Henley Boat Races


The Lightweight Boat Races are a series of annual rowing races between men's and women's lightweight crews representing the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The men's race first took place in 1975 and the women's race in 1984, taking place on the River Thames over the 4.2 mile Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake. Previously the race was held over 2000m in Henley with the Lightweight Men moving to the tideway in 2019 and the Lightweight Women in 2020. Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues or half blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat". Competitors at the events have gone on to compete at international and olympic levels.
In addition to the lightweight races, the leading men's and women's college crews from each university race on a 1750 m course. From 1977 to 2014, Henley Boat Races hosted the Women's Boat Race and its reserve race.

History

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. In 2000, the lightweight men added a race for their reserve crews, Nephthys and Granta. This 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. Since 2016, Nephthys and Granta have 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 has taken place since 2016 on race day.
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.
An alternative venue is used if the water conditions are very rough at Henley. The 2013 event was moved to Dorney Lake as a result of flooding on the Thames. 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.
The races receive annual press coverage, and competitors from both Universities have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels. Henley Boat Races takes 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.

Events

Crews from the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge race side by side over a 2000 m 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 take place over a shorter 1750 m course. The races typically include:
An Alumnae race has typically also been held in recent years. The lightweight races constitute the varsity race. The first crew receive university half-blues, and is therefore more commonly known as the Lightweight Blue Boat. The reserve crew receive university colours. The intercollegiate races are between the fastest crews from the Oxford Torpids and the Cambridge Lent Bumps; Oxford selection being done by time trial and Cambridge giving right of first refusal to headship crews.
Previously, the following races have been held at Henley:
The history of the results of the races are as follows.

Lightweight Men's Boat Race

DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
1975Cambridge-1
1976Oxford11
1977Oxford21
1978Cambridge22
1979Cambridge23
1980Cambridge24
1981Cambridge25
1982Cambridge26
1983Cambridge27
1984Cambridge28
1985Cambridge6 ft29
1986Cambridge2210
1987Cambridge6:09211
1988Cambridge212
1989Cambridge5:51213
1990Cambridge6:40214
1991Cambridge6:39215
1992Oxford5:40315
1993Cambridge5:39316
1994Oxford5:35416
1995Cambridge5:29417
1996OxfordNRO disq517
1997Oxford5:491617
1998Cambridge5:45618
1999Oxford5:31718
2000Cambridge5:402719
2001Cambridge6:334720
2002Oxford5:212820
2003Oxford5:55920
2004Oxford5:361020
2005Oxford5:5131120
1 April 2006Oxford5:181220
1 April 2007Oxford3:4411320
23 March 2008Oxford6:151420
22 March 2009Cambridge5:4931421
28 March 2010Cambridge5:282 ft1422
27 March 2011Oxford5:54Canvas1522
25 March 2012Cambridge6:001523
24 March 2013Oxford6:491623
30 March 2014Cambridge5:301624
5 April 2015Cambridge5:554 ft1625
19 March 2016Cambridge6:19Easily1626
26 March 2017Cambridge6:071627
18 March 2018Cambridge6:26 1628
24 March 2019Oxford17:43 1728
15 March 2020Oxford18:50 1828

Lightweight Women's Boat Race

DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
1984Cambridge-1
1985Cambridge-2
1986Oxford12
1987Cambridge13
1988Cambridge14
1989Cambridge6:37115
1990Cambridge7:3516
1991Cambridge7:4817
1992Cambridge6:35318
1993Cambridge6:18Easily19
1994Cambridge6:231 ft.110
1995Oxford6:192210
1996Cambridge6:36Canvas211
1997Cambridge6:37Canvas212
1998Oxford6:36Canvas312
1999Oxford6:412
2000Oxford6:22512
2001Cambridge7:373513
2002Oxford6:064613
2003Oxford6:512713
2004Oxford6:08813
2005Oxford6:55913
1 April 2006Cambridge6:00Canvas914
1 April 2007Oxford4:1111014
23 March 2008Cambridge7:011015
22 March 2009Oxford6:301115
28 March 2010Oxford6:011215
27 March 2011Cambridge6:431216
25 March 2012Oxford6:481316
24 March 2013Oxford7:331416
29 March 2014Oxford6:081516
5 April 2015Cambridge6:263 ft.1517
19 March 2016Oxford6:54Canvas1617
26 March 2017Cambridge6:4531618
18 March 2018Cambridge7:24 1619
30 March 2019Oxford6:281719
15 March 2020Cambridge23:246 1720

