Cambridge men's chief coach Rob Baker feels the University Boat Race crews must gear themselves up for "a big grind" when they go flat out on the Great Ouse.

Easter Sunday will see the annual contest switched from the Thames and staged in Ely for the first time since 1944.

The decision, taken because of the challenges posed by coronavirus restrictions as well as uncertainty over the safety of Hammersmith Bridge, will see the remote Fenland location host a 'closed event' over 4.89 kilometres.

Oxford men's chief coach Sean Bowden accepts Sunday's encounter on the Great Ouse will certainly be something different.

"It is definitely going to change the nature of the racing to some degree," said Bowden, who has guided the Dark Blues to 12 victories, including three in succession up to 2015.

"The unique nature of the race with bends and changing conditions where you can go from flat calm to almost unrowable rough later does shape the race, particularly with that extra duration, which in recent meetings has been over 20 minutes.

"That unpredictably is something which crews have had to prepare for in a particular way.

"The more sort of 'shot-from-the-gun drag-race' feel to the Ely race will certainly change the way the crews will approach it.

"There will be something different about it because it will be a flat-out long sprint."