At the official weigh-in at the River and Rowing Museum the Cambridge women's Blue Boat tipped the scales at an average 74.5kg per athlete, making them the heaviest Light Blue crew to contest the race for six years. It also gave them a slight weight advantage over Oxford, who were just 1.7Kg lighter at an average weight of 72.8kg. But Oxford need not be discouraged ¬ unlike the Putney to Mortlake race the Women's Boat Race does not necessarily favour the heavier crew. Cambridge, who hold the series advantage of 40 wins to Oxford's 22, are looking to retain the trophy they won last year while Oxford are looking for their sixth win in nine years.
Oxford's emphatic win in the Women's Eights Head two weeks ago, some thirty seconds faster than Cambridge, has made them the pre-race favourites in Sunday's Women's Boat Race on the 2000m Royal Regatta course at Henley.
But with both squads under the direction of experienced coaching teams the last-minute preparation is proving crucial and the result could still go either way, as Cambridge proved last year, winning the race despite starting as underdogs.
The Women's Boat Race, rowed over the Henley Regatta course, started as a style contest in 1927 but these days is every bit as tough as the more famous men's race between Putney and Mortlake.
Race Day on 23 March also includes the Lightweight Boat Races for men and women, restricted to those athletes whose weight falls below the threshold of 70kg for men and 59kg for women.
The Women's Boat Race started in 1927 and has been rowed over the Henley course each year since 1977. Cambridge have had a total of 40 wins against 22 for Oxford.
The Henley Boat Races on Sunday 23 March includes:
2.00pm The Reserve Women's Boat Race (Oxford) v. Blondie (Cambridge)
2.30pm The Lightweight Women's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge
3.00pm The Women's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge
3.30pm The Lightweight Men's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge
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