Coral present what you didn’t know about the University Boat Race
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The BNY Mellon University Boat Race is a British institution and one of the most iconic events in the sporting calendar. Oxford are the favourites with Coral, and odds-on at 2/7 having won the event for the last two years.
Whether you are watching on television, or live from the banks of the Thames, we have a number of markets for you to have a flutter on, with a crowd of 250k fans expected to cheer on the two teams plus an estimated global viewing audience of 15 million people.
Read on and enjoy what we have to offer below, including video highlights of previous events plus all the latest news and betting statistics.
Traditionally, Cambridge wear light blue colours, with Oxford in royal blue and the latter are closing in on their rivals and have 78 wins to their name compared to a total of 81 set by their counterparts.
Check out full coverage from last year when Oxford won by an hugely impressive 11 lengths. They are odds-on at 3/10 to win by more than three lengths this time around. Incidentally, the largest victory margin was in 1839 when Cambridge won by 35 lengths.
There have been seven sinkings throughout the history of the boat race, the first two being in 1912 when the there were high winds as both boats capsized. In 1859, Cambridge sank once more, and then again in 1978, while in 1925 and 1951 Oxford did, despite the race being re-rowed the following Monday on the latter occasion.
In somewhat of an unexpected shock, Cambridge collided with a barge before the race in 1984 which was then rescheduled for the next day.
For either boat to sink this time around you can get odds of 25/1, though with the UK posting record temperatures for 2015 so far, in the week running up to the race, this eventuality is unlikely.
Perhaps one of the most dramatic races of recent times was in 2012 when proceedings were interrupted by a stray swimmer, plus a clash between the two crews, in the last boat race to be sponsored Xchanging. Check out the footage below!
While Cambridge top the wins chart, they also hold the record for the time took to row the 4 miles and 374 yard, when in 1998 they cruised to a time of 16 minutes and 19 seconds.
