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You know you’re part of the national furniture when the name of your event enters Cockney rhyming slang.

On Easter Sunday, the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities sets off down the River Great Ouse at Ely, Cambridheshire, in a tradition that dates back almost 200 years. The move is a precaution over Covid-19, and also due to repair works at Hammersmith Bridge. There will be no spectators at the event this year, but the race will be shown live on ���˿��� One.

As the two teams prepare, how much do you know about the annual watery stand-off? We’ve gathered some facts and figures for you, including that bit about rhyming slang.

It began with a pair of Charlies

Or two young men named Charles, to be more polite.

In 1829, Cambridge student Charles Merivale challenged his Oxford pal Charles Wordsworth to a river race involving crews of eight from their respective seats of learning. The race was to take place in Henley-on-Thames.

Oxford won easily, although it would be another 27 years before the Boat Race became an annual fixture.

One tradition was firmly established in this inaugural race: Oxford rowed in the dark blue colours of Wordsworth’s Christ Church College.

Regardless of the college where the members of Oxford’s team study, those colours have stayed since day one. Cambridge's team row in light blue.

While the first women's race was in 1927, it wasn't until 1964 that it became a regular fixture. There was hostility in the early years from those who saw it as an 'unladylike' event, but sine 2015, the women's crews have competed on the same course as their male counterparts, and on the same day.

The pre-pandemic route

Covid-19 has had an impact on the Boat Race, as it has on many other major sporting events.

In 2020, the usual race was cancelled. Instead, the teams competed in a virtual race on rowing machines from their homes. Cambridge emerged as winners.

If it had gone ahead in the more traditional format, the women's and men's teams would have raced in London.

Before they competed on the same course as the men, the women's race took place in Henley from 1977 to 2014. The men's course, 2020 and 2021 excepted, has usually been on the Thames, although it moved to Ely once before, in 1944, when the war made it impossible for London to stage the race. The course rowed on the Thames is 4 miles and 374 yards (6.8km) long, beginning at Putney Bridge in London.

In Ely, the course will be just over three miles long (4,89km). It will start at the Queen Adelaide Bridge and finish close to Sandhill Bridge at Littleport.

In recognition of history, a sovereign from 1829 is tossed to decide which side of the river (known as a station) a crew will row on. The two stations are called Middlesex and Surrey, and each has its own perks and pitfalls regarding the bends that must be navigated.

The Thames finishing line is at Mortlake, close to Chiswick Bridge.

The records

Although the Cambridge men didn’t have the best start to their Boat Race story, they’ve made up for it since, and lead the table with 84 victories to Oxford’s 80. Cambridge’s women are even further ahead with 44 wins, 14 more than Oxford.

The fastest finish time is 16 minutes and 19 seconds by Cambridge men's team in 1998. Cambridge women's team hold the record in their event - 18 minutes and 33 seconds in 2017. In 1860, the same university recorded the slowest time so far, taking 26 minutes and five seconds to cross the finish line.

Abandon boat

The Boat Race goes ahead whatever the weather. Such hardy nature is admirable, but can lead to crews sinking when the elements get too much.

In 1912, exceptionally poor conditions led to both boats disappearing below the surface and the race being abandoned. In 1978, Cambridge were on their way to victory when the boat started taking in water. It sank before the finish line, allowing Oxford the title.

In 1984, the Cambridge crew collided with a barge before the race began and sank, so the event was rescheduled to the following day. They still lost.

Before they were famous

Over the race’s history, there have been some famous names wielding those oars. Blackadder and House actor Hugh Laurie was in the 1980 Cambridge crew, and historian Dan Snow was in the Oxford boat from 1999 to 2001. Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent rowed for the winning Oxford crew in 1990 and 1991.

Another record was broken in 2019, as 46-year-old former Olympian James Cracknell became the oldest ever member of a Boat Race crew. He rowed for Cambridge, where he was reading Human Evolutionary Studies. Their victory also made him the oldest Boat Race champion.

The most controversial finish ever

No boat race was more frustrating for fans than the 1877 event. Staged in shocking weather conditions, the race judge John Phelps was reportedly a poor choice for the job. History has since come out more sympathetically to Mr Phelps, who had to declare the race a dead heat.

Both crews were said to finish in 24 minutes and eight seconds, with Phelps adamant they nosed across the finish at exactly the same time. There were claims Oxford had finished ahead, witnessed by hundreds of spectators. But in more recent years this has been debunked as an optical illusion, as Phelps had by far the best vantage point from which to judge the result. Regardless, finishing posts were introduced the following year.

With today’s timing and broadcast technology, it is unlikely the race will finish in the same circumstances ever again. But with Oxford nipping at Cambridge’s heels, they would surely have loved one more victory to help close the gap.

And that rhyming slang? ‘Boat race’ means ‘face’, so if someone mentions you have a nice boat whenever you're in London, take it as a compliment and don’t start wondering where your oars are.