Women's Boat Race name of its official charity, '"The Cancer Research UK Boat Race", its sponsor, Newton Investment Management, having donated the title to the charity. The race is rowed in eights and the cox can be of any gender. The course covers a stretch of the Thames in West London, from Putney to Mortlake. Members of both crews are traditionally known as "blues" and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue. As of 2018 Cambridge have won the race 43 times and Oxford 30 times. Cambridge has led Oxford in cumulative wins since 1966.
James Renforth several local regattas, which paid smaller prize money. His career took a marked upward turn when he entered for a sculling race at the Thames Regatta in 1868. Renforth won the race, beating Harry Kelley amongst others and received a £90 prize. Tyne crews also won the fours and pairs at the same regatta. Renforth's victory at the Thames Regatta had catapulted him into prominence as a sculler. Kelley was the current World Sculling Champion and Renforth was the obvious contender, so a match was arranged between the two men. The race was to be over the Putney to Mortlake