The Boat Race

I  sat in my comfortable room at home, feeling warm and relaxed, as I looked at  the television in the early afternoon, watching television and  listening to the wind blowing in my locality and watching the small white foamy waves ruffling the river's surface. The path of the tides sweeps down from the North and eventually enters the Thames estuary, and then makes its way up the Thames Valley. At. high tide the tide and the seaward flow of the river combine as they meet head on. This is a normal phenomenon, but the weather can be tougher, as a south-westerly can sweep up and the combination of wind, current and tide can make the river uncomfortable. Today's  race was on such a day, so two boats containing eight rowers and a cox, set out to challenge the mighty Thames ' flow. They were not in any danger, as a small fleet of boats containing umpires and journalists, accompanied by security staff were following the two rowing boats

There were two boats, a boat each for the two crews, one for the women's rowers and one for the male crew. There was much at stake.   Oxford University women had lost the last few races to their Cambridge opponents, and they had committed much effort into changing their  lack of success. Oxford wear dark blue; Cambridge wear light blue. I support the light blue of Cambridge, because I spent many years working for UCLES, the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate and because I earned a certificate from a course that I studied. The  boats set off.

Oxford got off to a good start, accelerating away from Cambridge who in reply tried to catch up with them. But the waters were rough and regaining their position was not going to be easy. There was much jockeying for tradition, which attracted the attention of the umpire when it led to boats becoming too close to each other.

By the time they had got too much ground for them to be overtaken Oxford knew that they had broken the run of eight losses to the women's team. What remained was for the Dark Blue's Boat to pass under the triple arches and shortly afterwards to sail past the finishing line. The run of bad results had been broken by the women's team

Between the men's and women's races there was a relatively new event, the junior race This is an attempt to stimulate interest in rowing among sports conscious teenagers chosen from students from teams linked to local secondary schools.  Mixed teams composed of male and females aged in the mid teens compete for victory on a course of one kilometre, longer than this would be too demanding for the youngsters, especially if conditions were difficult. The youngsters are very popular with the spectators and enjoy support from the adult students in the boat crews.

Then the males stepped out. We were seeing a feast of muscular masculinity. All of them tall and well built we feasted on the sight of elite athletes, all ready to face the river and each other. I cheered the light blues of Cambridge. Two of my nephews and nieces support Oxford, as they are graduates of that university. But they are not elite sports people. Cambridge had learned their lesson in the women's race' . They had allowed Oxford women to get off to a quick start, and Oxford got a winning start. But in the mens's race they had been determined to ensure that they were not going to alllow Oxford thiis advantage. The race was hard fought. Both teams attempted to take advantage of the tidal flow and the currents, and the umpire had to exert control with warnings shouted his megaphone. But the denial of Oxford's advantage caused the Cambridge men's boat to have an unassailable start, and so the light blues won the race.

The score  was one apiece. The race was conducted in  a good, sporting spirit.