First blood in the 2008 Boat Races went to Oxford yesterday, when the women's eight beat Cambridge by half a length on the course at Henley-on-Thames. The race had been brought forward by an hour to give the Blue boats the best conditions as the wind whipped up and the decision was justified because, in the words of Robert Treharne Jones, chairman of the organising committee, “conditions got progressively lumpy, especially on the first third of the course”.

The fast stream was more than compensated for by the cross-wind and times in all of the races were almost a minute slower than usual. The Oxford women won their race in 6min 38sec to continue their revival in the overall series. Oxford have won five of the past seven races, but still trail 40-23.

In the delayed race for the second eights, Osiris, of Oxford, beat Blondie comfortably. The Cambridge crew caught a crab after the first minute, which stopped the boat, and although they picked up a good rhythm, they could not get back in the race.

The Oxford men's lightweights won their race by 2 lengths, but Cambridge women's lightweights prevented a clean sweep with a win by one third of a length.

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