University of Oxford rowers expressed concerns over high E. coli levels in the Thames where the annual Boat Race takes place, with reports of vomiting and illness before the race. Thames Water aims to improve river health, but raw sewage spills doubled in England last year. Environmentalists blame Thames Water for discharging sewage directly into rivers, causing pollution. Despite sewage issues, Cambridge won both male and female races. The historic Boat Race, dating back to 1829, faced sewage-related challenges, raising health and environmental concerns.
High levels of E coli bacteria have been discovered in Londons River Thames, prompting warnings for rowers in the Oxford v Cambridge boat race to avoid direct contact with the water. Water quality testing near Hammersmith Bridge revealed levels exceeding safety standards, raising concerns about sewage pollution in UK rivers. The tradition of winners jumping into the river after the historic race is now questioned due to health risks associated with E coli contamination. Oxford University's rowing coach expressed worries and called for action to address the pollution issue.
Cambridge recorded a dominant double success at the Boat Race in the womens and the mens races that contained plenty of drama but ultimately comfortable margins of victory. The buildup had focused on the scandal surrounding high levels of E coli bacteria detected in the Thames , but once the racing began, the continued dominance from the light blues became the defining feature. Cambridges women confounded pre-race expectations, as well as a commanding start by Oxford, to win their seventh straight race in controversial fashion. Oxford, the favourites, flew into half a lengths lead by the time the boats passed Craven Cottage, and it was a full length when they approached the sweeping Surrey bend on a bright, fresh spring day in south-west London. Given the superior experience of the Oxford womens crew, it looked like the game was up.
The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the University Boat Race and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The men's race was first held in 1829 and has been held annually since 1856, except during the First and Second World Wars (although unofficial races were conducted) and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The first women's boat race was held in 1927 and the race has been held annually since 1964. Since 2015, the women's race has taken place on the same day and course, and since 2018 the combined event of the two races has been referred to as "The Boat Race".The Championship Course has hosted the vast majority of the races. Covering a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) stretch of the Thames in West London, from Putney to Mortlake, it is over three times the distance of an Olympic race. Other locations have been used, including a stretch of the River Great Ouse which was the venue for the 2021 race. Members of both crews are traditionally known as blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford in dark blue. As of 2023, Cambridge has won the men's race 86 times and Oxford 81 times, with one dead heat, and has led Oxford in cumulative wins since 1930. In the women's race, Cambridge have won the race 45 times and Oxford 30 times, and has led Oxford in cumulative wins since 1966. A reserve boat race has been held since 1965 for the men and since 1966 for the women.In most years over 250,000 people watch the race from the banks of the river. In 2009, a record 270,000 people watched the race live. In 2014, 15 million people watched the race on television.
Campaign group River Action discovered alarmingly high levels of E coli bacteria along a stretch of the River Thames, with an average of 2,869 colony forming units (CFU) per 100ml of water found near Hammersmith Bridge. The source of pollution is believed to be Thames Water discharging sewage into the river, with recorded levels almost ten times higher than 'poor' bathing water standards. The contamination comes ahead of the historic Oxbridge Boat Race this weekend between the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, prompting new guidance from River Action, British Rowing, and The Rivers Trust.
The Boat Race 2019 took place on 7 April 2019. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. This was the 74th women's race and the 165th men's race, and, for the fourth time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were all held on the Tideway on the same day.The women's race was the first event of the day, and saw Cambridge lead from the start, eventually winning by a considerable margin. It was their third consecutive victory, taking the overall record in the Women's Boat Race to 44–30 in their favour. The men's race was the final event of the day and completed a second consecutive whitewash as Cambridge won; it was their third victory in four years, taking the overall record to 84–80 in their favour. In the women's reserve race, Cambridge's Blondie defeated Oxford's Osiris, their fourth consecutive victory. The men's reserve race was won by Cambridge's Goldie, who defeated Oxford's Isis.The races were watched live by thousands of spectators lining the banks of the Thames. They were also live-streamed on YouTube and by multiple media organisations around the world, including in Germany, South Africa and China.
