For non-rowers watching this year’s Boat Race, I imagine it’s all a bit confusing, with talk of ejector crabs, blades, and straying into other crews’ water, so thought I’d do my best to explain.
The first thing to understand is that to get the fastest bit of water, both crews try their damnedest to get as close as they can to the middle of the river where the fastest stream is. If they stray into each other’s water they’ll get a warning from the umpire. They risk being disqualified if they ignore that warning, especially if the other crew objects and is disadvantaged by the incursion.
In this instance, when the incident with Cambridge’s no. 2 man happened, Cambridge had just been given a warning that they had strayed into Oxford’s water.
It seems that just after this, there was a clash of blades (ie oars) between no. 7 in the Oxford boat and no. 2 in the Cambridge boat (Luke Juckett), during which Luke’s blade was flipped over. When it hit the water, it looks as though it went in upside down and at a bad angle and was forced in deep, which caused him to “catch a crab” – ie when your oar flips up and back. This was a really bad crab – nearly an “ejector crab” when the rower can be thrown out of the boat altogether.
I’m no elite rower, but I know a few things about catching crabs, and believe me when I say that will have hurt. A lot.
I also know a thing or two about losing a race. I know how it feels when you become aware early on in the race that you’ve precious little chance of winning, but you have to keep powering on, stroke after miserable, painful stroke. And I know how it feels to have a race taken away from you by an umpire’s decision (even when it’s the right one).
Cambridge challenged the result at the end, but were told firmly that it was they who had strayed into Oxford’s water.
I’m an Oxford girl through and through, but I feel deeply for all nine of the Cambridge crew. That was a horrible race for them all. All credit to Luke Juckett for recovering from the crab so quickly, and to the rest of the crew for carrying on manfully.
And people, this is what rowing is like. It’s a magnificent sport, but it can inflict pain right into your soul.
