boat race 14th boat race took place river_thames april held annually boat_race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge oxford rowed keel built boat time history race construction method vessels umpired race won oxford cambridge lengths 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 cambridge went race reigning champions having defeated oxford half length previous year race led overall wins oxford race feature keel built boat purchased personally oxford boat club president newcastle boat builder oxford crew rowed practice time minutes seconds considered remarkable boat fixed seats engaged taylor oxford send boat quickly possible avoiding professional coaching banned boat race cambridge rowed boat built race crews rowed round oxford soon showed signs good pace practice set course record minutes seconds time remain unbeaten race cambridge began practice rows late race umpired rowed oxford twice march december races race crews oxford saw crew members return race cox cambridge welcomed blues lloyd snow oxford marginally heavier crew average rower pound average cambridge oxford president rowed number seven counterpart rowed light blues race oxford won toss elected start middlesex station leaving cambridge surrey station starting soon oxford good start originally home clear cambridge increased lead length time reached crab tree pub despite cambridge making number pushes try recover deficit oxford continued pull away completed course seconds ahead cambridge lengths clear winning time minutes seconds oxford fourth victory previous races represented largest winning margin race described account doubt hollow beating given cambridge oxford
The Boat Race 1857