The Boat Race 2023 was a side-by-side rowing race which took place on 26 March 2023. Held annually, The Boat Race is contested between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, usually along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames, known as the Tideway, in south-west London. This was the 77th women's race and the 168th men's race. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 85–81 and 46–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively.The crews for both men's and women's boats were announced on 6 March 2023. The women's race was umpired by Matthew Smith who rowed for Oxford University Boat Club in the Boat Race four times in the 2000s. The men's race was umpired by Antony Reynolds who rowed for Cambridge University Boat Club in 1984. The women's race was won by Cambridge with a winning margin of four and a half lengths, which took the overall record in the women's race to 47–30 to Cambridge. Cambridge won the men's race an hour later by one and a third lengths, resulting in the head-to-head record being 86–81 to Cambridge. Cambridge's Goldie won the men's reserve race while Blondie secured victory for Cambridge in the women's reserve race. These contributed to a Cambridge clean sweep of all the 2023 Boat Races, including the openweight, lightweight and veteran races.
The Women's Boat Race is an annual rowing race between Cambridge University Boat Club and Oxford University Women's Boat Club. First rowed in 1927, the race has taken place annually since 1964. Since the 2015 race it has been rowed on the same day and course as the men's Boat Race on the River Thames in London, taking place around Easter, and since 2018 the name "The Boat Race" has been applied to the combined event. The race is rowed in eights and the cox can be of any gender.The course covers a 4.2 miles (6.8 km) stretch of the Thames in West London, from Putney to Mortlake. Members of both crews are traditionally known as blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue. The women's race has received television coverage and grown in popularity since 2015, attracting a television audience of 4.8 million viewers that year. The 2023 race was won by Cambridge by four and a half lengths. As of 2023 Cambridge have won the race 47 times and Oxford 30 times. Cambridge has led Oxford in cumulative wins since 1966.
An Oxford rower attributed their team's defeat in the Boat Race to an outbreak of E coli causing sickness among team members. Despite warnings of pollution in the River Thames before the race, Cambridge claimed victory in both men's and women's events. While one rower highlighted the impact of illness on their performance, a teammate refrained from blaming water conditions directly. The event was also marred by rival Gaza protests in London and incidents like a train stabbing and an attack on an Iranian journalist.
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other water-borne craft for as long as such watercraft have existed.A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian language, with regata meaning "contest, contention for mastery"(from regatare ("compete, haggle, sell at retail"), possibly from recatare) and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place; for example “valley field”.Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually formally structured events, with comprehensive rules describing the schedule and procedures of the event. Regattas may be organized as championships for a particular area or boat type, but are often held just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general promotion of the sport.One of the largest and most popular rowing regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames, England. One of the largest and oldest yachting regattas in the world is Cowes Week, which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England, and usually attracts over 900 sailing boats. Cowes Week is predated by the Cumberland Cup (1775), Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta (1822) and Port of Plymouth Regatta (1823). North America's oldest regatta is the Royal St. John's Regatta held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland every year since 1818.There exist other traditional and centuries old boat races like Vallam kali of Kerala, India and Dragon Boat Race from China.
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is a large private utility company responsible for the water supply and waste water treatment in most of Greater London, Luton, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, north Wiltshire, far west Kent, and some other parts of England; like other water companies, it has a monopoly in the regions it serves.With origins dating back to the formation of the New River Company in 1609, Thames Water was established in 1989 during privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales. The name of the company reflects its role serving the drainage basin of the River Thames; water is sourced from the Thames as well as a number of other rivers and boreholes.The UK's largest water and wastewater services company, Thames Water is responsible for an extensive water management infrastructure which includes the Thames Water Ring Main around London, one of Europe's largest wastewater treatment works and the UK's first large-scale desalination plant—both at Beckton in east London—and the £4.2 billion Thames Tideway sewer currently under construction. Per day, the company supplies 2.5 billion litres (550 million imperial gallons) of drinking water and treats 4.6 billion litres (1,000 million imperial gallons) of wastewater. It serves a population of 15.5 million people—about a quarter of the UK population—but its ageing infrastructure is prone to leakage and is a frequent cause of pollution, for which it has been repeatedly prosecuted and fined. Current shareholders include four major pension funds and four overseas investment funds which between them hold over 90% of the company's shares. The company has been criticised for paying substantial dividends to shareholders while simultaneously taking out loans, accumulating £14 billion in debts. In June 2023, Thames Water was reported to be close to financial collapse; while it secured £750m from shareholders in July 2023, the company warned it would need a further £2.5bn from investors by 2030.
