Henley Boat Races#Women's Boat Race

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/the-henley-boat-races|title=Cambridge University's top women rowers and the men's Lightweight crews are racing Oxford at Henley this Saturday 1 April.|date=30 March 2006|work=University of Cambridge|access-date=26 March 2017}}{{cite web|title=The Henley Boat Races|url=http://www.oulrc.org/events/henley-boat-races|publisher=Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club|access-date=26 March 2017|archive-date=27 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080348/http://www.oulrc.org/events/henley-boat-races|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=The Lightweight Varsity Race|url=http://cuwbc.org.uk/the-henley-boat-races/ |publisher=Cambridge University Women's Boat Club |access-date=26 March 2017}} In 2000, the lightweight men added a race for their reserve crews, Nephthys (Oxford) and Granta (Cambridge).{{cite web|url=http://henleyboatraces.com/results|title=Results|date=14 April 2015|publisher=Henley Boat Races|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802001852/http://henleyboatraces.com/results|archive-date=2 August 2021}} The races took place in 2001, at the Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre in Nottingham.{{cite web|title=Rowing Service Reports|url=http://www.total.rowing.org.uk/henraces01.html|access-date=3 December 2020|website=www.total.rowing.org.uk|archive-date=22 April 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050422051517/http://www.total.rowing.org.uk/henraces01.html|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web| url=http://henleyboatraces.com/racing-schedule| title=Race schedule 2016| publisher=The Henley Boat Races| access-date=14 March 2016| archive-date=15 March 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315003601/http://henleyboatraces.com/racing-schedule| url-status=dead}} The 2013 event was moved to Dorney Lake as a result of flooding on the Thames.{{cite web|date=20 March 2013|title=Change of venue for 2013 races|url=http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/change-of-venue-for-2013-races/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002204930/http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/change-of-venue-for-2013-races/|archive-date=2 October 2013|access-date=29 September 2013|publisher=The Henley Boat Races|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|date=24 March 2013|title=Clean sweep for Oxford over Cambridge at Henley Boat Races at Dorney Lake|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/rowing/9951402/Clean-sweep-for-Oxford-over-Cambridge-at-Henley-Boat-Races-at-Dorney-Lake.html|access-date=3 April 2016}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://theboatraces.org|title=The Cancer Research UK Boat Races|publisher=The Boat Race Company Limited|access-date=1 April 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/womens-boat-race-to-move-to-tideway/|title=Women's Boat Race to move to tideway|date=8 February 2012|publisher=Henley Boat Races|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228105925/http://www.henleyboatraces.com/news/womens-boat-race-to-move-to-tideway|archive-date=28 February 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} 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.{{Cite web|last=e|date=2018-03-18|title=The lightweight boat race: The Henley Boat Races 2018|url=https://werow.co.uk/the-lightweight-boat-race-the-henley-boat-races-2018/|access-date=2020-12-03|website=WEROW|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|title=Henley Boat Races - Alternative Venue|url=http://henleyboatraces.com/alternative-venue|access-date=20 March 2018|publisher=Henley Boat Races|archive-date=20 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320044038/http://henleyboatraces.com/alternative-venue|url-status=dead}} The Lightweight Men's Boat Race made the same move to the Tideway in 2019,{{Cite web|date=2019-03-21|title=Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club look to make history|url=https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/sport/cambridge-university-lightweight-rowing-club-look-to-make-history-9065058/|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Cambridge Independent|language=en}} 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 local and national press coverage in many years,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rowing-day-for-light-blue-celebration-as-cambridge-sweep-henley-boat-races-1499291.html|title=Rowing: Day for Light Blue celebration as Cambridge sweep Henley Boat Races|date=22 March 1993|access-date=3 April 2016|work=The Independent|postscript=none}}; {{Cite web | work = The Independent | date = 21 March 1994 | access-date = 16 April 2015 | url =https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/womens-boat-race-cambridge-women-pass-examination-of-rowing-prowess-1430686.html | title = Women's Boat Race: Cambridge women pass examination of rowing prowess|postscript=none}}; {{Cite web | url = http://www.cherwell.org/sport/feature/2010/03/31/the-henley-boat-races | title = The Henley Boat Races | date = 31 March 2010 | work = Cherwell}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/rowing/9438038.stm|title=Natalie Redgrave helps Oxford win Women's Boat Race|work=BBC Sport|date=27 March 2011|access-date=3 April 2016}}{{cite news |title=Rivals share spoils at competitive Henley |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/rowing/9166123/Rivals-share-spoils-at-competitive-Henley.html |access-date=3 April 2016 |work=The Telegraph|date=25 March 2012}}{{cite news |title=Oxford Dominate Henley Boat Races 2013 |url=http://www.henleyherald.com/2013/03/25/oxford-dominate-henley-boat-races-2013/ |access-date=26 March 2017 |work=Henley Herald |date=25 March 2013|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|title=Oxford Dominate in Last Women's Boat Race in Henley|url=http://www.henleyherald.com/2014/03/31/oxford-dominate-in-last-womens-boat-race-in-henley/ |access-date=26 March 2017 |work=Henley Herald |date=31 March 2014|postscript=none}}; {{cite news |title=Cambridge Win 3 out of 4 at the Henley Boat Races |url=http://www.henleyherald.com/2015/04/09/cambridge-win-3-out-of-4-at-the-henley-boat-races/ |access-date=26 March 2017|work=Henley Herald |date=9 April 2015|postscript=none}}; {{cite news |title=Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races |url=http://www.henleyherald.com/2016/03/22/oxford-and-cambridge-share-race-wins-at-henley-boat-races/ |access-date=26 March 2017 |work=Henley Herald |date=22 March 2016|postscript=none}}; {{cite news |title=Oxford and Cambridge Share Race Wins at Henley Boat Races |url=https://www.henleyherald.com/2017/03/30/cambridge-dominate-henley-boat-races/ |access-date=20 March 2018 |work=Henley Herald |date=30 March 2017|postscript=none}}; {{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/sport/cambridge-university-lightweights-enjoy-success-at-henley-boat-races-9053054/|title=Cambridge University lightweights enjoy success at Henley Boat Races|date=21 March 2018|website=Cambridge Independent|language=en|access-date=18 February 2019|postscript=none}}; {{Cite news|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/sport/15219|title=Cambridge Blues make light work of Henley Boat Races|website=Varsity Online|date=24 March 2018|language=en|access-date=18 February 2019|postscript=none}}; {{Cite web|date=2019-04-01|title=Oxford Win Varsity Women's Lightweights at Henley Boat Races|url=https://www.henleyherald.com/2019/04/01/oxford-win-varsity-womens-lightweights-at-henley-boat-races/|access-date=2020-12-03|website=Henley Herald|language=en-GB}} and competitors from both Universities have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annabelvernon/2010/03/the_other_boat_race.html |title=The Other Boat Race |work=BBC Sport |date=30 March 2010 |access-date=3 April 2016}}{{cite web |title=CULRC |url=http://www.culrc.org.uk/?p=1 |publisher=CULRC Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club |access-date=27 March 2017 |date=20 October 2014 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702035819/http://www.culrc.org.uk/?p=1 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Men's Lightweight Rowing Club |url=http://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/sport/mens-lightweight-rowing/ |publisher=Oxford University Sport |access-date=26 March 2017}}{{cite web |title=International Success |url=http://www.ouwlrc.org.uk/about-the-club/international/ |publisher=Oxford University Women's Lightweight Rowing Club |access-date=26 March 2017}}

