:Women's Boat Race 2014
{{short description|Rowing competition between Oxford University and Cambridge University in 2014}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox University Boat Race
| name= 69th Women's Boat Race
| winner = Oxford
| image=
| caption=
| margin = 4 lengths
| winning_time= 5 minutes 50 seconds
| overall = 41–28
| umpire = Judith Packer
| date= {{Start date|2014|3|30|df=y}}
| prevseason= 2013
| nextseason= 2015
}}
The 69th Women's Boat Race took place on 30 March 2014. The race, between crews representing Oxford University Women's Boat Club and Cambridge University Women's Boat Club, was umpired by Judith Packer. Cambridge's crew, the heavier of the two, was entirely British, while Oxford's boat included rowers from Canada, Switzerland and the United States. Oxford won by four lengths in a time of 5 minutes 50 seconds, their second consecutive win. The victory took the overall record in the event to 41–28 in Cambridge's favour. It was the last time the race would be conducted over a {{convert|2|km|mi|adj=on|abbr=on}} straight race as part of the Henley Boat Races.
Background
The Women's Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between eights from Oxford University Women's Boat Club and the Cambridge University Women's Boat Club that has taken place since 1927. Oxford went into the race as champions, having won the previous year's race by one and three-quarter lengths; Cambridge led 41–27 overall.{{Cite web | url = http://theboatraces.org/results| publisher= The Boat Race Company Limited | title = Boat Race – Results| access-date = 15 April 2015}} It was the last time the race would be conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, along a {{convert|2|km|mi|adj=on}} stretch of the River Thames referred to as the Straight Course which is used for the Henley Royal Regatta since 1924.{{Cite web | url = https://www.hrr.co.uk/history-organisation/the-course/ | publisher = Henley Royal Regatta | access-date = 15 April 2015 | title = History of the course | archive-date = 8 April 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150408191344/http://www.hrr.co.uk/history-organisation/the-course/ | url-status = dead }} The 2015 race would be conducted on The Championship Course on the same day as men's race.{{Cite web | url = http://theboatraces.org/news-article/156/oxford-win-the-2014-newton-womens-boat-race | title = Oxford win the 2014 Newton Women's Boat Race | publisher = The Boat Race Company Limited | date = 30 March 2014 | access-date = 14 April 2015 | archive-date = 16 December 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141216021427/http://theboatraces.org/news-article/156/oxford-win-the-2014-newton-womens-boat-race | url-status = dead }}
Cambridge's number five, Catherine Foot, remarked "After training, I step back and think 'wow, I'm part of this incredible tradition'. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing than training for this event", while Oxford's stroke Amber de Vere said "All the training has been leading up to this weekend. Next year is definitely exciting and it has added something to training, but as a crew, we're only thinking about Sunday."{{Cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rowing/26745899 | title = Women's Boat Race: Oxford & Cambridge set to renew rivalry | first = Lawrence | last = Barretto| access-date = 15 April 2015 | date = 27 March 2014| publisher = BBC Sport}} This year's race was umpired by Judith Packer and was sponsored by Newton Investment Management, a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon, for the third successive year.{{Cite web | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/11515528/Helena-Morrissey-Tide-turns-in-favour-of-boat-race-women.html | title = Helena Morrissey: 'Tide turns in favour of boat race women' | first =Helena | last = Morrissey | work = The Daily Telegraph | date = 4 April 2015 | access-date = 17 April 2015 }}
Crews
File:Boat Race 2015 - Reid & Chitty.jpg
During the build-up to the race, the two universities sent trial boats to race on 19 December 2013. For the first time in the history of the competition, this took place on the Tideway on part of the Championship Course. The two Cambridge boats were named Nudge Nudge and Wink Wink (with a third reserve boat called Say No More),{{Cite web | url = http://www.cuwbc.org.uk/category/news/page/4 | title = First CUWBC Tideway Trial VIIIs | date = 27 January 2014 | access-date = 17 April 2015 | publisher = Cambridge University Women's Boat Club | archive-date = 17 April 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150417202234/http://www.cuwbc.org.uk/category/news/page/4 | url-status = dead }} while Oxford's trialists rowed in Cleopatra and Boudicca.{{Cite web | url = http://theboatraces.org/news-article/126/women-make-history-with-thrilling-trials | title = Women make history with thrilling trials | date = 19 December 2013 | access-date = 18 April 2015 | publisher = The Boat Race Company Limited | archive-date = 18 April 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150418134756/http://theboatraces.org/news-article/126/women-make-history-with-thrilling-trials | url-status = dead }} Both trials were overseen by Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Winckless.