The River Thames ( TEMZ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 215 miles (346 km), it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.The river rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire and flows into the North Sea near Tilbury, Essex and Gravesend, Kent, via the Thames Estuary. From the west, it flows through Oxford (where it is sometimes called the Isis), Reading, Henley-on-Thames and Windsor. The Thames also drains the whole of Greater London.The lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway, derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock. Its tidal section includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of 23 ft (7 m). From Oxford to the estuary, the Thames drops by 55 metres (180 ft). Running through some of the drier parts of mainland Britain and heavily abstracted for drinking water, the Thames' discharge is low considering its length and breadth: the Severn has a discharge almost twice as large on average despite having a smaller drainage basin. In Scotland, the Tay achieves more than double the Thames' average discharge from a drainage basin that is 60% smaller.Along its course are 45 navigation locks with accompanying weirs. Its catchment area covers a large part of south-eastern and a small part of western England; the river is fed by at least 50 named tributaries. The river contains over 80 islands. With its waters varying from freshwater to almost seawater, the Thames supports a variety of wildlife and has a number of adjoining Sites of Special Scientific Interest, with the largest being in the North Kent Marshes and covering 20.4 sq mi (5,289 ha).
The Thames is a river in southern England, including the capital, London.Thames may also refer to:
The Thames Water Authority was one of ten regional water authorities created in the UK on 1 April 1974 under the provisions of the Water Act 1973 to bring together all the water management functions of the region in one public body.
Britain's water supply is in jeopardy due to significant debts affecting water companies like Thames Water, leading to untreated sewage overflow. The government and regulators face challenges in ensuring necessary investments in water systems. Privatisation of water companies has not solved underinvestment issues. A proposed solution involves creating public benefit companies to provide clean water infrastructure with joint public and private sector involvement. Thames Water's financial struggles highlight the need for new approaches to secure safe and affordable water for the public.
A cardboard boat race, sometimes known as a boat regatta, is a popular construction competition for people of all ages, with target audiences for competitions ranging from elementary-school students to college students and adults.The earliest documented cardboard boat regatta was a class assignment created by Richard Archer at Southern Illinois University in 1974, and since then, the practice has only expanded, with an "International Cardboard Boat Regatta" occurring annually in New Richmond, Ohio.According to an article published in the Middle School Journal, cardboard boat racing can be used as a way to get students interested in STEM fields by approaching an engineering challenge with "hands-on" learning.
A boat race is a drinking game where teams, usually of equal numbers, race to finish their drinks in sequence. One theory on the name is that it is acronym for "beer on a table", an alternative explanation may come from the Australian term for drinking a full beer in one continuous motion i.e. "to skull" or "skulling" and that term's homonym in the single crewed rowing race "sculling" & hence a boat race.The Concise Macquarie Dictionary has this entry for boatrace : Colloq: A competition between teams of beer drinkers to see which team can drink its beer the fastest; a drinking competition.Common rules include those regulating the number and gender of drinkers, the vessels from which the liquid must be consumed and punishments for spilling. The game appeared in the 2006 Broken Lizard movie, Beerfest.A race begins with all competitors placing their drinks on a mutual table. When a referee begins the race, the first drinker on each team is allowed to pick up their drink and begin drinking. Once a beverage is consumed, the drinker must invert the empty vessel on their head. This is done to ensure no cheating occurs. The next team mate cannot touch their own drink until this has occurred. Empty vessels must be kept on the competitors' heads until the race is over.The game is a long-established tradition amongst many Australian amateur Rugby Union leagues. Players receiving points for their on field performance then become the participants for the boat race after, but may sub out for injury. The game is played in Germany as a team version of Bierjunge (lit. 'beer boy'). "Bierjunge" is a superior fraternity century-long traditional "game" from Germany. The size ranges from 0.25 to 1l (inferior fraternities obviously restrains to lower sizes, but extremes ranges up to a beer crate of about 20 beer bottles; 10l).
Jonathan McEvoy
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