The Boat Race 1997
| 143rd Boat Race | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 29 March 1997 | ||
| Winner | Cambridge | ||
| Margin of victory | 2 lengths | ||
| Winning time | 17 minutes 38 seconds | ||
| Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) |
74–68 | ||
| Umpire | Tom Cadoux-Hudson (Oxford) |
||
| Other races | |||
| Reserve winner | Goldie | ||
| Women's winner | Cambridge | ||
|
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The 143rd Boat Race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on the River Thames on 29 March 1997. Umpired by former Oxford rower Tom Cadoux-Hudson, Cambridge won in a time of 17 minutes and 38 seconds.
In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis by six-and-a-half lengths. Cambridge won the 52nd Women's Boat Race.
The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. First held in 1829, the competition is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) race along the River Thames in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1996 race by two-and-three-quarter lengths, and led overall with 73 victories to Oxford's 68 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). The race was the last to be sponsored by Beefeater Gin.
The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races. The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.
The weigh-in was held at the Hurlingham Club on 24 March 1997. The Cambridge crew, pre-race favourites, weighed an average of 1 pound (0.45 kg) more per rower than Oxford, with Cambridge's Alex Story the heaviest man in the race at 16 stone (100 kg). The crews were the tallest in the history of the race, with Cambridge averaging 6 ft 5.25 in (1.96 m) to Oxford's 6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m). Oxford's Roberto Blanda became the first Blue from Italy. Cambridge's crew featured three former Blues, while Oxford's crew contained none.
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