even to get in that boat. Yes, very well

done. Chaps, you are in a celebratory camp, are you confident

of a double? Yes, the dedication of the Oxford crew should really strike

through. How tough is it out there? Really tough, but they are Oxford

winning conditions. Nobody told you to stop rowing. It is four miles out

there. I did 100 metres in 21.9 seconds. That is a drop in the

ocean, isn't it? Carry on rowing. and they all will want to keep in

but is it even possible? Maddy Badcott, the winning Oxford

president says that it's the worst conditions she has ever rowed in.

Oxford celebrating a dominant success, and plaudits to Cambridge

for their bravery and managing to complete the course. These are

rowers that you know well, you have won the race with some of them,

certainly with Anastacia and Maddie. How impressed were you today? I am

incredibly impressed and proud of what they have done today.

Especially rara -- Lauren in the stroke seat, keeping up that rhythm

in these conditions is incredibly difficult and they did an amazing

job to deal with the conditions. Also a good decision by Morgan. When

everyone in the commentary box was saying, what is she doing?! The

losing crew Cambridge will come up to the podium first. Thank you very

bunch indeed, one of the great British sporting events and what

drama we have had here this afternoon for the Boat Race. Your

presentation party this afternoon, the CEO of Cancer Research UK.

Helena Mara see, and our Olympic champions Helen Glover and Heather

standing will present the trophies. These welcome the losing crew,

Cambridge University Women's Boat Club led by their president Hannah

Roberts. Ashton Brown, Fiona Macklin, Alice Jackson, Thea Zabell,

Daphne Martschenko, Myriam Goudet, and Rosemary Ostfeld. Please show

your appreciation with a huge round of applause for the losers this

afternoon. Once again, just like last year, a huge congratulations to

Oxford University Women's Boat Club. Our winners this year. Once again.

Led by their cox Morgan Baynham-Williams. Emma Lukasiewicz,

Emma Spruce, Joanne Jansen, Ruth Siddorn, Elo Luik, Anastasia Chitty.

Once again on the winner 's podium, Lauren Kedar, and the winning

president Maddy Badcott. Four out of four now four and a -- Anastacia

Helen and Heather are standing by to present the trophy to the victorious

Oxford University Women's Boat Club. Winners once again. After a terrific

form and is here. -- terrific performance. Your president, Maddy

Badcott. If you could hand over the trophy now to Helen, who has the

honour of handing the trophy to Oxford University Women's Boat Club

and the president Maddy Badcott! As the Oxford women celebrate, their

male counterparts take their boat down to the water. And the Oxford

men are coming into this race in a similarly dominant run of form

having won their last three races. This is one of the most

inexperienced crews for a while. Their president is Morgan Gerlak

from America who will be rowing at number three. Here is the Cambridge

crew. They have returning Blues, Ian Middleton is in charge for the third

year in a row, three big Americans, Luke Juckett, Henry Hoffstot, the

president, and Ben Ruble, the vice president. Their average weight is

13 stone 13, they are the heaviest crew and have strong form coming

into this. As we saw from the women's race conditions are as tough

as they have ever been on Boat Race day so literally anything could

happen. Think about the rivalry between these great universities,

it's not limited to the banks of the Thames, they compete all year at a

variety of different sports. Here is Andrew Cotter with more. The

sporting clubs of Oxford and Cambridge have been in ferocious

competition for well over 150 years, the Boat Race is of course the

oldest and best-known but at Twickenham we have the Vermeulen is

in rugby union which give a real taste of the fierce rivalry between

the two universities. It was the dark blues of Oxford coming out on

top in the men's varsity match while Cambridge were triumphant in the

women's fixture. What's next? What about powerlifting? The light blues

cleaned up there. Other students do skiing and snowboarding, it finish

1-1. Staying with wintry themes, Oxford 's women swept all before

them out on the ice. And their male counterparts workings of the court,

winning the basketball. Cambridge romped home in the horse racing, and

in outdoor ultimate frisbee, Oxford flew high. Cambridge were squeezed

out in the squash and crushed in the 100th men's lacrosse fixture. In the

women's cross-country Oxford were left trailing. Onto rugby league

which does not quite have the same varsity background as union but

Oxford were in a different league, 70-0 winners to help the dark blues

lead 24-23 by the end of February. Also taking the women's gymnastics.

