Apr 16, 2025HTBS

Boat Race Day 2025 Part II: P to M

Sadly for the Dark Blues on Boat Race Day, the only time that an Oxford boat was ahead of one from Cambridge was when the OUBC launch Bosporus got in front of the CUBC launch, Amaryllis. Picture: ©MBS.

16 April 2025

By Mel Brown and Tim Koch

Tim Koch goes to the beach, Mel Brown rides a Rocket.

Famously, you cannot be everywhere at once but, on Boat Race Day, that is exactly what you do want. However, HTBS did double its coverage this year. Mel Brown followed the women’s race on a so-called Thames Rocket, a 12-passenger rib usually used for tourist rides in central London but two of which were pressed into service as media launches. Tim Koch was positioned at the finish on Chiswick Bridge and later on the stoney beach where the crews disembark in front of Quintin Boat Club and Mortlake Anglian and Alpha Rowing Club. Thus, while the women’s Blue Boats got the full P to M (Putney to Mortlake) coverage, we just caught the men at the finish. 

At the start, the Oxford women on Surrey, the Cambridge women on Middlesex. This picture also demonstrates the problem of parallax error. Clearly, the two stake boats were level but the one nearest the camera appears to be ahead. Picture: ©MBS.
Oxford not ready. Picture: ©MBS.
Cambridge not ready. Picture: ©MBS.
The first minute went well with Cambridge taking an immediate lead…  Picture: ©MBS.
After forty strokes, the Oxford boat started to move into Cambridge’s water resulting in warnings from umpire Pinsent. Suddenly, the Light Blues’ “5” had her blade clipped and caught a crab. Picture: ©MBS.
The race was rapidly restarted with Cambridge given the third of a length lead that they had at the clash. Few informed people would disagree that this was the right course of action but, ironically, this preplanned procedure for dealing with a race stoppage was a result of discussions that followed the protester in the water incident of 2012. Picture: ©MBS.
The restarted race pictured near the Mile Post. Picture: ©MBS.
In Fulham Reach. Picture: ©MBS.
Past the Crabtree. Picture: ©MBS.
There was clear water between the two at Hammersmith Bridge. Picture: ©MBS.
In Corney Reach, there was more of a headwind but Cambridge continued to pull away. Picture: ©MBS.
Approaching Barnes Bridge. Picture: ©MBS.
At Mortlake. Picture: ©MBS.
The view from Chiswick Bridge, just upstream of the finish post.
Last few strokes. Picture: ©MBS.
An eighth victory in a row for Cambridge.
Two extremes of emotion. Picture: ©MBS.
Celebrations and commiserations. 
Cox Jack Nicholas makes a splash.
A dazed Oxford drift under Chiswick Bridge.
The crowds at the finish await the men’s race. The Ship pub has seen every Boat Race since 1845.
Cambridge took a slight lead by the end of the Fulham Wall and continued to move away from Oxford. Picture: Row360/The Boat Race Company.
Despite their collection of talent, Oxford could not deliver. Picture: Row360/The Boat Race Company.
Cambridge victorious for the sixth time in seven years. The “GDBO” banner in the top left is an old acronym used by Cambridge standing for “God Damn Bloody Oxford”. Unfortunately for the Dark Blues, he did. Picture: ©MBS.
Heads down in the Oxford boat. Picture: ©MBS.
Arms up in the Cambridge boat. Picture: ©MBS.
Under Chiswick Bridge.

2 comments

    • Hello John – This year the Boat Races were shown on ESPN+ in the U.S. ESPN+ is an American subscription video streaming service, so I’m not sure when or if the 2025 races will eventually show up on YouTube. Very best – Göran

      Reply

Leave a reply to John Schoonover Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.