Henley Boat Races

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.[5][6][7] In 2000, the lightweight men added a race for their reserve crews, Nephthys (Oxford) and Granta (Cambridge).[4] 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.[8]

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.[9][10]

An alternative venue is used if the water conditions are very rough at Henley.[11] The 2013 event was moved to Dorney Lake as a result of flooding on the Thames.[12][13] 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.[14]

The races receive annual press coverage,[15][16][17][13][18] and competitors from both Universities have gone on to compete at international and Olympic levels.[19][20][21][22] 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.

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.[3] The collegiate races take place over a shorter 1750 m course.[2] The races typically include:[23]

• Lightweight Men's boat Race (OULRC vs CULRC)
• Lightweight Women's Boat Race (OUWLRC vs CUWBC Lightweights)
• Lightweight Men's Reserves (Nephthys vs Granta) [held separately on an earlier date][24]
• Lightweight Women's Reserves (Tethys vs CUWBC Lightweight Reserves)
• Men's Intercollegiate Boat Race (between one college representing Oxford and one representing Cambridge)
• Women's Intercollegiate Boat Race (between one college representing Oxford and one representing Cambridge)

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 [25] and Cambridge giving right of first refusal to headship crews.[26]

Previously, the following races have been held at Henley:

• Women's Boat Race (OUWBC vs CUWBC)
• Women's Reserves (Osiris vs Blondie)

The history of the results of the races are as follows.[4][27]

• Henley-on-Todd Regatta

• Official website