Oxford hosted the 109th Varsity boxing competition which saw the

first ever women's Blues awarded. Their match ended in a draw with

Oxford winning the men's event. It is so much bigger than you expect,

everyone is caught up in the narrative. It has been going for

hundreds of years, it is spectacular. Cambridge have the

upper hand in trampolining. Also in korfball, but I'm not sure what that

is. Also cheerleading. The dark blues won the men's and women's

badminton matches earlier this month. And in that very traditional

British bought, the rather gentle pursuit of Australian rules

football, Oxford did all of the celebrating. -- British sport. There

will be a few beers, drinking out of that delicious cup. And so with the

overall standing delicately poised, we are here a few hundred yards from

the start of the Boat Races at Craven Cottage for one of the oldest

fixtures in world football, beginning in 1873, it's time for the

latest edition of the varsity football match. That football match

has been won by Oxford, the score was 2-0 and this was the first goal,

great skill. That means that for the varsity

sports of the season 2015-16, Cambridge so far have 37 wins,

Oxford have 38. Two draws. There are 16 remaining sports this academic

year. We are on the banks of the Thames, now, Constantine Louloudis

and George Nash are with me. Katherine Grainger is with me as

well, we are about to get on a speedboat down the river which I

normally look forward to but given the conditions today I'm not so

sure! I know, watching the race to win turning into a battle for is a

viable, at least we have an engine! That helps. Constantine, you would

have watched the women's race closely, what did you make of that

and how difficult it will be? We were relying on a smartphone

connection so I could not see much but it seemed savage. Those

conditions, I've never rowed in anything like that. It is merciful

that they made it to the finish and it will become really tactical for

the men's race. There will be shelters for different crews at

different stages and the coxes will play a big role. Let's head out

there because Matthew Pinsent was following the women's race as the

reserve umpire and he can give an update on how difficult it will be

for the men. Thank you. We have returned on the umpires launch which

follows the women's and men's races, and everybody saw the absolutely

biblical conditions that are out there. There is a wind coming

against the tide which is really making huge mountains of water

beyond Chiswick Eyot, where the Cambridge women got into such

difficulty. The real difficulty now is that on the incoming tide river

is coming up and up all the time which will make conditions in theory

worse and worse. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everyone will

get to the finish line in the race but there is no doubt that these

conditions are absolutely brutal. For the crews that are out there

racing. We will keep our fingers crossed for a safe finish for this

race coming up but it's really tough. James is going to be our

driver taking us hopefully safely to the finish position. I mentioned

earlier that they used to race in opposition in the Boat Race and are

now part of Team GB. They could yet in Rio be rowing alongside a man

called Mohammed Sabihi. He hated water and the sport of rowing but he

now could be part of the Olympic team in a couple of months. Here is

his story. The feeling on the water is unparalleled to anything I have

ever done, that feeling of harmony. The reward for your hard work, when

you look at the Boat Race, you build a bond for life. My first rowing

stroke, I was 15. I took to it really badly. I kept falling in.

