Gemini Boat Race 2021 asks fans to stay home and watch live on BBC

London, 11th March 2021 – With many national restrictions still in place, the historic Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race will this year be a closed event on the River Great Ouse at Ely in Cambridgeshire on Sunday 4th April. There will be no access to spectators, to enable one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur competitions to return to the British sporting calendar in a COVID-secure way.

The Oxford and Cambridge Men’s and Women’s crews, their coaches and The Boat Race Company, who organise the event, would like to thank all fans, and the local communities of Ely and Littleport, for their incredible support and ask them to please help make this a safe and secure event by staying home to watch it on the BBC.

“Stay safe. Stay away.
Watch The Gemini Boat Race 2021
live on the BBC.”

Following the cancellation of the 2020 race, and as the country continues to adhere to distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s unique race will have all the excitement of the usual race format, but without spectators.

Working with local stakeholders and all relevant agencies, The Boat Race Company are confident of the delivery of a COVID-secure event for the athletes who have been training hard for this race, and for fans watching the event on the BBC.

KEY POINTS

The Gemini Boat Race is an annual contest between Oxford and Cambridge Universities
This year sees the 166th Men’s Race and 75th Women’s Race
Cambridge are the defending champions in the Men’s and Womens’ races
This year’s Blue Boat-only races will take place on the River Great Ouse at Ely, Cambridgeshire
Athletes have been training for the event since September 2020, within government guidelines at all times
Spectators will not be able to access the event, with many national restrictions still in place on race day, and no spectators allowed at sporting events
Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no Media Centre available at the event. Images of the event will be available via The Boat Race Media Portal.
The race will be broadcast live on BBC One from 15:00-17:30 on Sunday 4th April

Delivering a COVID-secure event

Safety is of paramount importance to enable the 2021 race to go ahead in this unique format. The Boat Race Company are putting a number of measures in place, to first and foremost, ensure the safety of the local community, athletes and staff working on the event, and to stop spectators from gathering, running the risk of COVID restrictions being breached, which could see the event being postponed or cancelled.

Chair of The Boat Race Company’s Race Organising Committee, Dr George Gilbert, said:

“To enable the race to go ahead, The Boat Race Company have been in ongoing consultation with local stakeholders, relevant agencies, and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, to deliver the 2021 race in a unique way.

“We’re excited to be able to deliver the races in this way, following a challenging 12 months for sport.

“Working with Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Environment Agency, the event site will be closed, to ensure the safety of the local community, and all of those involved with the event, and to stop spectators from gathering, with a heightened stewarding and police presence on the ground.

“Within the event perimeter, staff will be working to COVID guidelines, wearing PPE and following strict distancing. Crews and contractors will be in bubbles, and protocols will be in place to aid COVID-safe movement around the site.

“Whilst we understand the excitement in Ely and Littleport of one of the world’s most famous sporting events taking place on their doorstep, we must urge residents in the immediate and wider areas to stay away from the event, to avoid putting their safety and the safety of others at risk, and ultimately jeopardising the event. We hope that the local community understand and support the measures we’re putting in place, which will be key in delivering a safe and successful event.

“For the safety of the athletes, your family, friends and the local community, please stay at home, watch the BBC’s world-class coverage of the races and join the conversation on social media.”

There will be no access to the event site between Ely and Littleport, on Sunday 4th April, and local residents are being advised of closures which may affect them.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no media facilities available at the event. We are working on alternative methods to keep media up to date, and imagery for the event will be available via The Boat Race Media Portal.

Further information on closures affecting Ely and Littleport will be available on The Gemini Boat Race website closer to the time of the event.

Course and Location

The 2021 race, between Ely and Littleport on the River Great Ouse, will be contested over a 4.89km non-tidal course.

The course in Ely will present its own unique challenges, and be a very tactical race. The extreme distance that the crews are racing next to each other will make this an exceptional test of mental toughness. No bend means no inside advantage, which will make a game-changing push significantly harder.

Partners and Sponsors

The Boat Race Company would like to thank the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire County Council, the East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Environment Agency for ensuring the safety of the local community on race day and keeping spectators from gathering anywhere on the race site on the River Great Ouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The Boat Race Company is grateful for the support of Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, 2021 Principle Partner, Gemini, and existing partners at the BBC, Chapel Down, Wainwright Golden Beer, and PlayerLayer in supporting the safe delivery of The Gemini Boat Race in 2021. In addition, we are grateful for ongoing support from British Rowing.

The Gemini Boat Race 2021, will be broadcast live on the BBC on Sunday 4th April from 15:00. The Women’s Race is scheduled to take place at 15:50, with the Men’s Race taking place at 16:50.

Media contacts

The Boat Race Company
Alice Millican, Operational Communications
Katharina Auer, Media Director
[email protected]

About The Boat Race Company Ltd
A company limited by shares (no. 02544376) established by the Oxford and Cambridge Rowing Foundation to deliver the annual Boat Race between Cambridge University and Oxford University. The Boat Race Company is committed to delivering a well-organised, safe race for the students and clubs, contractors and volunteers, within government guidelines. The Company is working to create an inclusive, engaging experience for the local community, supporters, and the wider Boat Race family. Our ambition is to help build a better shared future and inspire others with the transformative potential of sport, while working sustainably to secure the longevity of the event.

www.theboatrace.org
Instagram @theboatraces
Twitter @theboatrace / Follow #TheBoatRace
Facebook www.facebook.com/theboatrace

About Gemini
Gemini Europe Services, Ltd (no. 12471710) is a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that allows customers to buy, sell, and store bitcoin, ether, and other cryptocurrencies. It is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as a cryptoasset firm with firm reference number 921817. Gemini Europe, Ltd (company number 11497305) is an Electronic Money Institution authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with firm reference number 900988. Gemini was founded in 2014 by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss to empower the individual through crypto.www.gemini.com
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