Henley Boat Races Explained

The Henley Boat Races

Contested by

CUWBC / CULRC	OUWBC / OULRC / OUWLRC

Openweight Women	contested 1977–2014
Lightweight Men	contested 1975–2018^[1]
Lightweight Women	contested 1984–2019
Lightweight Men's reserves	contested 2000–2009 and 2016–2018
Lightweight Women's reserves	contested 2012 and 2016–2019
Collegiate Boat Races	contested 2010–2019
Course	Henley Regatta course (downstream) River Thames^[2]
Course length	Blue Boats: 2000 m^[3] Collegiate races: 1750 m
Number of wins^[4]
CUWBC Openweights	OUWBC
21	17
CULRC	OULRC
28	16
CUWBC Lightweights	OUWLRC
19	17
Note: Last races on 31 March 2019 at Dorney Lake
Official website

The Henley Boat Races were a series of annual rowing races between various crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

The event included the Lightweight Men's Boat Race from 1975 to 2018, the Women's Boat Race from 1977 to 2014, the Lightweight Women's Boat Race from 1984 to 2019, and the Collegiate Boat Races from 2010 to 2019. Between 2015 and 2020, the openweight and lightweight Varsity races previously held at Henley were relocated to the Championship Course to match the openweight men's Boat Race, at which point the Collegiate Boat Races were scrapped.

History

Henley Boat Races took place annually in late March or early April the week before the University Boat Races, which are held on the Championship Course on the Thames in London.

The Henley Boat Races began as men's lightweight races in 1975 and enlarged to incorporate the Women's Boat Race and their reserve crew race from 1977 and the women's lightweight race from 1984.^[5] ^[6] ^[7] In 2000, the lightweight men added a race for their reserve crews, Nephthys (Oxford) and Granta (Cambridge). The races took place in 2001, at the Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre in Nottingham.^[8] The lightweight men's race fell into abeyance after 2009 as a result of Cambridge not fielding a Granta crew from 2007, giving Oxford a row over for three years. From 2016, Nephthys and Granta raced again, sometimes on a different date or location to the main Henley Boat Races. A women's lightweight reserve race was held in 2012 prior to race day and took place from 2016 on race day.^[9] The 2013 event was moved to Dorney Lake as a result of flooding on the Thames.^[10] ^[11]

In 2015, the Women's Boat Race moved further down the River Thames to the Tideway to take place as a combined men's and women's Boat Race.^[12] ^[13] The event was moved to Dorney Lake again in 2018 due to "adverse river conditions on the Thames at Henley" and the collegiate races were cancelled.^[14] ^[15] The Lightweight Men's Boat Race made the same move to the Tideway in 2019,^[16] followed by the Lightweight Women's Boat Race in 2020, although the Lightweight Boat Races continue to operate separately to their openweight counterparts.

The races received annual press coverage,^[17] ^[18] ^[19] ^[11] ^[20] and competitors from both Universities have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels.^[21] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24]

Events

Crews from the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge raced side by side over a 2000-meter course on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames, racing downstream — the opposite direction to the Henley Royal Regatta course — and finishing halfway down Temple Island.^[2] The collegiate races took place over a shorter 1750 m course. The races typically included:^[25]

Women's Boat Race (OUWBC vs CUWBC)
Lightweight Men's Boat Race (OULRC vs CULRC)
Lightweight Women's Boat Race (OUWLRC vs CUWBC Lightweights)
Women's Reserves (Osiris vs Blondie)
Lightweight Men's Reserves (Nephthys vs Granta) [held separately on an earlier date]^[26]
Lightweight Women's Reserves (Tethys vs CUWBC Lightweight Reserves)
Men's Intercollegiate Boat Race (between one college representing Oxford and one representing Cambridge)
Women's Intercollegiate Boat Race (between one college representing Oxford and one representing Cambridge)

An Alumnae race was typically held in later years. The lightweight races constituted the varsity race. The first crew received university half-blues, and was therefore more commonly known as the Lightweight Blue Boat. The reserve crew received university colours. The intercollegiate races were between the fastest crews from the Oxford Torpids and the Cambridge Lent Bumps; Oxford selection being done by time trial ^[27] and Cambridge giving right of first refusal to headship crews.^[28]

Results

The history of the results of the races are as follows.^[29]

Women's Boat Race

See main article: Women's Boat Race.

