Bristol universities eye off ahead of boat race
The event, actually made up of five races between university crews, is one of the highlights of a series of annual sporting challenges between students at Bristol University and the University of the West of England (UWE).
Olympic gold medallist Peter Reed, an ex-UWE Boat Club president, and a double World Champion in the men's coxless four will row as part of the UWE alumni crew, made up of ex-students who return to the city to represent their university.
The other four races are between men's and women's novice and senior crews, each made up of eight rowers and a cox, drawn from the current student body of each university.
Unlike the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, where everything rests on the men's senior race, in Bristol the winning university will be the one which wins the majority of the races staged on Saturday.
Last night the two universities came face-to-face on the city's waterfront to throw down the gauntlet, with an annual ritual involving the president of the Bristol Rowing Club slapping the face of the UWE Rowing Club president with a glove.
UWE won the toss, meaning their men's team will take the preferred north side of the 1.3km route, while their women take the south side.
From the start at the Cumberland Basin, the route passes the ss Great Britain and Maritime Heritage Museum and Lloyds TSB building, before finishing at the Amphitheatre.
The course should take the athletes approximately five minutes.
Since its inaugural race in 1995 the free event has taken on a prestige of its own, and both of the city's universities are now among the biggest rowing universities in Britain.
Last year it became embroiled in controversy when Bristol University won the event by three races to two, only to have to hand back the winner's trophy when it emerged that two members of its victorious alumni crew were students who had not graduated and were therefore ineligible.
James Hall, UWE Boat Club president, said: "This event brings with it a great sense of anticipation and rivalry for the squad.
"The scale of the crowd and the months of training by both crews make the men's first eights race one of great excitement."
The 22-year-old final year economics student added: "We have been building towards this event since November with high levels of competition for seats and huge levels of desire to compete in the varsity crew. Throughout the season we have been trading victories between our respective first eights and this event should settle the rivalry for the season."
The first launch is at 11.30am, with the main race of the day at 3pm for the men, and 3.20pm for the women. The main vantage point for spectators is the amphitheatre.
Adam MacKenzie, Bristol Boat Club president, said the race would be tight, but he thought Bristol can get their hands on the trophy this year.
Adam, a 22-year-old final year chemistry student, said: "It's the University of Bristol's centenary year, so we really want to take it home. We've only won once in the last three years, so we really want it this year."
The coin toss, UWE won
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