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News
Adele Browne Boat Race Interview
17 Mar 2008
Why did Xchanging decide to renew its sponsorship of the Boat Race?
The Boat Race is a fantastic event to be associated with. The races are getting closer and more exciting than ever before, where margins between success and failure can come down to one foot over a 4¼ mile course! It attracts sporting talent of the highest calibre and is a brutal event where ‘winner takes all’ - there are no prizes for coming second!
The Boat Race is a world-class event with a growing international appeal – both in terms of the rowers it attracts and the millions of television viewers who watch the race in over 100 countries world wide. This fits in well with Xchanging’s aspirations to continue to grow our international presence and become the leading global pure play business processor.
You’ve got to know some of the squad from both University crews. Were there any surprises when you attended the 2008 Boat Race Crew Announcement in early March?
We’ve built up a good relationship with both squads this year, especially the Presidents - Dan O’Shaughnessy for Cambridge and Nick Brodie, Oxford’s cox. So it was a shame to see that Dan didn’t make the Blue Boat having rowed in the winning crew last year. It was also unusual to see Cambridge announce a crew of nine rather than eight. Londoner Tobias Garnett and Bartosz Szczyrba from Poland are still competing for the number 4 seat in the Light Blue Boat.
We hear you used to row yourself. Any highlights?
I did - many moons ago when an undergraduate at Bristol. Not many highlights I am afraid (I could blame our old wooden boats that slowly filled with water as we went along). However I do have some understanding of how tough a sport it is - both technically demanding and in terms of stamina.
What will your responsibilities be on Race Day?
At the start, I’ll be handing over the 1829 gold sovereign to the Umpire for the toss. Whoever wins the toss can choose which side of the river they wish to start the race from (the Middlesex or Surrey station). With the long ‘Surrey’ bend, the crews usually favour the Surrey station though I am told that the number of wins from each station is actually equal.
Who do you think is going to win the Boat Race this year?
The fastest crew on the day!