SVG Europe editor The Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race, among the most English of all sporting events, hit a UK television audience peak of 7.6 million on Saturday, the highest number of viewers since ITV took over coverage in 2005. Broadcast facilities for ITV Sport were supplied by outside broadcast company 021 Television, with engineering support by Omni TV and specialist equipment from Camera Corps. Each boat was fitted with two Hitachi KPD8 miniature cameras, one with an image stabilizer mounted on the stern a meter above the crew, the other focusing on the cox. Both coxes were fitted with radio mics so that their exhortations to the rowers could be heard. To ensure clear pictures during an inevitably wet event, either from river spray or rain, the KPD8s featured an air canister that could be triggered from a follow boat over a GPS link and interface to clean the lenses. The GPS connection also carried the pictures, which were relayed from the craft that is part of the flotilla following the racing eights to receivers placed on the riverbank along the course and then on to the OB truck. Further angles came from cameras on these boats, the riverside and aircraft. Oxford won the 154th Race, beating Cambridge by six lengths at the end of 6.78km on the River Thames in 20 minutes, 53 seconds, the slowest winning time in 61 years. The Dark Blues scored a double victory as the reserve boats race was taken by its Isis crew, over the Light Blues' Goldie boat. The worldwide audience for the Boat Race is estimated at 120 million and for the second year it was transmitted live in the US on the 24-hour college sports network ESPNU. © Copyright 2006-2009 sportsvideogroup |