How many times have boats sunk during the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race and what happens if BOTH boats sink?

THE Boat Race is almost here as Oxford and Cambridge lock horns once again on the River Thames.

Cambridge have been dominant in both the men’s and women’s races in recent years and own the overall record over rivals Oxford.

Cambridge have the superior head to head record in the Boat RaceTimes Newspapers Ltd

Has a boat ever sank at the Boat Race?

There have been four previous sinkings in the Men’s Boat Race, starting with 1912 with both boats sinking due to stormy weather. In 1951, the Oxford boat sank while in 1978 it was the turn of Cambridge. In 1984, Cambridge suffered one of the race’s most farcical sinkings when their boat collided with a tug and split in half. That was the last recorded sinking in the men’s race, but in 2016 the Cambridge women completed the race even though their boat had begun to sink.

The Boat Race 2025

THE Boat Race is back for yet another huge meeting between rivals Oxford and Cambridge.

The Light Blues of Cambridge University have been in dominant form in recent years but have been hit with huge controversy in the build-up to this year’s race – with FOUR rowers banned from competing after Oxford complained about their eligibility.

INFORMATION

• When is the Boat Race 2025?
• What is the Championship Course?
• Who has won the most Boat Races in history?
• What happens if one of the boats sink?
• What happens if there’s a dead heat?
• Do you have to study at Oxford or Cambridge to take part?

LATEST NEWS

• Sir Steve Redgrave blasts water quality of Thames as a ‘real worry’ – with high E.coli levels present
• Cambridge rowers BANNED over eligibility rules

What happens if one or both boats sink?

If both boats sink, the teams will race again at a later date. This last happened in 1912, when Oxford won the re-arranged race two days after the original.

When is the Boat Race 2025?

This year’s version of the Boat Race takes place on Sunday, April 13. There has been huge drama in the build-up after FOUR Cambridge rowers were banned after Oxford complained over eligibility rules. There are also concerns – again – over the quality of the water in the River Thames, with Sir Steve Redgrave saying the levels of E.coli are a “real worry”. There are four races – the men’s and women’s and reserve races for each. The timings are as follows:

• 1.21pm – 79th Women’s Boat Race
• 1.36pm – Women’s Reserve Race: Osiris (Oxford) vs Blondie (Cambridge)
• 1.51pm – Men’s Reserve Race: Isis (Oxford) vs Goldie (Cambridge)
• 2.21pm – 170th Men’s Boat Race

The event will be aired live on BBC One and can be live streamed via BBC iPlayer. Alternatively, SunSport will blog all the action from the Thames as it happens.