There were many moments in the first six months when I wanted to quit

because I hated the sport. How are you? Very good, yourself? I remember

my first day. You got me into the river. For five seconds! Let's have

a look at the gym. It hasn't changed much. Since 2008. It still has that

rocking floor. It is nice and cold, very back to basics training. It was

not common in my school for people to row. It was the basic sports of

football, rugby, basketball and tennis. At the time I still had

thoughts that there were stigmas that you could not row if you did

not go to public school but actually it's not the truth. The first moment

when the penny drops was in the Erg championships when I won my age

division, and it is something that made me think, I can do this. I was

born as a Muslim, and it is also my personal choice growing up to

continue my faith. There has been no prejudice against

me about being a muslin and it has been very accommodating as a sport

to allow me to fast and I like the fact that I'm an ambassador for my

religion and I doubt like the fact that I'm one of the first, but

hopefully that is for the next generation. Constantine and George

obviously know him very well, he was talking about trying to fast and

train. Ramadan will be from June the 5th or sixth next year until 30 days

later, how would he do that a month before the Olympics? Can he do it at

another time? Well, he can put it off until the winter but it comes at

a cost. If I have got it right he has to pay for 1500 meals for people

in his native country of Morocco. And then do Ramadan in the winter

back in the UK. I could be wrong on that. I rowed with Mo at the

Olympics in 2012 and it was during the Olympics and he moved it to

December, he made a sizeable charitable contribution to a

Moroccan... It had an effect in Morocco, and then he did it in

December and got permission from his Imam, who was supportive. He's a

great character and a very talented rower. Down to the finish, we will

hear from Andrew Cotter in the commentary box and before that Helen

Skelton at Hammersmith Bridge. We are survey in the river situation at

the moment because this young man is a rower at Cambridge. Would you want

to be out there now? It is a lot choppy than it looks. Would you be

in the boat this afternoon? Yes. When you say it is more choppy, it

does look like a millpond to people having a meander along the South

bank of the river, but sitting on the surface we have seen how

difficult it was for the Cambridge ladies, how difficult is it? It's

hard to describe but is not the same as it looks, it's definitely not

flat. As this wet your appetite? Well, I have done the rowing

machine, so I'd experienced what these athletes go through and I

understand their pain and what they are going through, so I'm looking

forward to this one. People passing the alcohol! The level of dedication

is something I'm not suspecting you are familiar with, think about how

much they train, like professional athletes. Isn't it seven hours a day

or something? Twice a day. Not seven hours twice a day? Seven hours in

total. The only thing I do for seven hours is sleep, nothing else. There

is nothing I will do for seven hours. It's incredible. You are an

inspiration(!) turn your eyes this way because soon Clare Balding will

be making her way down the river to the finish line to take in the men's

Boat Race. This is your first experience of the race so far, how

are you finding it? I'm loving it. Who is meant to be winning? Oxford

or Cambridge? Everybody knew Oxford were going to

win that. Do you have a prediction? Cambridge. You have an affinity with

them. Where did you get that? JD Sports? Let's turn our eyes to the

river and keep our eyes out for Clare Balding. There she is. Look at

that! She has turned into James Bond, she wants the next Bond role.

Glamorous and elegant as ever, there she goes. Clare Balding.

Hello, how are you? I am Clare. Ben. Very nice to meet you, Ben. We both

came to Cambridge together, both lost the Boat Race together. We are

both going to win it together this year. Do they bring the best out in

each other, do you think? I think so. Luke is very emotional, whereas

Ben is more calm and cool. You must feel like family, more than

team-mates? We have seen a lot of success and failure together. You

can kind of tell when the other person is not having a good practice

or a good day. When were you first aware of the Boat Race? For me it

was 2010, we had a Wisconsin guy here. The fact that it could lead to

somebody who was once just like me all the way to England, to

Cambridge, doing the Boat Race, it was a very inspiring thing to see.

What was your parents' reaction when you first mooted the idea of coming

to Cambridge and rowing a boat? Initially my dad said he thought it

was one of the most stupid things he had ever heard, but they recognised

my passion for it and have been nothing but supportive for the

entire three years I have been here. How strong would you say the

Cambridge boat is this year? I would say strong. We have had some good

success early in the year and we've used that as a platform. I think we

have a core of guys returning, and a new, in lands who has a lot of

international experience. -- in Lance. What do you think will happen

this year? In terms of the race? I think we will win. That is the

confidence all sportsmen have to show outwardly of course. Sometimes

they don't believe it deep down but you sense this Cambridge crew does

believe it. Then again, the variables today, the river threw

everything into more uncertainty. The Cambridge women won their

reserve race. Just one more race to come. It is time to get technical

and take you inside the Oxford boat, in the company of Jamie Cook, who

can explain more about the boat itself and the roles of the men who

feel it. I am Jamie Cook and I sit in the

seventh seat of the Oxford University boat. I will show you a

boat and the roles of the rowers within the boat.

