Boat race

[Profpointy]

It's amazing that both Oxford and Cambridge make it to the final every year...

 

[Cheddar George]

It is an odd thing- why does it get so much attention? A bunch of students rowing! Even if it were England v Germany rowing it would not be of interest to anyone.

Some odd British things are quite endearing but this is not one of them.

A few years back Steve Redgrave was part of the BBC team covering the boat race and he made a passing comment about it not being the most important race in the rowing calendar....... It didn't go down well.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Why the same river ever year, i think the monopolies commission should make them do a different river each year, and have obstacles like a burned out car, shopping trolleys etc

 

[Cheddar George]

Why the same river ever year, i think the monopolies commission should make them do a different river each year, and have obstacles like a burned out car, shopping trolleys etc

They're supposed to be students .............. make em down a pint at each pub they pass.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

They're called "ejector crabs". Video examples below:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH2k_026KrY

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XfSr2foKjQ


If your oar goes into the water at the beginning of the stroke (the catch) at a funny angle the movement of the water will push the handle into your chest and it you can't get under it, you'll just get pushed out of the boat. The guy it the 1st video caught the "crab" because of poor technique. I think the guy in the second video was adjusting his shoes or something and let his oar dig into the water.

From what I saw the rower at the 2 seat in the Cambridge boat was unlucky and someone from the Oxford crew clashed oars with him at a very unfortunate moment just before he was taking the catch which caused him to lose control and catch a "crab".

I caught a crab whilst Racing in a skiff once, and believe me, I was pushed clean out of my seat in a fraction of a second without having ANY say in the matter whatsoever!!
Luckily, a skiff is a big wooden boat, and I was in the bow seat, so I merely landed on my back with my feet dangling in the air in the storage section at the front. Had it been a fine shell (the boats normally used for racing and the ones in the videos) I'd have been in the drink and no mistake!!

As if to emphasise the sheer force of it though, it broke the rigger, leaving a crack in the wood! (Nothing a few screws and some glue couldn't fix).


We lost the race.

 

[laurence]

i actually watched it go past... me, two friends and a couple of highland cattle (the latter weren't interested really) saw it scoot past Barnes (east side).

it was good hearing the roar from the crowd as it started. we were hoping that the swans that landed in the river a few minutes before were going to cause trouble, but no.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I wonder if Twitton Oldfield is even allowed in the same county as it these days, the arse!!

 

[Fnaar]

I caught crabs once*, but I (blah blah)

*no I didn't