News, London
Row360/The Boat Race CompanyThis Sunday sees the 170th men’s and 79th women’s Oxford and Cambridge boat races take place on the Thames.
Crews will battle it out over a 4.25mile stretch of the river, between Putney and Mortlake, in front of an estimated crowd of 250,000.
For some, though, it’s not just Oxford against Cambridge, but north London against south London.
Cambridge president and occupant of the bow seat, Luca Ferraro is a north Londoner who grew up in the shadow of the Emirates stadium. He learned to row in Hackney when he was 15.
And sitting in Oxford’s Blue Boat is south Londoner James Doran, who said he is “really proud” of being local to Putney, where he first took to the Tideway.
Doran – who had “always loved the Southbank – the food, the culture and the people” said he used to travel on the bus on Boat Race day and “try to peek over people’s shoulders as a kid.
“It’s great fun.”
And Ferraro agreed about the significance of the event: “The Boat Race is a real fixture in British sport, the tradition is a huge part of the enduring appeal and the pride people take in the history of it.
“I’m so grateful for the really committed and talented coaches that poured hours of work into training us.
“It was such a nice, welcoming way to get into the sport, as someone who didn’t have a clue how it worked when I started.”
Cambridge have won five of the last six men’s races and seven women’s races in a row.
“Out on the water, the rivalry really is real,” Ferraro said.
“I’m a racer at heart, all I really care about is getting to the finish line first.
“The team is so different every year, as is the race, it really does feel like its own thing every year.
“We take each boat race as it comes, it feels like it’s own special thing.
“So, we’ll see what happens in this one.”
Doran, who also revels in the rivalry, said Oxford’s goal was to put together their best performance.
He said they have a new coach and team this year, including three who took part in the Paris Olympics.
“We are really looking forward to the day, we are extremely determined and excited. Our best performance, we hope, is to get the job done on the day.”
Both oarsmen competed in the previous two races, with Ferraro hoping for a hat-trick and Doran wishing to break a losing streak.
The Cambridge rower said winning was “an indescribable feeling”.
“To go through that much work – six months of gruelling training and a lot of sacrifice, putting your life on hold to balance the studies and the training.
“To have it pay off in the end, with such a close bunch of mates, is an unbelievable feeling.”
And his Oxford rival added: “It’s great to feel part of something that everyone has an affiliation to and a choice in a team sport.
“I’ve always had really fond memories of being here and I’ve always wanted to this race.
“I’m really lucky to be doing my third one now.”