Let me quickly explain how rowing works. We have a sliding seat. We

each have an oar, to propel the boat as far as possible with every

stroke. The cox communicates the strategy, he uses the steering

column is to shift the rudder that moves the boat along the course.

Next, I forgotten his name... Now, our stroke man, Nik set the cadence

and the rhythm to follow. These guys set the power and the endurance that

we need to get the right length. This guy here, he is our technical

wizard. He sits here and connects the timing all the way through down

the boat. These guys unfortunately have to experience the worst of the

conditions. It is all of the wind, a bit like in a Formula One car, and

these guys are able to control their body weight and their blades, and

attack the opponents of needed. Essentially what it comes down to is

timing, teamwork and power all the way down the course so we crossed

the finish line first. The couple of things Jamie didn't

get chance to show us was the electric pump, which I'm sure we

will be talking about, but now it is time to meet the crews in the words

of their presidents. I'm Henry Hoffstot, the Cambridge president

and I will be sitting at six and this is my crew. In the bow straight

we have Felix Newman, at two Ali Abbasi. Sitting three is Charles

Fisher. Rowing in the fourth seat is Clemens Auersperg. The approach is

better than last year, we have an internal confidence that makes us

believe we can win the race. Adding strength at five is Luke Jock it.

Ben Ruble... At stroke is land straddle -- Lance Tredell... And at

cox, Ian Middleton. For Oxford, at bow we have George

McKirdy... Each year is different, this is our year, our story. In two

seat we have James White. In the fourth seat, we have Joshua

Bugajski. In number five seat we have Leo Carrington, in the sixth

seat we have Jorgen Tveit, James Cook, Nick Hazell, and the cox of

this year's boat is Sam Collier. It is an amazing thing to do. Those are

the two Cruz, who sit now in their boats at the start. Oxford were

late, they have been given one false start. Two false starts and they

would be disqualified. It would take something drastic, very brave

umpire, but just an indication of things that can sometimes go wrong

in the Boat Race. An intriguing race, especially bearing in mind

what we have seen in the Women's Boat Race and the conditions, and

that will add to the nervous tension. This promises to be

fascinating. Today the conditions are totally decisive. We saw it in

the women's race. Without the pumps today, the Cambridge women would

literally be swimming in the water. It's like nothing we have seen for

over a decade. Again, we stress that when the coxes' arms are up, they

are not happy with the way things are. Being late to the start and

getting that initial false start warning might unsettled crew and it

might be that the umpire is on the lookout for Oxford to make another

mistake. The umpire is Simon Harris. He wrote for Cambridge in 1982 and

1983, both won by Oxford. The arm of Sam Collier is up. Cambridge won the

toss and chose Surrey. The arm of Ian Middleton is up, both coxes with

their arms up. You would think it would favour the Surrey station

today. Usually it doesn't matter, if conditions are neutral, but today it

has got to favour the Surrey station. Yes, I don't think you

would ever choose Middlesex on a day like today but with these conditions

all bets are off. As they battle the nerves and tension, and all the work

they have done over months, the future is still uncertain as the

boats move about. We are ready for a moment, but then the arm of Ian

Middleton went up. In his third Boat Race, very experienced. You can see

the bow of the boat wandering around in the strong tide coming in. It is

one hour before high tide. You have got to get the start right. Dipping

the blades into study the boat. And the arm of Ian Middleton is up on

the Surrey station but he is ready now, we are ready now, and go is the

instruction. The 162nd Boat Race is under way. Both crews are desperate

for the best start here and they will have that fierce pace for a

minute or so, then settle into that rhythm, but who gets the better

start? I think Oxford got away slightly cleaner. Cambridge looked

to be pointing slightly towards the Surrey bank. Now it looks like

Cambridge are moving up. Oxford are not used to being in this position

of being underdogs, can they cope with that? Some of the athletes are

brought with potential, not necessarily great oarsmen, but they

will have to do it the hard way today, from the Middlesex Station

with the wind not favouring them. They don't have the returning Blues,

and Cambridge with the slight advantage at the moment. Yes, this

is the first year when you would say that on paper Cambridge might have

the slightly better crew, so can they get ahead of that reputation

that Oxford has built for themselves over the last few years? I think

Cambridge looked that idea crew. Matthew Pinsent is down near the

water watching this, your thoughts? It is a very even start. We were all

expecting the weather to get a lot worse as we go down the course, at

the moment the conditions are almost benign but Cambridge look very

smooth and confident at this stage. Ominous, I think, for oxidant -- for

Oxford. He can see Cambridge have just edged clear of Oxford. The dark

Blues have that quarter length advantage of the Middlesex bend

around Craven Cottage. The boats are named today Kevin and Daniel. Daniel

Sapolsky, a legend and a great coach of the Boat Race as well. --

Topolski. The Oxford cox, Sam Collier, sounds very relaxed. He

doesn't seem that worried that his crew is down on Cambridge.

