Blue Boat

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The Blue Boat is the highest level boat representing the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge in the Universities' annual rowing clash on the River Thames: The Boat Race. "Blue" refers to the oarsmen in these first boats each earning their University Sporting Blue, an honour bestowed on sportsmen of each university who compete at the highest level in certain sports in Oxford/Cambridge competitions. Oxford is commonly referred to as the "Dark Blues" (or just "Blues") and Cambridge as the "Light Blues." Cambridge blue (the sporting variety) actually appears greenish. [1]

The shades of blue used in the universities are both rowing colours of Eton College, whose alumni founded the respective boat clubs, and have been adopted by the universities as a whole.

At the annual gala after the race, The Boat Race Ball, members of Oxford's Dark Blue Boat traditionally wear dark blue blazers with dark blue trim. Members of Cambridge's Light Blue Boat wear a "Cambridge (sporting) blue" blazer. The reserve boats (called "Isis" for Oxford and "Goldie" for Cambridge) wear more outlandish stylings to the gala.