boat race boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river_thames london race umpired cambridge rower oxford won lengths time minutes seconds victory took overall record event cambridge favour background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues race held taken place mile championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide cambridge went race reigning champions having won race lengths led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat races conducted result second world war oxford coached rowed dark blues race represented oxford races time coached cambridge times cambridge coaches rowed light blues races coached races rowed cambridge times coached race race umpired british rowed cambridge races build race cambridge suffered particular regard number choice taken ill replaced days later forced leave boat suffering blood poisoning cambridge final choice week light blue coach stated took day yesterday crew feeling colour appear suffering internal trouble rowing correspondent noted light blues fast particularly showed promise noted oxford improved considerably cambridge likely start favourites crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents event forced hiatus result second world war rowers participated boat race prior year cambridge crew registered non british australian canadian stroke american race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford started race perfect conditions south easterly breeze sun shining light mist vast crowd fully pre war standards followed launches helicopter overhead oxford led start half length clear light blues time passed marginally rating cambridge oxford passed mile_post half lengths ahead allowed stroke rate drop maintaining lead bridge cambridge pub reduced deficit marginally light blues visibly tired allowed oxford draw away leading lengths oxford reduced stroke rate little passed barnes bridge advantage dark blues passed finishing post lengths ahead time minutes seconds victory oxford races took overall record event cambridge favour special correspondent writing times stated oxford won style looking assured winning crew reported evening telegraph oxford win triumph team work chancellor announced race
The Boat Race 1946