Sam Collier, we are hearing. Just an early pre-emptive warning as they

start to creep together, and Cambridge being warned for straying

into Oxford's water. Cambridge responded quickly to the

warning from the umpire, there could have been a clash but they turned

away quickly. Sam Collier does not have the Boat Race experience of Ian

Middleton but he does have greater international experience as well. He

comes from the Hampton School of rowing where so many great oarsman

have come from. But Cambridge have a clearer bandage now, and Oxford will

have to come from behind -- advantage. Slipping half a length

behind now. That looks like nearly two thirds of a length, Cambridge

starting to stretch out their lead, they still look a little bit more

relaxed, a little cleaner and more together than Oxford. Cambridge now

have this first bend coming up in their favour, if they want to finish

the race here they have to step on the gas. After the bridge all bets

are off because the water will be rough and Cambridge will want to be

in the lead. Sam Collier, the Oxford cox, let's dip into the words of Ian

Middleton now. Now stretch! Stretch! Stretch! Yes! Really clean here,

guys. Stroking just slightly higher at the moment, 36, 35. More than

half a length lead and the boats come together a bit but Cambridge

have that clear advantage at the moment, moving along nicely. This is

where Oxford will be looking to put in a big push, they have to maintain

overlap, they will need to stay with Cambridge from the outside of this

next bend. Traditionally Sean Bowden, the coach of Oxford, tended

to push around Hammersmith Bridge and they will have to do that now

because they have given away three quarters of a length and perhaps

even more now. Cambridge out in front. Matthew Pinsent again. Again,

I think it is ominous signs for Oxford. Cambridge have got this long

bend to come, probably six or seven minutes of rowing now before Oxford

will see any advantage from their bend which is a long way down the

course but I'm really impressed with Cambridge, they looked calm, they

look controlled, they look confident. That is so important for

them in these conditions at this stage of the race, they have got

this, they have got it if they want to win, and it will happen in the

next two or three minutes for Cambridge. The wing beats of the

boats you can hear as they mingle in with the cries of the coxes and

Cambridge are building their advantage. The one unknown factor of

course is how alive is the river after Hammersmith Bridge coming

through Chiswick Reach and past Chiswick Eyot? Oxford are hanging

on, if they can't push they need and they might get a bit of help from

the river. That's right, there could still be an act of God here, so to

speak, even if Cambridge is a length in front, like what we saw from the

women's race, anything can happen in the waves. Any time you apply the

rudder it's a bit of a break, it is a tiny thing but it does slow down

the boat. They have started to put a bit of a push on, as they try to

hang on to Cambridge. Oxford are definitely hanging on down the bend,

it's a very impressive performance, gutsy, they love like they are now

starting to lengthen out and relax a little bit more even though they are

nearly a length down. A pretty impressive performance by Oxford to

hold on at this point. Past the green spires of Hammersmith Bridge

and you can see the times, pretty impressive in these conditions but

it's about to get more difficult, you can see the angles they have

chosen and Cambridge are moving across to the Surrey Station, but

the river will now become more animated as they round the bend