The Women's Boat Race and its Reserve race became part of the Henley Boat Races in 1977. With the Women's Boat Race moving to the Tideway Championship Course and forming part of The Boat Races 2015, the race as well as the race of the reserve boats Osiris and Blondie ceased to be part of the Henley Boat Races.^[13] For the full results tables, see the main article on the Women's Boat Race.

Cambridge: 21 wins at Henley
Oxford: 17 wins at Henley

No.	Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
32	1977	Cambridge			11	21
33	1978	Cambridge			11	22
	1979	Cambridge			11	23
	1980	Oxford			12	23
	1981	Oxford			13	23
	1982	Cambridge			13	24
	1983	Cambridge			13	25
	1984	Cambridge			13	26
40	1985	Oxford			14	26
41	1986	Oxford			15	26
42	1987	Cambridge			15	27
43	1988	Oxford			16	27
44	1989	Cambridge	6:20	1	16	28
45	1990	Cambridge	7:17		16	29
46	1991	Oxford	7:29	3	17	29
47	1992	Cambridge	6:20		17	30
	1993	Cambridge	6:10		17	31
	1994	Cambridge	6:11	1	17	32
50	1995	Cambridge	6:02		17	33
51	1996	Cambridge	6:12	4	17	34
52	1997	Cambridge	6:26		17	35
53	1998	Cambridge	6:25		17	36
54	1999	Cambridge	6:01	1	17	37
55	2000	Oxford	6:18		18	37
56	2001	Cambridge	7:27	3 ft.	18	38
57	2002	Oxford	6:02		19	38
58	2003	Oxford	6:35		20	38
59	2004	Oxford	6:06	4	21	38
60	2005	Cambridge	6:27		21	39
61	1 April 2006	Oxford	5:44		22	39
62	1 April 2007	Cambridge	4:03		22	40
63	23 March 2008	Oxford	6:39		23	40
64	22 March 2009	Oxford	6:24		24	40
	28 March 2010	Oxford	5:56	4	25	40
	27 March 2011	Oxford	6:24	1	26	40
	25 March 2012	Cambridge	6:38		26	41
	24 March 2013	Oxford	7:21		27	41
	29 March 2014	Oxford	5:50	4	28	41
class=noprint colspan=7 style="font-weight:normal"

Notes

- The course was shortened in 2007 due to rough water during the Henley Boat Races. It was reduced from 2000 m to less than 1500 m with the start between the Upper Thames Rowing Club and Old Blades.^[30]

Lightweight Men's Boat Race

See main article: The Lightweight Boat Races.

Cambridge: 28 wins
Oxford: 16 wins

Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
1975	Cambridge			-	1
1976	Oxford			1	1
1977	Oxford			2	1
1978	Cambridge			2	2
1979	Cambridge			2	3
1980	Cambridge			2	4
1981	Cambridge			2	5
1982	Cambridge			2	6
1983	Cambridge			2	7
1984	Cambridge			2	8
1985	Cambridge		6 ft	2	9
1986	Cambridge		2	2	10
1987	Cambridge	6:09		2	11
1988	Cambridge			2	12
1989	Cambridge	5:51		2	13
1990	Cambridge	6:40		2	14
1991	Cambridge	6:39		2	15
1992	Oxford	5:40		3	15
1993	Cambridge	5:39		3	16
1994	Oxford	5:35		4	16
1995	Cambridge	5:29		4	17
1996	Oxford	NRO disq		5	17
1997	Oxford	5:49	1	6	17
1998	Cambridge	5:45		6	18
1999	Oxford	5:31		7	18
2000	Cambridge	5:40	2	7	19
2001	Cambridge	6:33	4	7	20
2002	Oxford	5:21	2	8	20
2003	Oxford	5:55		9	20
2004	Oxford	5:36		10	20
2005	Oxford	5:51	3	11	20
1 April 2006	Oxford	5:18		12	20
1 April 2007	Oxford	3:44	1	13	20
23 March 2008	Oxford	6:15		14	20
22 March 2009	Cambridge	5:49	3	14	21
28 March 2010	Cambridge	5:28	2 ft	14	22
27 March 2011	Oxford	5:54	Canvas	15	22
25 March 2012	Cambridge	6:00		15	23
24 March 2013	Oxford	6:49		16	23
30 March 2014	Cambridge	5:30		16	24
5 April 2015	Cambridge	5:55	4 ft	16	25
19 March 2016	Cambridge	6:19	Easily	16	26
26 March 2017	Cambridge	6:07		16	27
18 March 2018	Cambridge	6:26	(Raced at Dorney)	16	28
class=noprint colspan=6 style="font-weight:normal"

