For 152 years it has simply been called the Boat Race, it has how Oxford and Cambridge settle their rivalries for the entire year.

Thousands of people and several TV networks lined the banks as Cambridge won the 153rd Boat Race yesterday by one and a quarter lengths in a time of 17:49 under beautiful sunny conditions.

Experts had predicted a bigger margin for the crew with five returning Blues and two world champions on board. Cambridge recovered after an early Oxford lead to finish by a length.

Cambridge now lead the overall series by 79-73 (with one dead heat since 1829) and their win today prevented Oxford, winners in 2005 and 2006, from registering a hat-trick.

The self supporting Boat Clubs are very prestigious. Since 1950, rowers from the United States have made up more than 10 percent of the competitors, and yesterday's race was the third since 1996 in which a record 5 Americans were among the 16 rowers to start.

This is a VERY serious competition, with world class athletes who are treated like celebrities. The Boat race is a one race series - one single race decides the entire season. The competitors endure seven months of training twice a day, six days a week.

With no lanes on the 6,000-meter, naturally S-shaped course of the river— as opposed to a straight, 2,000-meter course on a lake or US rivers or in international competition— the boat in front can easily cut off the other. The race traditionally runs from the Putney Bridge to the finish at Chiswick Bridge.

The two Universities have already scheduled next years race: The 2008 Race will be on Saturday March 29th at 17.15.

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Hmmmfff - it's just not the same as a good old American football game.

Rob

Might not be the same as watching American football, but certainly a pleasure to watch. There have been a number of rowers over at Hot Jock Talk over the years, including a current thread on the young men at last weekend's San Diego Crew Classic .