boat race boat race took place april held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge mile tidal stretch river thames south west london umpired race won cambridge passed finishing post half lengths ahead oxford time minutes seconds fifth consecutive victory win took overall record favour cambridge race variously described anti climax bore given ease cambridge secured win crew heaviest boat_race history included siblings time reserve race cambridge beat oxford isis cambridge victorious background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues held race takes place mile championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide cambridge went race reigning champions having beaten oxford lengths previous year race cambridge held overall lead victories oxford excluding dead heat women boat race took place annual fixture 1960s contest conducted race held river_thames day men main reserve races reserve race contested oxford isis boat cambridge boat held usually takes place prior main boat race oxford coached great_britain men summer olympics assisted dark blues races cambridge coached fifth consecutive year rowed light blues races represented times race rowed races rowed races rowed races umpire race rowed cambridge races writing times suggested cambridge looked invincible arrival thames author suggested light blues oxford rowed number record practice times cambridge met disasters including catching crabs experiencing crews cambridge crew weighed pounds rower opponents averaging making heaviest crew history race boats contained blues oxford saw return cambridge crew included grandfather rowed race american olympic rower finished fifth men summer olympics mexico british olympic team candidates james brought experience light blue boat cambridge crew contained brothers michael time pair siblings rowed cambridge race oxford cox american bow australian participants british race cambridge pre race favourites oxford won toss elected start surrey station previous winning crews commenced handing middlesex river light blues scheduled start time cambridge practising downstream event delayed remarked believed plain bad manners minute start cambridge held lead canvas length despite reducing stroke rate continued pull away oxford mile_post lead seven seconds bridge light blues held lead lengths extended seconds seconds finishing post cambridge seconds ahead recording half length victory time minutes seconds oxford stroke collapsed end race wrote race anti climax painful watch release oxford past timber post marking race finish guardian report described race bore tenth edition reserve race cambridge beat oxford isis half lengths time minutes seconds sixth consecutive victory overall record 27th running cambridge tenth consecutive victory fifteenth eighteen years taking overall record favour
The Boat Race 1972