The Varsity Boatrace. Bristol University against University of The West of England. The long standing rivalry between each camp is well known to any who becomes involved. The event includes men and women’s racing, novice and experienced, culminating in 5 events to decide the final result; which university can produce the fastest crews and win the Varsity Boatrace Trophy. The course; a grueling 4 minute dash 1200m long from the Cumberland Basin, past the SS Great Britain…
…and in towards the city centre, with a slight bend near the start [advantage to the south side] followed by very large bend towards the north just before the finish line, the crews on the inside lane gain a somewhat significant advantage in the closing stages of the race. The crews fought it out on the Bristol docks in front of bulging crowds, threatening to spill off the harbour wall and join the oarsmen and women as they race past. Hundreds of spectators turned up in the bright sunshine to give their support to either university, enjoy a cool beer at the waterside, and as the racing crews passed the roars and screams transmuted into one big noise a-la-football stadium…
I was following the races in a launch (motor boat), and being the best seat in the house I was in prime position to capture the day’s events as they unfolded.
The races kicked off with the Women’s Senior Reserve eights, something that hasn’t happened in some years due to diminished numbers - now the women can field two eights and the men just the one! With very little time together the Bristol crew made the best of it and put up a good fight through the first half of the race, battling against the wind and a slightly more cohesive UWE boat.
Unfortunately for Bristol, once past the halfway mark and having come off the bend to their advantage, UWE started to make a move and by the time the final bend came there was too much ground for Bristol to make up…It was a brave effort for an essentially scratch Bristol crew but certainly a pleasing site to see a Women’s 2nd VIII take up the challenge.
Next up was a race between UWE Women’s Alumni crew and the winners of the 2nd VIII (UWE - now starting in the other lane), the Alumni crew blasted ahead and continued to make ground to win fairly convincingly over their opponents.
The Novice Men’s VIII race turned the tables on UWE as the Bristol crew took the lead early on and didn’t let it go, despite having the advantage in UWE’s favour for the first bend there was no exchange of leadership. As UWE started to flag by the 3rd minute Bristol gained confidence and started to drive hard for the line and a comfortable victory. Winning margin: Easily.
1:0
It was with some satisfaction that the Bristol Alumni followed the trend set by the Novices in the next race, this time against a very experienced UWE Alumni crew containing at least half of the UWE 1st VIII from last year. With just a few short practice outings under the Bristol crew’s belt compared to UWE’s [alleged] steady training, all suspicions were for a decisive result early on in the race but to the disbelief of many - not least the UWE crew - Bristol took an early lead and drew this out to a length by the first bend, with the remaining advantage to Bristol at the finish UWE knew they’d lost it. Winning margin: 3 lengths.
2:0
The Women’s Novice VIII race couldn’t be more dramatic if it tried, a boat-stopper of a crab at around the 300m mark in the UWE boat brought the Umpire to - rather controversially - stop and re-row the the race from the start. [spot the difference!]
At the time of the accident Bristol had gained clear water and were continuing to stretch the gap every stroke…after a brief one-to-one chat with the girls to recompose they set off again in the re-row. With exactly the same outcome by the ~300m mark.
Bristol started to take the corner a little early veering off course slightly and clipped a large red buoy returning to the racing lane, it was deemed any advantage gained cutting the corner was negated by this. Bristol led UWE all the way to the final corner where the flagging UWE boat used the bend as much to their advantage as possible, in no small part bolstered by the noise from the crowds! Bristol’s 2 length lead rapidly dwindled boat boats crossing the line side-by-side! The close result meant the judges assessing video footage to determine the winners…Bristol, by 1 foot!!
3:0
Next came the big eights, the Senior Men’s VIII.
These are the hardened, race ready, top of the squad crews on which great emphasis is placed being the ‘flagship’ for an entire club…Bristol have lost this for the past 3 years running despite subsequent victories in regattas both domestic and international. It was time for a change, Bristol’s Trophy Cabinet needed filling. Before boating the eight had prepared mentally under the guidance of Gordon Trevett and lined up on the start looking relaxed and composed as UWE fidgeted before the marshal called them to order.
With smooth powerful strokes the Bristol eight powered out of the blocks, equipment groaning under the strain of effort put through the riggers and foot stretchers. At first glance it appeared that Bristol had edged out ahead with UWE just about overlapping stern-bow until suddenly with barely any warning a ‘pleasure cruiser’ steered into the racing lanes ahead of the fast approaching boats! Noticing its mistake it tried to get out of the way but too late, the disruption resulted in the day’s second re-row from the start…
The second time round it was perhaps over much sooner, both boats took off at a high pace but UWE started to look ragged and despite the first corner to their advantage Bristol carried their smooth momentum round the outside and increased the lead, settling into a big rhythm into the final bend, The crowds urged each crew on but it was all over for UWE (perhaps from the re-start?) and Bristol took back the title. 3 years disappeared. Winning margin: 3 lengths.
4:0
The final race of the day pitted the top Senior Women’s VIII against each other, with an up-and-coming Bristol Women’s Squad after a few years of slightly disappointing turn-outs, a victory here would have been the icing on the cake (and 5:0!!).
The gentle blusters of wind had not abated and both crews started into a slight headwind, at the Go UWE took an early lead merely by getting almost twice as many strokes in than the Bristol boat.
Into their race-pace Bristol’s smooth rhythm started to inch them back at UWE and almost level around the first corner, unfortunately this was not enough and, come the last corner, UWE’s lead stretched to a little over 2 lengths, Bristol made a last push to the line but with the bend against them at the finish there was too much left to do to make an impression and UWE crossed the line first… Winning margin: ~2 lengths.
4:1
So there you have it,
Varsity Boatrace Winners: Bristol University, 4:1
