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Xchanging Boat Race: Oxford v Cambridge
Venue: River Thames, London Date: 3 April 2010, 1630 BST
Coverage: Watch live on the BBC
Oxford struggled to cope with the difficult weather conditions
Oxford's Boat Race preparations were dealt a blow when they had to cancel a key selection trial after one of the boats filled with water on the Thames. A bailing pump in the boat failed to work and, in very rough conditions, the crew was forced to stop mid-race. "We wanted to come in, bail the boats out and have another race to the finish," said coach Sean Bowden. "But it took too long to get the water out and some guys looked hypothermic - it wasn't worth the risk." The December trials are the only time the crews get to compete over the full length of the course ahead of the race, which takes place on 3 April 2010. They are run on an incoming tide, which provides the fastest possible conditions but also the roughest, especially when raced into a headwind. Because of the modern design of the boat, Bowden said there was no risk of it sinking, although it could have submerged if it had taken on too much water. New regulations on boat design were brought in nationwide after Oxford University oarsman Leo Blockley died after his boat capsized during a training session near Barcelona. The last time a crew sank during the Boat Race was in 1978, when the Cambridge crew had to be rescued. The current Cambridge squad raced their trial earlier on Thursday, when the tide was lower and conditions less rough. A crew including Great Britain hopefuls Fred Gill, Henry Pelly and George Nash defeated a line-up led by veterans Hardy Cubasch and Rob Weitemeyer by five lengths. Coach Chris Nilsson reported that there was "not a drop of water" in the winning boat, although he had decided not to fit bailing pumps into it. For their event, Oxford were without American internationals Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, who were forced to stay back at university to sit a Business Administration exam. However, Bowden said their absence would be no barrier to their taking part in April's race.
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