Crews from the University of Oxford and the 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. The collegiate races took place over a shorter 1750 m course. The races typically included:{{cite web|url=http://henleyboatraces.com/racing-schedule|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008085438/http://henleyboatraces.com/racing-schedule|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 October 2014|title=Race schedule|publisher=The Henley Boat Races|access-date=26 March 2017}}

• 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]{{cite tweet|user=CULRC|author=Cambridge Lwt Rowing|number=709040796020908033|date=13 March 2016|title=Well done to Plummer, Green, Xu and Heames racing the 4x today! Official verdict 1 & 1/4 lengths. @HenleyBoatRaces}}
• 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 was done by time trial {{Cite web |url=http://www.ourcs.org.uk/rules/a#A4 |title=OURCs |access-date=1 June 2018 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909052552/http://www.ourcs.org.uk/rules/a#A4 |url-status=dead }} and Cambridge gave the right of first refusal to headship crews.{{cite web|title=The Light Blue men's and women's Lightweight crews race Oxford from Phyllis Court to Temple Island this spring|url=https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/events/henley-boat-races-2017|publisher=Cambridge University Alumni Events|access-date=28 March 2017}}

File:Henley_2009_women.jpg

The history of the results of the races are as follows.{{cite web |title=The Boat Race Lite |url=https://heartheboatsing.com/2020/03/23/the-boat-race-lite/ |website=Hear The Boat Sing |access-date=23 March 2020 |date=23 March 2020}}

{{Main|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. 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

Notes

{{double dagger}} – 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.{{cite web |title=Henley Boat Races 2007 |url=http://www.cuwbc.org.uk/2007/04/02/henley-boat-races-2007 |publisher=CUWBC |access-date=18 April 2015 |date=2 April 2007 |archive-date=19 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419072726/http://www.cuwbc.org.uk/2007/04/02/henley-boat-races-2007 |url-status=dead }}

{{Main|The Lightweight Boat Races}}

• Cambridge: 28 wins
• Oxford: 16 wins

{{Main|The Lightweight Boat Races}}

• Cambridge: 19 wins
• Oxford: 17 wins

{{Main|Women's Boat Race}}

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

{{Main|The Lightweight Boat Races}}

• Oxford: 9 wins
• Cambridge: 4 wins

{{Main|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.

• Cambridge: 7
• Oxford: 2

• Cambridge: 5
• Oxford: 4

{{Reflist|35em}}

• [http://www.henleyboatraces.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060112045711/http://www.henleyboatraces.com/ |date=12 January 2006 }}

{{The Boat Race}}

{{Oxford University Rowing Clubs}}

{{Cambridge University Rowing Clubs}}

{{Rowing (sport)}}

Category:Rowing at the University of Oxford

Category:Rowing at the University of Cambridge

Category:Sport in Oxfordshire

Boat Races

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1975

Category:Women's rowing in the United Kingdom

Category:Events in Oxfordshire

Category:Annual sporting events in the United Kingdom

Category:Annual events in England

Category:1975 establishments in England

Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2019

Category:2019 disestablishments in England