HISTORY might suggest the heavier crew going into the University Boat Race generally wins - but Nick Brodie warns this year's main event will be far from the conventional.

The Oxford cox, who comes from Bourton, near Shrivenham, was automatically hailed as the favourite to lift the coveted prize at Mortlake on Saturday after his dark blue crew weighed in eight stone heavier than their Cambridge counterparts.

But with most bookies having tipped the light blues just a day before to repeat last year's victory, Brodie insists no-one can take anything for granted - especially with the added dimension of expected strong winds.

He said: "Like our coach has said it is good to be big and strong in this sport, otherwise you would get a lot of little guys sitting in the boat.

"But I don't think it makes that big a difference.

"I don't think weight is a massive issue, it is about how the crew perform on the day, in the conditions and scenarios that are dealt to us.

"I am confident with three days to go that we will put out a good race.

"The weather is going to be 25mph winds though so it will be a tricky course, so it is probably not going to be a conventional race in terms of steering on the conventional course."

Having experienced defeat in last year's race and a painful loss in the reserve's boat two years previous, Brodie is more desperate than most to finally clinch victory.

In an added twist he is again head-to-head with Cambridge cox Rebecca Dowbiggin, in a repeat of last year's race, but 21-year-old Brodie believes they both could have a bigger role to play.

"Because of the wind, there will be a lot of moving off the centre line and towards the bank for the sheltered conditions so the coxes roles might be a little bit more on the day than normal," he said.

"The reason coxes would have more role on the day is because you would not be steering just in the middle of the course.

"The fastest line on a rough day would change from out in the middle to the bank where the water is not quite so rough.

"Although the stream is not fast the calmer water will make up for that. It is a compromise in a way."