University boat race crews ordered to mind their language

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Organisers are anxious to avoid the embarrassment caused last year when, for the first time, microphones were installed in the boats so viewers could hear the coxes issuing instructions.

Unfortunately, the development ended up making headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons — five minutes into the race seven million TV viewers heard the Oxford cox screaming "Let's f**k them!" to his crew.

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Crews at this year's clash between Oxford and Cambridge have been ordered to mind their bad language

ITV programme editor Tony Pastor said that this year he would be asking the crews to keep their language clean.

"I'll be repeating the warning again to this year's crews, though I suspect last year's post-race publicity will have done the job for me," he said.

This year's race from Putneyto ortlake — the 153rd staging of the event — begins at 4.30pm on Saturday. Broadcasting the 18-minute race requires four directors, 37 cameras and two helicopters.

Oxford have won four of the last five races, including a five-length victory last year, but the light blues hope that having the first female cox since 2002 might swing this year's race in their favour.

Rebecca Dowbiggin, 23, was promoted to cox yesterday at the expense of American Russell Glenn.

Crew member Kieran West said the decision was taken because Dowbiggin was a "calming and relaxing cox" compared to Glenn's more aggressive approach.

Dowbiggin said: "I'd like to think I'm very calm under pressure and that I can keep an eye on all the things that are going on."

ITV will be hoping she can keep an eye on her language, too.