The Boat Race was moved from its traditional home on the River Thames in order to avoid large crowds gathering. Instead, it took place behind closed doors on the Great Ouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire.
The course in the remote Fenlands was three miles long, making it significantly shorter than the regular course on the Thames of 4.2 miles. Every race since 1845 has been held on The Championship Course on the River Thames, apart from a number of unofficial races held in various locations during World War 2 including one race in Ely, which was won by Oxford in 1944. Other races were held in Henley-on-Thames and Sandford-on-Thames also during the war years.
To provide both a starting line and a means of disembarking the teams, the Pontoon and Dock Company part of the P&D Marine Group stepped in to offer the organisers the solution they were searching for.
Wayne Orrah Pontoon and Dock Project Manager commented, ‘’To be asked to work on such a high-profile event was a fantastic honour for the team. The install was a smooth process following detailed planning with the organisers.’
Two pontoons were installed to create a starting point for the teams. This required a space in between to allow for the umpire’s craft to follow the two boats from the start. A second pontoon was installed at the finish line to enable the teams to climb out of the boats either in victory or defeat.
Wayne added, ‘Being involved with such an historic event is testament to the quality, not just of the product we supply, but to the high-level service we provide to our clients. From the initial enquiry right through to the installation we maintain constant levels of communication to ensure we deliver on the agreed programme and that the client is delighted with the finished product.’
The P&D Marine Group has grown organically and has maintained their belief in offering the best solutions for any project on or near the water. With a wealth of experience and knowledge in the design and installation of equipment in the commercial, construction, and leisure industry, the P&D Marine Group offers a turnkey solution that meets their clients exacting requirements. With over a decade of delivering the best solutions, and by carefully selecting high-quality products, combined with the very best service, P&D Marine Group have created your ‘One Stop Solution’. The company’s ongoing development programme continues to look for the best solutions and this means they cannot rest on our past successes and continue to strive as a group to move forward and provide their clients with the very best product and service available anywhere in the industry.
The other winners on the day were Cambridge who triumphed in both the men’s and women’s Boat Races; Sarah Winckless became the first female to umpire the men’s race in the 166th edition; Cambridge men were left celebrating their third win in a row; Cambridge women secured a fourth successive victory