Lightweight Men's Reserves (Nephthys vs Granta)

DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2000Cambridge5:50-1
2001Oxford711
2002Oxford5:33221
2003Cambridge6:1922
2004Oxford5:45Canvas32
2005Oxford6:0742
1 April 2006Oxford5:26552
1 April 2007Oxford4:08R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.62
23 March 2008Oxford6:29R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Lost to Old Boys.72
22 March 2009Oxford6:15R/O due to no Cambridge crew. Beat Durham.82
Race in abeyance 2010 - 2015
13 March 2016Cambridge- 83
26 March 2017Oxford6:19 93
18 March 2018Cambridge7:24 94
22 March 2019Oxford1 104

Lightweight Women's Reserves (Tethys vs CUWBC Lightweight Reserves)

Raced on the Friday before the main event in a 4+ in 2012, and incorporated into main race day in 2016.
DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2012Cambridge-1
19 March 2016Cambridge8:55 -2
26 March 2017Cambridgeeasily -3
18 March 2018Oxford8:15easily 13
30 March 2019Cambridge 14
14 March 2020Oxford12 seconds 24

Men's Collegiate Boat Race

YearOxfordCambridgeTimeVerdict Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2010BalliolFirst & Thirdeasily-1
2011Christ ChurchCaius4:063-2
2012PembrokeCaius-3
2013BalliolCaius-4
2014OrielDowning-5
2015OrielJesus315
2016PembrokeCaius125
2017OrielLady Margaret426
2018WolfsonLady Margaret-26
2019WadhamCaius27

Women's Collegiate Boat Race

YearOxfordCambridgeTimeVerdict Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
2010WorcesterQueens'narrowly-1
2011MagdalenPembroke4:47.5-2
2012Pembroke12
2013St John'sDowning13
2014WadhamFirst & Third23
2015Green TempletonChrist's24
2016Christ ChurchJesus434
2017KebleJesus244
2018KebleJesus-44
2019WadhamNewnham45

Results (former races)

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.
No.DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
321977Cambridge1121
331978Cambridge1122
341979Cambridge1123
351980Oxford1223
361981Oxford1323
371982Cambridge1324
381983Cambridge1325
391984Cambridge1326
401985Oxford1426
411986Oxford1526
421987Cambridge1527
431988Oxford1627
441989Cambridge6:2011628
451990Cambridge7:171629
461991Oxford7:2931729
471992Cambridge6:201730
481993Cambridge6:101731
491994Cambridge6:1111732
501995Cambridge6:021733
511996Cambridge6:1241734
521997Cambridge6:261735
531998Cambridge6:251736
541999Cambridge6:0111737
552000Oxford6:181837
562001Cambridge7:273 ft.1838
572002Oxford6:021938
582003Oxford6:352038
592004Oxford6:0642138
602005Cambridge6:272139
611 April 2006Oxford5:442239
621 April 2007Cambridge4:032240
6323 March 2008Oxford6:392340
6422 March 2009Oxford6:242440
6528 March 2010Oxford5:5642540
6627 March 2011Oxford6:2412640
6725 March 2012Cambridge6:382641
6824 March 2013Oxford7:212741
6929 March 2014Oxford5:5042841

Notes
- 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.

Women's Reserves (Osiris vs Blondie)

DateWinnerTimeWinning Margin Oxford WinsCambridge Wins
1977Cambridge-5
1978Cambridge-6
1979Cambridge-7
1980Cambridge-8
1981Oxford18
1982Cambridge19
1983Oxford29
1984Oxford39
1985Oxford49
1986Cambridge410
1987Cambridge411
1988Oxford511
1989Oxford6:331611
1990Cambridge7:34612
1991Cambridge7:36613
1992Cambridge6:32614
1993Cambridge6:22615
1994Cambridge6:22Canvas616
1995Cambridge6:081617
1996Cambridge6:335618
1997Cambridge6:36619
1998Cambridge6:324620
1999Oxford 6:09720
2000Cambridge6:27721
2001Oxford 7:32Easily821
2002Oxford 6:09921
2003Oxford 6:4321021
2004Oxford 6:161121
2005Oxford 6:411221
1 April 2006Oxford 5:541321
1 April 2007OxfordNTT11421
23 March 2008Oxford7:09Easily1521
22 March 2009Cambridge6:501522
28 March 2010Oxford6:101622
27 March 2011Cambridge-Disq1623
25 March 2012Oxford6:571723
24 March 2013Oxford7:4161823
29 March 2014Oxford6:01.51923