Lightweight Women's Boat Race

See main article: The Lightweight Boat Races.

Cambridge: 19 wins
Oxford: 17 wins

Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
1984	Cambridge			-	1
1985	Cambridge			-	2
1986	Oxford			1	2
1987	Cambridge			1	3
1988	Cambridge			1	4
1989	Cambridge	6:37	1	1	5
1990	Cambridge	7:35		1	6
1991	Cambridge	7:48		1	7
1992	Cambridge	6:35	3	1	8
1993	Cambridge	6:18	Easily	1	9
1994	Cambridge	6:23	1 ft.	1	10
1995	Oxford	6:19	2	2	10
1996	Cambridge	6:36	Canvas	2	11
1997	Cambridge	6:37	Canvas	2	12
1998	Oxford	6:36	Canvas	3	12
1999	Oxford	6:		4	12
2000	Oxford	6:22		5	12
2001	Cambridge	7:37	3	5	13
2002	Oxford	6:06	4	6	13
2003	Oxford	6:51	2	7	13
2004	Oxford	6:08		8	13
2005	Oxford	6:55		9	13
1 April 2006	Cambridge	6:00	Canvas	9	14
1 April 2007	Oxford	4:11	1	10	14
23 March 2008	Cambridge	7:01		10	15
22 March 2009	Oxford	6:30		11	15
28 March 2010	Oxford	6:01		12	15
27 March 2011	Cambridge	6:43		12	16
25 March 2012	Oxford	6:48		13	16
24 March 2013	Oxford	7:33		14	16
29 March 2014	Oxford	6:08		15	16
5 April 2015	Cambridge	6:26	3 ft.	15	17
19 March 2016	Oxford	6:54	Canvas	16	17
26 March 2017	Cambridge	6:45	3	16	18
18 March 2018	Cambridge	7:24	(Raced at Dorney)	16	19
30 March 2019	Oxford	6:28		17	19
class=noprint colspan=6 style="font-weight:normal"

Women's Reserves (Osiris vs Blondie)

See main article: Women's Boat Race.

Cambridge: 19 wins at Henley
Oxford: 19 wins at Henley

Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
1977	Cambridge			-	5
1978	Cambridge			-	6
1979	Cambridge			-	7
1980	Cambridge			-	8
1981	Oxford			1	8
1982	Cambridge			1	9
1983	Oxford			2	9
1984	Oxford			3	9
1985	Oxford			4	9
1986	Cambridge			4	10
1987	Cambridge			4	11
1988	Oxford			5	11
1989	Oxford	6:33	1	6	11
1990	Cambridge	7:34		6	12
1991	Cambridge	7:36		6	13
1992	Cambridge	6:32		6	14
1993	Cambridge	6:22		6	15
1994	Cambridge	6:22	Canvas	6	16
1995	Cambridge	6:08	1	6	17
1996	Cambridge	6:33	5	6	18
1997	Cambridge	6:36		6	19
1998	Cambridge	6:32	4	6	20
1999	Oxford	6:09		7	20
2000	Cambridge	6:27		7	21
2001	Oxford	7:32	Easily	8	21
2002	Oxford	6:09		9	21
2003	Oxford	6:43	2	10	21
2004	Oxford	6:16		11	21
2005	Oxford	6:41		12	21
1 April 2006	Oxford	5:54		13	21
1 April 2007	Oxford	NTT	1	14	21
23 March 2008	Oxford	7:09	Easily	15	21
22 March 2009	Cambridge	6:50		15	22
28 March 2010	Oxford	6:10		16	22
27 March 2011	Cambridge	-	Disq	16	23
25 March 2012	Oxford	6:57		17	23
24 March 2013	Oxford	7:41	6	18	23
29 March 2014	Oxford	6:01.5		19	23
class=noprint colspan=6 style="font-weight:normal"

Lightweight Men's Reserves (Nephthys vs Granta)

See main article: The Lightweight Boat Races.

