Cambridge happy to defy ‘brutal’ Boat Race weather and extend men’s winning run

Champagne-clutching Cambridge bow Simon Hatcher wanted to win the men’s Boat Race by the “curvature of the earth” but by the finish was simply satisfied to beat both Oxford and Mother Nature.

Heavy favourites Cambridge made it four straight victories on Saturday, beating underdogs Oxford by three and a half lengths on a blustery afternoon on the Thames, where wind gusts were predicted to reach 38 miles per hour.

It made for sea-like conditions in some sections, with both crews electing to take the relatively rare step of risking added weight by employing electric pumps to displace any water the boats were likely to take on.

“The conditions tend to make equals of us all,” said Hatcher, an American PhD student in engineering, when asked about the small margin between the rivals in the opening stages.

“A lot can happen that’s unexpected when the conditions rear up like that. We handled it well enough to get our bow well enough ahead at the end. Whether the margin would have held on a flatter day, we’ll never know.

“I mentioned before that I wanted to win by the curvature of the earth. We might not have won by the curvature of the earth, but we got the bow well ahead and I think that’s the most important thing.”

Hatcher’s word for the conditions was “brutal”, adding, when asked about the especially punishing white-capped section at Chiswick, “in those moments you’re blown to a halt, essentially, by the wind.”

Cambridge entered the 171st men’s edition of the Boat Race unbeaten this season, but Oxford held them to just a narrow lead at the start – less than four seconds at Mile Post – before the light blue boat pulled ahead at the midway point and crossed the finish with a lead of just over 11 seconds.

“It’s just the greatest feeling in the world,” Hatcher added. “You put so much time into a campaign like this, and you really become brothers with every person in your boat and every person in the club, to deliver like that and to be a part of history.

“It’s just everything. It’s everything you hope for, and regardless of the margin or anything, it’s the greatest feeling ever.”

Cambridge’s win takes the men’s head-to-head record to 89-81 in favour of Saturday’s victors.