Ayrton Oneill
The Boat Race is an annual rowing race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The race is held on the River Thames in London and is rowed westwards, starting during the incoming (or flood) tide. This means that the crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream. The coxes compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river. The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on, and it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does the Boat Race go against the tide? | No, the race starts during the incoming (or flood) tide, so crews are rowing with the fast stream |
| How does the tide affect the race? | The coxes compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river. This can lead to clashes of blades and warnings from the umpire. Crews that get a lead of more than a boat's length can cut in front of their opponent, making it hard for the trailing crew to gain the lead. |
| How does the tide affect rowing rate? | Racing against the current, the boat generally sits more balanced so a higher rate is preferable. However, some rowers say they don't notice any change in rate when rowing against the tide. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Boat Race is usually rowed westwards, but starts during the incoming (flood) tide
- Crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream
- The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on
- The leading crew rarely changes after halfway
- The position of the disturbed water can change as the tide progresses
The Boat Race is usually rowed westwards, but starts during the incoming (flood) tide
The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on, and it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway. A crew that gets a lead of more than a boat's length can cut in front of their opponent, making it extremely difficult for the trailing crew to gain the lead.
The position of the disturbed water can also change as the tide progresses, so it is no simple calculation. While tides are predictable, the wind is not, so any carefully made calculations will need to be reassessed for the actual conditions on the day.
In open water swimming, it is better to go at a higher rate against the tide because you stop coasting sooner. With the tide, you can "surf" a bit. However, one source says that the current shouldn't affect rate that much, and wind would affect it more.
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Crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream
The Boat Race is rowed westwards and starts during the incoming (or flood) tide, so that the crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream. This means that the coxes compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river. This often leads to clashes of blades and warnings from the umpire.
The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on, and it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway. However, this has happened in 2003, 2007 and 2010.
The position of the disturbed water can also change as the tide progresses, so it is no simple calculation. While tides are predictable, the wind is not, so any calculations will need to be reassessed for the actual conditions on the day.
In open water swimming, it is better to go at a higher rate against the tide because you stop coasting sooner. With the tide, you can "surf" a bit.
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The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on
The coxes compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river. This often leads to clashes of blades and warnings from the umpire.
The race is usually rowed westwards, but starts during the incoming (or flood) tide, so that the crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream. This means that the current shouldn't affect the rate too much. However, in some races, the switch in tidal direction can be short-lived, lasting maybe an hour at most.
In open water swimming, it is better to go at a higher rate against the tide because you stop coasting sooner. With the tide, you can "surf" a bit.
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The leading crew rarely changes after halfway
The Boat Race is an annual rowing race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The race is held on the River Thames in London, and the crews compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river. This often leads to clashes of blades and warnings from the umpire.
The tactics of the race are generally to go fast early on, and it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway. If a crew gets a lead of more than a boat's length, they can cut in front of their opponent, making it extremely difficult for the trailing crew to gain the lead. This means that, once a crew has taken the lead, they are likely to maintain it for the rest of the race.
However, there have been rare instances where the leading crew has changed after halfway. This occurred in 2003, 2007, and 2010. It is worth noting that, save for three Victorian instances, each race is rowed westwards and starts during the incoming (or flood) tide. This means that the crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream.
The effect of the tide on the race is also influenced by the rate at which the crews are rowing. Some rowers argue that the tide or current does not have much of an impact on the rate, while others suggest that a higher rate is beneficial when racing against the current. Racing against the current may cause the boat to sit more balanced and the blade to move through the water quicker.
Overall, while it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway in the Boat Race, it is not unheard of. The tactics employed by the crews, as well as the rate at which they row, can play a significant role in determining the outcome of the race, especially when competing for the fastest current.
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The position of the disturbed water can change as the tide progresses
The Boat Race, an annual rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, does not go against the tide. The race is usually rowed westwards and starts during the incoming (or flood) tide, so that the crews are rowing with, not against, the fast stream.
The position of disturbed water can change as the tide progresses, so it is not a simple calculation. While tides are predictable, the wind is not, so any calculations will need to be reassessed for the actual conditions on the day.
In some races, the switch in tidal direction can be short-lived, perhaps lasting an hour at most. The current shouldn't affect the rate that much, but wind would have a greater effect. The only reason for rate changes is from fatigue rowing against the tide because it takes longer to row the same distance.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the race starts during the incoming (or flood) tide, so the crews are rowing with the fast stream.
Yes, the coxes compete for the fastest current, which lies at the deepest part of the river.
The general tactic is to go fast early on, as it is unusual for the leading crew to change after halfway.
Tidal flows are concentrated around headlands or through narrows, and the waves will build in height, with much steeper faces.
Some rowers say that the current shouldn't affect the rate that much, but wind might.