Oxford: 9 wins
Cambridge: 4 wins

Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
2000	Cambridge	5:50		-	1
2001	Oxford	7		1	1
2002	Oxford	5:33	2	2	1
2003	Cambridge	6:19		2	2
2004	Oxford	5:45	Canvas	3	2
2005	Oxford	6:07		4	2
1 April 2006	Oxford	5:26	5	5	2
1 April 2007	Oxford	4:08	R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.	6	2
23 March 2008	Oxford	6:29	R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.	7	2
22 March 2009	Oxford	6:15	R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Beat Durham.	8	2
				Race in abeyance 2010 - 2015
13 March 2016	Cambridge	-	(Raced in 4x)	8	3
26 March 2017	Oxford	6:19	(Raced in 4+)^[31]	9	3
18 March 2018	Cambridge	7:24	(Raced in 4+ at Dorney)	9	4
class=noprint colspan=6 style="font-weight:normal"

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

See main article: The Lightweight Boat Races.

Cambridge: 4
Oxford: 1

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

Date	Winner	Time	Winning Margin (Lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
2012	Cambridge		(Raced in 4+)	-	1
19 March 2016	Cambridge	8:55	(Raced in 2-)	-	2
26 March 2017	Cambridge		easily (Raced in 2-)	-	3
18 March 2018	Oxford	8:15	easily (Raced in 4+ at Dorney)	1	3
30 March 2019	Cambridge		(Raced in 2-)	1	4
class=noprint colspan=6 style="font-weight:normal"

Men's Collegiate Boat Race

Cambridge: 7
Oxford: 2

Year	Oxford	Cambridge	Time	Verdict (lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
2010		First & Third		easily	-	1
2011	Christ Church	Caius	4:06	3	-	2
2012					-	3
2013					-	4
2014	Oriel				-	5
2015	Oriel			3	1	5
2016				1	2	5
2017	Oriel			4	2	6
2018				-	2	6
2019					2	7

Collegiate races cancelled due to adverse weather conditions

Women's Collegiate Boat Race

Cambridge: 5
Oxford: 4

Year	Oxford	Cambridge	Time	Verdict (lengths)	Oxford Wins	Cambridge Wins
2010	Worcester	Queens'		narrowly	-	1
2011	Magdalen	Pembroke	4:47.5		-	2
2012					1	2
2013					1	3
2014		First & Third			2	3
2015	Green Templeton				2	4
2016	Christ Church			4	3	4
2017				2	4	4
2018				-	4	4
2019					4	5

Collegiate races cancelled due to adverse weather conditions

External links

Official website

Notes and References

Web site: History. 14 April 2015. Henley Boat Races. https://web.archive.org/web/20220228191428/http://henleyboatraces.com/history. 28 February 2022.
Web site: Henley Boat Races - Course Map. Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club. 26 March 2017.
Web site: Henley Boat Races - About. 14 October 2020. 23 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141123035544/http://henleyboatraces.com/about. dead.
Web site: Results. 14 April 2015. Henley Boat Races. https://web.archive.org/web/20210802001852/http://henleyboatraces.com/results. 2 August 2021.
News: Cambridge University's top women rowers and the men's Lightweight crews are racing Oxford at Henley this Saturday 1 April.. 30 March 2006. University of Cambridge. 26 March 2017.
Web site: The Henley Boat Races. Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club. 26 March 2017. 27 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080348/http://www.oulrc.org/events/henley-boat-races. dead.
Web site: The Lightweight Varsity Race. Cambridge University Women's Boat Club . 26 March 2017.
Web site: Rowing Service Reports. 3 December 2020. www.total.rowing.org.uk. 22 April 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050422051517/http://www.total.rowing.org.uk/henraces01.html. dead.
Web site: Race schedule 2016. The Henley Boat Races. 14 March 2016. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315003601/http://henleyboatraces.com/racing-schedule. dead.
Web site: 20 March 2013. Change of venue for 2013 races. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002204930/http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/change-of-venue-for-2013-races/. 2 October 2013. 29 September 2013. The Henley Boat Races. dmy-all.
News: 24 March 2013. Clean sweep for Oxford over Cambridge at Henley Boat Races at Dorney Lake. The Telegraph. 3 April 2016.
Web site: The Cancer Research UK Boat Races. The Boat Race Company Limited. 1 April 2016.
Web site: Women's Boat Race to move to tideway. 8 February 2012. Henley Boat Races. https://web.archive.org/web/20120228105925/http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/womens-boat-race-to-move-to-tideway. 28 February 2012. dead. dmy-all.
Web site: e. 2018-03-18. The lightweight boat race: The Henley Boat Races 2018. 2020-12-03. WEROW. en-GB.
Web site: Henley Boat Races - Alternative Venue. 20 March 2018. Henley Boat Races. 20 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180320044038/http://henleyboatraces.com/alternative-venue. dead.
Web site: 2019-03-21. Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club look to make history. 2020-12-03. Cambridge Independent. en.
News: Rowing: Day for Light Blue celebration as Cambridge sweep Henley Boat Races. 22 March 1993. 3 April 2016. The Independent. none.

