Oxford gains boat race edge

The scenic Thames River

This Sunday, March 27 the banks of the Thames River in London, Great Britain will be crowded with an estimated 250,000 spectators there to watch Oxford and Cambridge University go head to head in the annual Boat Race.

The build-up has seen the two university crews go through a rigorous selection process to each find the top eight rowers followed by racing against international crews from the Netherlands, Poland and the United States and finally a public crew weigh-in.

Out of this build-up the heavier crew from Oxford has surfaced as the favourites to win. Traditionally heavier crews are believed to have the competitive advantage and this year's Oxford crew has raised the bar by weighing in as the heaviest crew ever in the 175-year history of the race. At an average weight of 98.20 kilograms per rower, Oxford outweighs Cambridge by over nine kilos per man.

In Great Britain, where betting on sports events is common practice, a record single bet of £13,000 has been made for Oxford to win the race. For the first time this year there is also the opportunity for punters to bet on the race as it is happening. Punters will have over 15 minutes of action to make their winning decision as the race winds its way down the 6.8 kilometre course.

Rowing hero Sir Steven Redgrave has also picked Oxford to win but most rowing enthusiasts predict that the winning margin will be close.

Experts are saying that as long as weather conditions are favourable, a new course record could be set on Sunday. Both crews contain a number of top Olympian rowers with Cambridge boasting some of Germany's best and Oxford including both United States and Canadian Olympians.

A pre-race press release revealed; "The two 2005 crews could be the best quality crews since the series began in 1829."

The Boat Race will begin at 3.05pm British Standard Time and will be broadcast on ITV in Great Britain, Eurosport and on stations around the world including Canada, Germany and Brazil. For online video streaming go to www.theboatrace.org

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