The Boat Race

What is it?From the people that give us The Open, The Tennis Championships and The Grand National comes The Boat Race - apparently every other country in the world has to put their country's name before their big competitions.

And it's a national title?It's more than that, it's a British national institution, the annual race on the Thames has taken place since 1829 - though to participate you have to be a student at the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford, or the second-oldest, Cambridge. So entry is restricted to 0.06 per cent of the population of Britain.

So what do I need to know?The course is over four miles, and each boat contains eight rowers with a cox steering. There's no weight constrictions, which explains why last year's winning Cambridge crew included Thorsten Engelmann, who weighed in at 17st 6lb (110kg).

So can we watch it?Organisers estimate a quarter of a million people line the route each year - though it is in central London so that makes capturing spectators a little easier. These are the same organisers that have estimated that over 100 million people watch the race on television around the world - presumably by deciding that every person in the world, that has access to a channel that carries the race, will watch it. Still, a few people get excited by the race, including BBC radio commentator John Snagge who shouted during the 1949 event: "I can't see who's in the lead, but it's either Oxford or Cambridge."

And should I watch it?Much like Formula One , the most interesting races are the ones that have featured big blunders - like in 1978 when the Cambridge boat sank, thus making it in at number 79 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments. (You can watch it at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu1MEIL1P-g). And that sinking feeling returned in 1984 when the Cambridge crew crashed into a stationary barge while warming up before the race.