The official crews for The 2013 BNY Mellon Boat Race and Newton Women’s Boat Race were announced this week.

It's the best squad I've had in the last three years

Steve Trapmore

A momentous day in this event’s long history saw the Men’s and Women’s Announcement and Weigh-In take place together for the first time ever.

The 159th Boat Race on 31st March will see a slightly heavier Oxford take on a lighter Cambridge crew, with seven different nationalities represented. This is the first time since 2009 that Oxford has the heavier crew, weighing in today at an average of 2.6kg per man more than their Light Blue rivals.

In the Newton Women’s Race a heavier, entirely British Cambridge crew will take on a lighter, more international Oxford Boat. Weighing in on the same day for the first time, the Cambridge women are an average of 3.6kg per woman heavier than their Dark Blue counterparts.

Following London 2012, this year’s BNY Mellon Boat Race has an Olympic flavour, with two athletes in each crew having competed in the London Games. Canadian Malcolm Howard for Oxford and Czech Milan Bruncvik for Cambridge will become the first two oarsmen ever to compete in The Boat Race having already raced in two Olympic Games. Bruncvik, having competed in the Beijing and London Games, will also be the first Czech oarsman ever to race in The Boat Race.

Both crews also feature a British Olympic Bronze medallist each in their line-ups – Constantine Louloudis for Oxford and George Nash for Cambridge. The pair who raced against each other in The 2011 Boat Race, and then became Under 23 World Champions together in the pair later that year, are both back at University this year. They took a year out in 2011/12 in order to train full-time and compete for selection to race for Team GB – Constantine was selected to stroke the Men’s Eight, and George was picked for the Pair; and both won Bronze medals.

The Cambridge crews are in stark contrast to each other, as for the second year running, the Men’s crew only features one British oarsman (George Nash), whereas the Women’s crew is an entirely British line-up.

This is first time ever that the Men’s Blue Boat has had as many as four Americans in it. The coxing seat remains firmly in British hands though, as the selection of Henry Fieldman makes it a decade of British coxes for Cambridge..

Returning to the CUWBC Blue Boat will be 2012 winners Caroline Reid, Fay Sandford, and Holly Game, and they will be coxed by winning Lightweight Women’s Boat Race cox from 2011, Esther Momcilovic.

There are four returning Blues in the Men’s Light Blue Boat this year – George Nash, Niles Garratt, Steve Dudek and Alexander Scharp.

"It's the best squad I've had in the last three years," said CUBC Head Coach Steve Trapmore.

The 2013 BNY Mellon Boat Race will take place on 31st March 2013. The Newton Women’s Boat Race will be raced at Henley a week earlier, on 24th March.

In addition to the official sites, sponsors BNY Mellon have set up a complementary site - Which Blue Are You - offering the chance to win £30,000.

The Official Cambridge Crew for The 2013 BNY Mellon Boat Race is:

Bow: Grant Wilson (US, 23, Pembroke)  6ft 3in 90.0kg/14st 2lb 6oz
2: Milan Bruncvik (Czech Republic, 28, Peterhouse) 6ft 1in 82.6kg/13st 1oz
3: Alex Fleming  (Australia, 23, Pembroke) 6ft 5in  97.4kg/15st 4lb 11oz
4: Ty Otto (US, 24 Hughes Hall) 6ft 7in 90.6kg/14st 3lb 11oz
5: George Nash (President, GB, 23, St Catharine’s) 6ft 4in 94.8kg/14st 12lb 15oz
6: Steve Dudek (US, 24, St Edmund’s) 6ft 8in 101.8kg/16st 6oz
7: Alexander Scharp (Australia, 25, St Edmund’s) 6ft 8in 92.8kg
Stroke: Niles Garratt (US, 24, Hughes Hall) 6ft 4in  86.4kg/14st 8lb 8oz
Cox: Henry Fieldman (GB, 24, Homerton) 5ft 4in 54.4kg/8st 7lb 14oz

The Official Cambridge Crew for The 2013 Newton Women’s Boat Race is:

Bow: Caroline Reid (GB, 22, Jesus) 5ft 10in 64.4kg/ 10st 1lb 15oz
2: Fay Sandford (GB, 22 Gonville & Caius) 76.4kg/12st 6oz
3: Melissa Wilson (GB, 19, Gonville & Caius) 77kg/12st 1lb 11oz
4: Jessica Denman (GB, 21, Clare) 6ft  71.0kg/ 11st 2lb 8oz
5: Vicky Shaw (GB, 21, Selwyn) 5ft 8in 68.0kg/10st 9lb 14oz
6: Claire Watkins (GB, 20, Clare) 5ft 8in 69.8kg/10st 13lb 13oz
7: Emily Day (GB, 21, Emmanuel) 63.8kg/10st 9oz
Stroke: Holly Game (GB, 21, Girton) 5ft 10in 70.8kg/11st 2lb 1oz
Cox: Esther Momcilovic (GB, 24, Clare) 5ft 3in  50.6kg/7st 13lb 8oz

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