which of course favours Cambridge. If I were in the Cambridge crew I

would be stepping on the gas hard, they have the first half of the bend

and Oxford did not let them get away. The whole thing about the

Surrey bend is that with every minute you don't get clear, the

Middlesex crew will gain confidence so Cambridge don't want that to

happen. If the water is like it was in the women's race Oxford will have

a worse time of it. I thought Oxford where heading to Surrey to get extra

safety from the water but they have come back together now. Cambridge,

in a strong position, an unfamiliar position based on recent years, they

have clear water almost now between themselves and Oxford as the

flotilla of boats behind are churning up the water which is

lively enough. And they sweep around and Ian Middleton in his third Boat

Race, the youngster is still just 20, coxing Cambridge and asking for

more, having a look round to see where Oxford are but the whole crew

can see that, and he's the only one who can't see the advantage, Oxford

are hanging on and they have just about clear water between the boats

but Oxford are hanging in and they have to keep digging and driving and

try to maintain that. You can see the white horses and Cambridge have

just hit it, both crews going into the rough water and this is where

the challenge will start. Can they keep their full length, can they

keep rowing? What a different view down there, the view that these men

have. Where the river really is lifting up, and the blades are

cutting through the choppy water, up goes the spray. And again it is a

battle of technique and who can deal with the conditions better. You have

got to keep the water out of your boat, if you have a couple of big

waves it's immediately like having an extra man on board who is not

rowing, two or three men, it gets heavy. Matthew Pinsent, as we head

to Chiswick Reach, things are coming alive here. Yes, as we can all see

there are really big slabs of water out here on the Thames. And at the

moment I would say that it is still Cambridge's advantage but there's an

interesting dynamic in that their corner is beginning to run out in

the next two or three minutes, Oxford have probably got two or

three minutes to save the race, if they can stay in contact and of

course they get the last bend but the real test is against the river,

not the opposition. How clean can you be, how smooth can you be? Can

you stay on top of the waters of the Thames? That's the real challenge at

the moment. Both crews are battling the angry river today and Cambridge

as they have clear water, Oxford have to re-establish contact because

otherwise Cambridge can choose the line so the final bend will not

favour Oxford. If Oxford can re-establish contact Cambridge will

have to move out. It's worth pointing out that although some of

the Oxford crew have not been in a Boat Race before a number were in

the victorious Isis Crewe last year that it actually wrote through the

Cambridge reserves when Cambridge had clear water. They have

experienced rowing through a race that looks through -- looks as

though it was done and dusted. Sam Collier will not quite lied to his

crew but tell them that they are still in contact and can still do

it. When you start to fall a bit behind you lose the ability to see

and hear the other crew and you rely on your cox to tell you where you

are in the race. Here is Sam Collier. The 20-year-old. You can

see the delicate touch that he has on the rudder cable, the wire that

controls the rudder, just holding it with a feather touch, it is so

difficult in these conditions. It's hard to manage the boat well in

rough conditions so he will have to keep making good decisions.

