boat race 8th boat race crews university_of_oxford university_of_cambridge took place river_thames april umpired cambridge won time minutes seconds winning margin lengths race held tide starting ending time crews 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 following length defeat previous year race oxford sent challenge cambridge february proposing race place easter umpire race cambridge went race leading contest overall wins oxford inaugural race handful occasions race rowed tide time history race boats cambridge rowed built length breadth oxford boat built match king oxford long crews professional coaches oxford cambridge trained champion marked start debate use professional coaches resolved race crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents oxford saw blues return race hill returned cambridge race conditions race described fine little wind tide race commenced shortly started oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing cambridge middlesex river despite taking early lead oxford soon caught cambridge drew away holding length lead long bend began favour oxford cambridge slowed shallow water allowing dark blues close hammersmith_bridge cambridge half length lead final surge oxford closed gap cambridge pulled away victory record time minutes seconds margin lengths
The Boat Race 1846