Web site: The Independent . 21 March 1994 . 16 April 2015 . Women's Boat Race: Cambridge women pass examination of rowing prowess. none. ; Web site: The Henley Boat Races . 31 March 2010 . Cherwell.
News: Natalie Redgrave helps Oxford win Women's Boat Race. BBC Sport. 27 March 2011. 3 April 2016.
News: Rivals share spoils at competitive Henley . 3 April 2016 . The Telegraph. 25 March 2012.
News: Oxford Dominate Henley Boat Races 2013 . 26 March 2017 . Henley Herald . 25 March 2013. none.

News: Oxford Dominate in Last Women's Boat Race in Henley. 26 March 2017 . Henley Herald . 31 March 2014. none. ; News: Cambridge Win 3 out of 4 at the Henley Boat Races . 26 March 2017. Henley Herald . 9 April 2015. none. ; News: Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races . 26 March 2017 . Henley Herald . 22 March 2016. none. ; News: Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races . 20 March 2018 . Henley Herald . 30 March 2017. none. ; Web site: Cambridge University lightweights enjoy success at Henley Boat Races. 21 March 2018. Cambridge Independent. en. 18 February 2019. none. ; News: Cambridge Blues make light work of Henley Boat Races. Varsity Online. 24 March 2018. en. 18 February 2019. none. ; Web site: 2019-04-01. Oxford Win Varsity Women's Lightweights at Henley Boat Races. 2020-12-03. Henley Herald. en-GB.
News: The Other Boat Race . BBC Sport . 30 March 2010 . 3 April 2016.
Web site: CULRC . CULRC Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club . 27 March 2017 . 20 October 2014 . 2 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170702035819/http://www.culrc.org.uk/?p=1 . dead .
Web site: Men's Lightweight Rowing Club . Oxford University Sport . 26 March 2017.
Web site: International Success . Oxford University Women's Lightweight Rowing Club . 26 March 2017.
Web site: Race schedule. The Henley Boat Races. 26 March 2017.
CULRC. Cambridge Lwt Rowing. 709040796020908033. 13 March 2016. Well done to Plummer, Green, Xu and Heames racing the 4x today! Official verdict 1 & 1/4 lengths. @HenleyBoatRaces.
Web site: OURCs . 1 June 2018 . 9 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180909052552/http://www.ourcs.org.uk/rules/a#A4 . dead .
Web site: The Light Blue men's and women's Lightweight crews race Oxford from Phyllis Court to Temple Island this spring. Cambridge University Alumni Events. 28 March 2017.
Web site: The Boat Race Lite . Hear The Boat Sing . 23 March 2020 . 23 March 2020.
Web site: Henley Boat Races 2007 . CUWBC . 18 April 2015 . 2 April 2007 . 19 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150419072726/http://www.cuwbc.org.uk/2007/04/02/henley-boat-races-2007 . dead .
OULightweights. OULRC. 843508700560179200. 19 March 2017. Final result for today's reserve race: Nephthys beat Granta by 1/2 Length #HenleyBoatRaces #LightweightBoatRace.