Cambridge have a clear advantage, Clearwater, and as you look down the

boat, the stroke, and Henry Hoffstot, the core of Americans in

seven, six and five and then Clemens Auersperg, Charles Fisher, Ali

Abbasi and Felix Newman. About a length clear now and Oxford are

grafting and working to try to maintain contact but you can see

their lead now and Cambridge in play control as they passed the Chiswick

Steps. It will take a mistake by Cambridge to lose the lead but it's

not out of the question because there is more rough water coming. I

don't know if you can see but the pumps are working hard on both

boats, water is spilling out the side of both of them. You can see

that the water is still in the base of the boat there, but the pumps are

working. You can see that the crews are working. How can you maintain

your rhythm and act as one? The coxes are asking, as one. But how do

you do that? Matthew Pinsent again. You can just see that the challenge

of the river that was setting up three or four minutes ago, Cambridge

have met it admirably. They have rowed clean and smooth over the

water and the psychological challenge for Oxford is that they

know they are behind and it's a testing day on the river, and it

feels heavier and wetter, they hit every splash and every wave and it

will feel as if it is adding more and more to their workload. It will

increase the distance between them and Cambridge that they have two

make-up. Both crews are working in a world of noise and effort and spray

that is kicked up but I wonder if it's worth a desperate gamble by

Oxford but Cambridge are cutting across to Middlesex anyway for

shelter. Both of them have learned from what happened in the women's

race, seeking the shelter of the Middlesex bank, there is always a

risk of sinking. Look at that. This is a Boat Race at its liveliest best

for someone who enjoys the challenge but Oxford are really working hard

here, every little wave that comes up, the blades cutting in and

kicking up the spray. And it's a thankless to ask for Oxford now

because they are beginning to lose further distance to Cambridge and

creep further clear. We saw Ian Middleton the Cambridge cox turning

to look behind him at Oxford's progress. It looked as though Oxford

were staying with them, but these last few strokes they have started

to slip, I think they needed to Turkey and a bit quicker. -- to tuck

in. They are passing the weeping willows of the bandstand and heading

towards a Cambridge victory, they will move beneath the central span

where both of them have to pass through, the central span of Barnes

Railway Bridge. Cambridge have an advantage which must be 34 lengths

now. Still Sam Collier is asking his crew to believe, two and a half

lengths perhaps. -- must be three or four. They are not losing any

further contact. They seem to be holding the distance well and they

are still looking reasonably relaxed actually. Maybe not quite as

confident as the Cambridge stroke, Lance Tredell, very experienced and

calm and steely guy. They will have to pop out through the middle arch

so we will see how the steering takes them here. Very few are the

crews that come from behind, it has only happened in 49 and 52. And

Oxford did it in 2002. That was when Cambridge's Sebastian Meyer

collapsed and was almost a dead weight. It is hard for them to come

from behind, around 1000 metres to go from Barnes Bridge to the finish.

It looked as though a lot of this bridge was making sure you were

ahead as you got to the rough water so that you could keep out of the

worst of it and it has paid off for Cambridge. They have held them off

through the rough water and there is a look of determination on the faces

of Cambridge, they will not let this get away from them. A lot of

encouragement for Oxford, though, they have kept the gap to a minimum.

Oxford are trying their best not to lose further contact but this will

be victory for Cambridge today to end a long run of Oxford wins,

Oxford have won the Women's Boat Race and the reserve races have been

shared, but this is the one that matters. Matthew Pinsent, what are

your thoughts in the closing stages? Oxford are now racing for pride,

they know that they must have lost the race, but you have to imagine

the atmosphere in the boat, the pain and the agony previously is now

coming right, they will be feeling light and warm and dry. Because

victory is within their grasp. It's a magical, magical moment. Coming up

for Cambridge. There is the Cambridge crew. Felix Newman, Ali

Abbasi, Charles Fisher, Clemens Auersperg, the tall Australian, Luke

Juckett, the returning American, Henry Hoffstot, Ben Ruble, the three

Americans. And Lance Tredell. Ian Middleton driving them on and asking

for a final push. No thoughts of a quick time today and that doesn't

matter, Oxford are hanging on, they have not drifted further so the

margin of victory will be three or four lengths and this will bring to

a end a long run of Oxford victories. Asking for a final push

now. Bush! Even now as their legs are dying and

their backs are breaking and their arms falling out of their sockets,

keep pushing. -- push! They will keep pushing to the finish. And

still they drive on. Oxford are the winners of this race in 2013, 20 14,

and 2015. This year it will belong to Cambridge. What we talked about

for Ben Ruble, and Ben Middleton, the cox, they know the pain of

losing and will make amends for that today. Even though the water has

calmed down as they come around the bend, they have done their work.

Cambridge are really piling it on here, they want to win by as much as

they possibly can, look at them go, they will get every inch. It is

Cambridge who take it, they win the 162nd Boat Race, three years of dark

blue turns a lighter shade. Oxford were second today on the Thames, and

the bent bodies and get heads of the ten men and the smiles and

celebrations of Luke Juckett and what it means as we mentioned to

come back having lost and lost, coming back to win now, what a

difference. What a race he has had. He had problems before when he was

almost knocked out of the boat a couple of years ago. Now he is

celebrating as a victor. Then the sharp contrast. Some men

who will come back and try again, others this was their only chance.

Well beaten today by the favoured group, Cambridge. Here you have,

underneath Chiswick Bridge, both crews gather and the cheering from

Cambridge will taunt and haunt Oxford in years to come but that is

what the Boat Race is like. Cambridge, the winners, and