Sunday 25th March 2005
Most of the news sources on Easter Sunday were wrong about the Boat Race times. ITV stopped their clock a second early, and in any case are not in a position to get intermediate splits without our help. Our radio link from the press launch to them was working, which was intended to give them flag-drops as they happened, but the organisational chatter about the TV editing swamped our transmissions in both directions, so they could not hear my marks.
These, therefore, are the correct results taken by myself and Mike Rosewell as official Boat Race timekeepers on the flags at the four intermediate and one finish mark.
Milepost: Oxford 3:40, Cambridge 3:40.5 Hammersmith Bridge Oxford 6:35, Cambridge 6:37 Chiswick Steps Oxford 10:17, Cambridge 10:20 Barnes Bridge Oxford 13:51, Cambridge 13:57 Finish: Oxford 16:42, Cambridge 16:48 Verdict: 2 lengths.
It looks likely (but tbc) that Oxford shaved two seconds off the Steps to Barnes record time.