Back-to-back wins for Cambridge women
Putney-raised cox Sophie Shapter described guiding Cambridge to victory in the women's Boat Race as "a dream come true".
The former Latymer Uppper School student admitted her maiden Boat Race victory will be her last, as she seeks a career in broadcasting.
The 23-year-old psychology and education student called Cambridge into an immediate advantage, which ended in a seven-length triumph - as the light blue crew claimed back-to-back victories for the first time since 1999.
"It's awesome, it sounds cliche but it's a dream come true to do this," Shapter said.
"I never thought I'd do the Boat Race, and be on that stage spraying champagne everywhere. I always watched people do that and thought, 'That's pretty cool'. To have done that myself is amazing.
"To be honest I think that's me done. I don't want to go and do any GB stuff. It's intense, it's your career, and that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. So I think this is it."
Cambridge cemented their recent dominance to storm to victory in the competition's 73rd edition, adding another comfortable win to last year's 11-length triumph.
Cambridge led from the front in the men’s and women’s races to win both events for the first time since the women’s race moved to the Tideway in 2015
Oxford University is looking to win its fifth men’s Boat Race in six years on the River Thames. Cambridge are the current favourites and currently lead the men's event overall with 82 wins against Oxford's 80, while in the women's race Cambridge dominate with 42 wins to Oxford's 30. Oxford coach Sean Bowden said: "I think it's fair to say they've been ahead of us all year, but we will do what we can to turn that around. "It's an interesting race - that's why people like to come and watch it.”
Boat race 2018: When is it? The 163rd annual Men’s Boat Race and the 32nd Women’s Boat Race will be held on Saturday, March 24 along the west stretch of the River Thames. The men’s race begins at 5.32pm and the women’s race starts just under an hour earlier at 4.31pm. Cambridge are known as the Light Blues while Oxford are the Dark Blues.
GETTY Boat race 2018: When is it? How can I watch?
Around 15 million people tune in regularly to watch the rowing duel between the two university titans, while more than 250,000 people are expected to watch it live. Riverside entertainment and events kick off at 12pm at Bishop’s Park, Fulham, and Furnival Gardens, Hammersmith - expect live music, stalls, food and drink. READ MORE: Boat Race 2018: Where to watch the Oxford Cambridge race mapped How can I watch? The Boat Race 2018 will be shown via various broadcasters, with BBC One offering comprehensive coverage from 3.50pm until 6.15pm.
The Boat Race: Best places to watch the race Fri, March 23, 2018 The best places to watch the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 13 The best places to watch the Boat Race
YouTube is running a live stream from 3.50pm or, if you know you are going to miss it, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer later. What are race conditions like? It usually takes both teams around 20 minutes to complete the 4.2 mile (68km) Championship Course, running from Putney to Mortlake. But wind does play a huge factor in the race’s result. Competitors row upstream with the race timed as near as possible to high tide for the quickest times.
GETTY Boat race 2018: More than 250,000 will watch from the River Thames' banks
GETTY Boat race 2018: The men's Oxford team celebrate their 2017 win
Oxford and Cambridge go oar-to-oar in the annual Boat Race along the River Thames.
The Light Blues of Cambridge are seeking revenge for their length and a quarter defeat last year in the men's race, while Cambridge are the defending women's champions.
Oxford are still aiming to chase down their bitter rivals in the all-time stake though, with the Dark Blues down 80-82 since the maiden race in 1829.
The women's race is set to go at 16:31pm, with the men doing battle an hour later.
Follow all the action from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge LIVE here with Mirror Sport.
