Craig Doyle and James Cracknell present live coverage of the 154th Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Craig and James will be presenting ITV's coverage from a studio at the start in Putney, alongside Olympic Gold medal winner Tim Foster and Wayne Pommen, who won with Cambridge in 2004. Oxford's 2006 winning president, Barney Williams, will be previewing the length of the Tideway course for the first time from a helicopter in the build-up to the race and then adding his post-race analysis.
As well as full profiles of both crews, the programme includes a special feature that looks at the 30th anniversary of the famous sinking of the Cambridge boat and provides news of the result of the Isis/Goldie encounter earlier.
Gabriel Clarke and Ned Boulting will report from the start as the crews prepare for this year's late start time of 5.15pm, when Peter Drury then demonstrates his knowledge of the event during the exciting race commentary.
Cambridge won the 153rd Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging, by one and a quarter lengths in a time of 17:49 in fair, sunny conditions. Experts had predicted a bigger margin for the crew with five returning Blues and two world champions on board. Oxford won the previous two encounters (2005 and 2006).
Cambridge currently lead the series since 1829 by 79-73.
ITV will use the latest broadcast technology across the entire length of the 4¼ mile course. This includes up to 28 land-based cameras and a further eight water and airborne cameras - two of which will be on each boat, with gyroscopic cameras on both the Umpire's launch and the tracking boat. Two helicopters will also give the viewer a great impression of the epic battle taking place, with both wide angled and close up shots, allowing the commentary team to capture and analyse any tactical manoeuvres from either boat.
The race will also be simulcast live at ITV.com, which will also include a range of build up features and special web content ahead of the event.
Like thousands of others who wanted to see this in places not covered by ESPNU!!! -- the ITV agreement for overseas viewing was extremely limiting, and gave no kudos to ITV at all. Sorry guys; hope you do better next time!
March 29th - 10:27pmDavid Hemmings said...
Why is your Boat Race coverage on the Internet SO BAD for those outside the UK?
Wake up! There are thousands of us out here in the world who would have watched this race!!
March 29th - 5:24pmDavid Hemmings said...
It is extraordinary that in these days of web information and interactivity, the OXbridge Boat Race cannot be seen LIVE on the internet outside the UK!!!
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