The Boat Race: What it Takes and What We Can Take Away

The Boat Race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge has a very long history. The first race was held in 1829 and since then, it has evolved from a local rowing regatta to an internationally recognised event for men’s and women’s eights on the Thames in London. The Boat Race is like no other rowing event. Differences to World Championship and Olympic rowing are manifold.

Its unusual distance, unique course, student athletes and long tradition make it one of a kind. It is a huge privilege to compete in it. The race is delivered by The Boat Race Company on behalf of both universities every year around Easter. In the six months prior to the race, each boat club starts out with a large number of rowers from which they build their so-called Blue Boats and reserve eights.

The squads in both clubs are quite diverse. Seasoned internationals train alongside college rowers or even beginners. For some the Boat Race marks the beginning of their rowing career, while for others (like me), it is their last big race. Rowing styles across nations also differ significantly. Bringing everything together is a great challenge which is also in the nature of rowing itself.

“Bringing everything together is a great challenge which is also in the nature of rowing itself.”

Rowing is the ultimate team sport. If one rower is even marginally out of time with the rest of the crew, the speed of the boat can rapidly decrease. The crew is synchronized by a cox who needs to be a leader, technician and rowing mastermind. Both universities have established a system of top-class coaches, excellent support staff, state-of-theart facilities and top-quality boats that can easily rival rowing nations. The training programme is a test for every individual. Rowing is an endurance sport which requires hours and hours of training. You need the capability to push yourself and your team beyond your limits. It is a true test of courage, teamwork, focus and desire to win.

Recovery between sessions and dedicated breaks are very important, as the line between overtraining and pushing the envelope can be thin.

All athletes juggle academic goals and rowing commitments. Particularly memorable are the allnighters in the college library, trying to push out yet another economics essay as tutors rightfully couldn’t care less about whether you are tired from training or not. Deadlines must be met to enable you to continue your academic journey and without which you are not given access to the boat clubs.

Over six months and with a series of rigorous individual and collective tests on and off the water, the coaches put together the best possible eights. Testing includes weights, indoor rowing, racing in different boats against your club mates but also against top British or overseas crews. At the end, any other eight would find it very difficult to beat either university on the Thames, so high is the standard. Once the Blue Boats are finalised, it’s time for fine tuning on the race course. Two weeks prior to race day, crews move from their home base to London with butterflies in their stomachs. The Boat Race really gets under your skin with its history, its character, the huge support from the universities, friends and family, the media attention, the large crowds on the riverbanks and the TV audiences. They are all united in their desire to see an exciting race unfold with a big win for either Dark or Light Blues.

“All former, current and future Blues are ambassadors for the values and principles of the Boat Race and our sport.”

The story of our Boat Race in 1999 is a short one. Despite all our ambition and best efforts, we never managed to deliver our top boat speed that day. At the end of the race, Cambridge were 3 lengths ahead of us. Our disappointment and exhaustion could not have been any bigger. You feel what the Boat Race takes for a long time, physically and mentally. During the following months it was a nice change to be a student without a training schedule. Later that summer I completed my degree and by autumn had started my career, including take-aways from the Boat Race.

I strongly believe in the transformational power of sports for society. Underpinned by its values, the Boat Race aims at transforming the world around rowing as well. In 2021 particularly, the Boat Race showcased its resilience and its relevance. At that time, it managed to exhibit yet another masterclass performance but on a very different course, without spectators and with a very different regime beforehand due to Covid 19. It was a huge achievement in itself that the race took place. Needless to say, we are all very grateful that we are back on our beloved Championship Course in full flight.

All former, current and future Blues are ambassadors for the values and principles of the Boat Race and our sport. Regardless of results, it is team spirit, fair play and sportsmanship which unite all rowers, far above and beyond rowing.

Good luck to all the crews on 26 March and may the better teams win – as long as they are Oxford!

Take-aways from the Boat Race

01
The Boat Race isn’t won on the day but during the months leading up to it.

What you achieved on Boat Race day is a result of the hard training during the long winter months. Each and every one of the 600 rowing strokes during the race requires almost two hours of training. It’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle. Each training session which isn’t a winning one, is an opportunity for your opponents.

02
Don’t plan for more than 80%, but always give 100%.

As much as every Boat Race crew has a strategy, the complexity of the event almost makes it impossible to execute it as planned. Blade clashes, bad weather or even a swimmer can all lead to a series of unplanned events during the race – and they usually do. Be prepared for the unexpected and capture opportunities if and when they arise.

03
Everybody has a leadership responsibility.

The Boat Race requires agile leadership, long before the word agile became popular. During the months prior to the race, the leadership structure in the team develops. The cox or the stroke are the obvious leaders in a crew. Then there are informal leaders too who keep the crew together and who can recalibrate priorities when conditions change.

04
Culture eats strategy for breakfast is not only a business maxim, but also a maxim for any achievement.

Culture is what happens when nobody is watching and is a result of our core values and beliefs. Core values and beliefs need to come together as a team too, not just the visible technical or fitness skills. Only then can individual actions gel together in teams so that one plus one can become at least three. But how?

05
Develop a common purpose.

Every crew has a unique gift, something that makes them special and guides them through all waters. Something they are, rather than something they do. Successful crews have a purposeful cohesion so that they remain cool, calm and collected in all-or-nothing events like the Boat Race. Purpose is not something new. It has always existed. The Boat Race itself also has a purpose.

^{Dr. Colin von Ettingshausen Stroke of the Oxford Blue Boat in 1999, former rowing World Champion and Olympic silver medallist. Keble College, Oxford.}