The Cambridge crew weighed an average of {{convert|73.2|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} per rower, {{convert|4|kg|lb}} more than their opponents. Three members of Oxford's 2013 crew returned to race in 2014: Alice Carrington-Windo, Maxie Scheske and Anastasia Chitty. Cambridge's boat included two double Blues in Caroline Reid and Holly Game, while four other members of the crew had taken part in the previous year's race.{{Cite web | url = http://theboatraces.org/news-article/154/henley-challenge-marks-five-days-to-go-until-the-historic-women-s-boat-race | title = Henley Challenge marks five days to go until the historic Women's Boat Race | publisher = The Boat Race Company Limited | access-date = 18 April 2015 | date = 25 March 2014 | archive-date = 16 April 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150416120415/http://theboatraces.org/news-article/154/henley-challenge-marks-five-days-to-go-until-the-historic-women-s-boat-race | url-status = dead }} Every member of the Cambridge crew was British, while Oxford's boat included Canadian Elizabeth Fence, German/Britons Carrington-Windo and Scheske, Nadine Graedel Iberg from Switzerland and American Laura Savarese (who had rowed in the Harvard–Yale Regatta for Harvard University on four occasions).{{Cite news | work = The Sunday Telegraph |first =Rachel | last = Quarrell | page = 9 | title = Women's boats in arms race to prepare for historic tideway move | date = 30 March 2014}}
Race
File:Boat Race 2015 - Women's Trophy (01) (cropped).jpg.]]
Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Berkshire side, handing the Buckinghamshire station to Oxford. At 3{{Nbsp}}p.m., umpire Palmer dropped the flag to start the race.{{Cite web | title = Women chart new course | work = The Sunday Times | first = Andrew |last = Longmore | date = 30 March 2014 | url = http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/rowing/article1393689.ece| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140727091020/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/rowing/article1393689.ece| url-status = dead| archive-date = 27 July 2014}} {{subscription required}} Both crews went off rating 40 strokes per minute and after the first {{convert|500|m|yd}} Oxford were half a length ahead. By the time the crews passed the Upper Thames Rowing Club, Oxford's lead was over a length. Cambridge made a series of pushes; both crews were warned by the umpire to avoid a collision. Oxford continued to extend their lead to win by four lengths, the largest winning margin since the 2010 race. Their time was 5 minutes 50 seconds, six seconds slower than the record time set by Oxford in the 2006 race.{{Cite web | url = http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Light-Blues-answer-Oxford-dominance/story-22442117-detail/story.html | title = Light Blues have no answer to Oxford dominance | work = Cambridge News | date = 31 March 2014 | access-date = 18 April 2015 | archive-date = 23 September 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923224424/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Light-Blues-answer-Oxford-dominance/story-22442117-detail/story.html | url-status = dead }} The victory was Oxford's second consecutive win and their sixth in the last seven;{{Cite web | url = https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/article4049462.ece | work = The Times | first = Alex | last = Lowe | date = 31 March 2014 | title = Oxford claim victory over Cambridge but miss record in women’s Boat Race}} {{subscription required}} it took the overall record in the event to 41–28 in Cambridge's favour.
The former Oxford cox Rachel Quarrell, writing in The Daily Telegraph stated that the race "was won in storming style" and suggested the contest was over within the first two minutes.{{Cite web | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/rowing/10733292/Boat-Race-2014-Ineradicable-Oxford-women-demolish-Cambridge-for-second-year-running.html | first = Rachel | last = Quarrell | work = The Daily Telegraph | date = 30 March 2014 | title = Boat Race 2014: Ineradicable Oxford women demolish Cambridge for second year running}} A newly designed trophy, to replace the existing wooden shield,{{Cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/she-said/2014/mar/30/women-rowers-catch-up-with-men-at-the-boat-race | work = The Observer| title = Women rowers catch up with men at the Boat Race | first = Lucy |last = Rock | date = 30 March 2014 | access-date = 18 April 2015}} was awarded to the Oxford president by Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking who had won the Women's lightweight double sculls at the 2012 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web | url = http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/sport/0031839-new-women-s-boat-race-trophy-unveiled.html| title = New Women's Boat Race trophy unveiled | work = The Cambridge Student | date = 19 February 2014 | access-date = 16 April 2015 | first = Lizzie | last = Mahoney}}{{Cite web | url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ho/sophie-hosking-1.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040346/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ho/sophie-hosking-1.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 18 April 2020 | title = Sophie Hosking, Bio, Stats and Results| publisher = Sports Reference | access-date = 16 April 2015}}
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://theboatraces.org/ Official website]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxYxPc7alVk Video of the race]
{{The Boat Race}}
Category:2014 in English sport
Category:March 2014 sports events in the United Kingdom