The 2020 Boat Race between Cambridge and Tauranga launches this Wednesday

Tauranga and Cambridge will be rowing/sailing to the start line this Wednesday 14 August at 7pm.

As in the America's Cup, the rules of engagement have changed this year.

The Captains have decided to use the newly available XG handicap system that re-assesses your performance every week. In this recalculation it considers your results over the last 2000 boards you played taking into account your partners' XG ratings and the average XG ratings of the players in each session. You can read all about it here if you want the full detail. Applying XG handicaps is thought to provide a much fairer result - especially in this competition.

The bridge on the night will be scored just as normal at each club but we hold off publishing til the next day when we can find everyone's X-Clubs percentage. This will be your score in fields of 220 - 270 pairs playing the same Wednesday night boards as you do - our friends in Tauranga are also included. We apply your XG handicaps to the score you get in X-Clubs, not the one you get on the night. These results will then be published on each club's website and the handicap results entered in a spreadsheet along with Tauranga's results. Over the three-night series the club with the higher average score will take line honours.

Sadly Skype coverage will only be available on the final night, when dressing up in something nautical will also be in order.