When the crews lined up at Putney for the 70th Women’s Boat Race, it marked a defining moment for the race. 

It is now 10 years since the first Women’s Boat Race was held on the Championship Course on the Tideway on the same day as the men, and on television. 

The race between Putney and Mortlake has become a staple event on the sporting calendar, but it took nearly 90 years to achieve parity. The first Women’s Boat Race was held in Oxford in 1927, although it was in a very different format to what we know now. 

There was no side-by-side racing, it was based on style and then going upstream against the clock. 

The move of the Women’s Boat Race to the Tideway had long been an aspiration, but it took a certain set of circumstances based around sponsorship and timing to bring it to fruition. 

When the day arrived, on 11 April in 2015, the women’s race earned top billing - it was the moment that helped to break down barriers and offer hope for greater sporting equality in the future. 

Oxford, who had an experienced crew which included the most decorated rower to take part in either the men’s or women’s race in Caryn Davies, won the toss and elected to start on the Surrey station. 

The Dark Blues made a fast start and had got a five-second lead by the Mile Post, and Cambridge were around three lengths down by St Paul’s. 

The Light Blues ended up losing by a number of lengths, but it was a race that will always be remembered fondly by both universities for what it stood for and what has subsequently happened by the move of the Women’s Boat Race to the Championship Course. 

Five years earlier, in the men’s race, it had been much more like Cambridge's day. 

Oxford were the pre-race favourites, featuring US Olympians Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the subject of the film The Social Network and subsequent owners of Gemini. 

Cambridge had a mixture of young British rowers, including future Olympic gold medallist George Nash, and a trio of Canadians, including World Cup gold medallist Rob Weitemeyer. 

What the Light Blues were able to produce was a tenacious show of rowing. 

Oxford had won the toss and chosen the favoured Surrey station, and took a four-seat lead by the time the crews passed the Harrods Depository. 

Cambridge could not be broken though, and after warnings from the umpire for both coxes, they pulled back the difference around Chiswick Reach and pulled clear as the boats made it to Corney Reach. 

It was the Cambridge power that proved crucial as they were able to stretch away to win by one-and-a-third lengths 

Cambridge secured an even bigger victory in the 1995 Men’s Boat Race. 

There was a first for the event as Marko Banovic, an Olympian, became the first Croatian to take part in the race, taking the Light Blues’ No 7 seat. 

Cambridge were the pre-race favourites and had won the toss to take the Surrey station. 

They matched their opponents through the early stages of the race, biding their time before edging to a one-length lead by Harrods Depository. 

It was at Hammersmith Bridge that they made their big move to extend their advantage to clear water by Chiswick Eyot, and Cambridge went on to secure a four-length victory. 

There was double delight as Cambridge won the 50th Women’s Boat Race by one-and-a-half lengths at Henley Boat Races, their sixth victory in seven years. 

Words by Mark Taylor