boat races boat races known purposes sponsorship took place march held annually boat_race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge mile tidal stretch river thames south west london time history event men women reserves races held day men reserve race cambridge beaten oxford isis women reserve race cambridge defeated oxford women race oxford won easily cambridge nearly sank rough conditions men race won cambridge lengths taking overall record event favour background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues held race takes place mile river_thames south west london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide oxford went race champions having won race margin lengths cambridge led overall victories oxford excluding race officially dead heat claimed victory oxford crew time history boat race senior races men women men reserves women reserves held day course prior women race took place usually held boat races metre course occasions interwar period women competed thames oxford went race reigning champions having won race half lengths cambridge leading overall fourth year men race sponsored women race saw subsidiary sponsors january announced sponsors title sponsorship year event retitled cancer research boat races monetary award winning race journalist notes great amateur event seven months pain prize money sunday march women race started british women reserve race men reserves race minutes later men race half hour men race umpired fifth time overseen inaugural running rowed cambridge races recently umpire men race umpire race time took charge women race men women reserves races umpired respectively female official men races history spectators expected line banks river engineering works poor weather reduced attendance event broadcast live united_kingdom bbc numerous broadcasters worldwide showed main races including africa europe sky central_america canada australia streamed live bbc online coaches cambridge men crew coaching team led chief coach appointed post gold medal winning member men summer olympics assisted head coach development coach rowed light blues races acted supporting coach coach steered cambridge race medical officer chief coach oxford having responsible senior men crew winning races great_britain olympic coach coached light blues boat races assistant coach coached senior boat head coach appointed advised winning cox race cambridge women coached coach assisted guest coach trials women women trials took place championship course december umpired oxford boats took phenomenal race start held length lead extending lengths hammersmith_bridge conditions worsened past president began close gap took lead second surrey bends win encounter lengths trial conducted rough water conditions race umpired boats getting away took early lead following steering error struck hammersmith_bridge half lengths ahead pulled away win lengths men men trials conducted days women december championship course dark blues rowing business pleasure umpired pleasure drew away hold half length lead extending quarters length crews passed business push close gap pleasure held lead barnes bridge began tire business started reduce deficit late pleasure passed finishing post half length ahead cambridge trial boats named strong clever spanish club president occupying number seven seat better start crews level umpire having warn crews caught crab allowing small lead regained advantage hammersmith_bridge length ahead taking advantage clear water advantage moved rowed win lengths build cambridge considered favourites win time race oxford women favourites retain title fifth consecutive year women competed january segment race weather cambridge started surrey river segment quickly length ahead drew level led hammersmith_bridge length victory took surrey second piece starting close start saw umpire warning crews water ultimately culminating clash cambridge pulling away boat stopping crab pay chance recovering deficit won second segment lengths took february race steps start post good start light blues saw length ahead clear water advantage length advantage taken hammersmith_bridge soon extended mile_post despite encountering strong continued pull away passed start line lengths clear days later competed piece set championship course aggressive steering dark blues earned warnings umpire race initially close pulled away hold length lead mile_post passing hammersmith_bridge lengths ahead second segment mile_post saw clashes crews oxford dominated leading lengths winning lengths race took early lead recovered crews shot barnes bridge finishing piece lengths ahead men light blues faced oxford january piece race cambridge selected surrey length town bend river held lead nearly lengths began reduce deficit hammersmith_bridge crews nearly level despite warnings umpire cambridge held aggressive line pass finish line lengths ahead second race saw crews rowing took narrow lead light blues ahead took clear water advantage win lengths lost races alternate crew earlier february turn race segments start contest dark blues held slight advantage heading bend recovered thirds length ahead crews passed hammersmith_bridge took advantage caught blade contention race ended prematurely sailing boat intervened course dark blues took early lead second race despite length failed clear water advantage drew held small lead rough water finally pass finish post lengths clear umpired oxford raced march better start dark blues remained touch finishing seats faced german crew segment race march light blues winning march announced boat kevin cox successful crews killed solo aircraft display crash north august announced boat daniel coach died february crews official weigh crews took place march women cambridge crew weighed average kilograms kilograms rower opponents women boat club presidents british oxford number seven president race counterpart rowed crew featured returning blues cox oxford saw participants boat_race experience return president cambridge number following grandfather represented light blues race required row oxford sank men cambridge crew weighed average kilograms kilograms rower opponents oxford number heaviest man race weighing kilograms time history race boat club presidents american cambridge hailed new_york oxford born baltimore crew contained single rower boat_race experience member victorious crew members crew returned light blues including cox president earning blues races reserves women reserves race cambridge defeated oxford oxford isis beat men reserves race women women race contest started march overall record event race stood cambridge favour oxford won toss elected start surrey river cambridge better start held slight lead passing mile_post level push hold half length lead minutes clear cambridge forced action crews passed hammersmith_bridge seconds kept touch despite multiple warnings umpire light blues shelter shore conditions worsened boats took water oxford remained rough water losing advantage oxford seconds ahead continued pull away oxford middlesex bank cambridge remained traditional racing line taking substantial water barnes bridge cambridge began sink received advice pull cambridge cox indicated wanted continue complete course allowed oxford passed finishing post minutes seconds lengths ahead light blues taking overall record cambridge favour men cambridge won toss elected start surrey river men race contest held march prior race overall record event stood cambridge favour dead heat oxford late start awarded false start meaning false start dark blues result disqualification cambridge edged ahead start canopy length ahead minute warnings crews umpire cambridge moved away dark blues half length ahead mile_post clear crews passed oxford pushed hammersmith_bridge remain contention second cambridge moved clear crews hit rough water time passed light blues length clear seconds ahead oxford crews moved middlesex river reduce exposure rough conditions passed light blues held second lead oxford pushed touch cambridge passed finishing post minutes seconds half lengths ahead oxford light blues victory years ending run wins races oxford took overall record event cambridge favour reaction cambridge women coach said cox exceptionally nearly got race sunk speaking oxford cox president noted lucky morgan smashed today went describe conditions probably worst experienced coach said conditions worst seen referred absolutely biblical said victory attempts opposite number acknowledged cambridge managed conditions better olympic heather presentation committee
The Boat Races 2016