boat race boat race took place march held annually event rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race umpired won oxford winning margin 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 rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide cambridge went race reigning champions having won previous year race lengths led overall event victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge coaches rowed cambridge races rowed race cambridge rowed times rowed times oxford coached represented oxford races rowed twice races non rowing boat club president cambridge rowed races practice rows experienced number crabs crew demonstrated nervous disability cope rough water quicker start race umpired rowed oxford races crews oxford crew weighed average pounds rower opponents cambridge crew contained single rower boat_race experience boat club president stroke lord oxford saw cox return rowers university registered overseas participants race oxford australian american cambridge south african hailed new_zealand oxford boat club president removed crew weeks prior race result lack form correspondent times noted possibility cambridge crew rate hard work produced university crew oxford stars arrived unusually backward crew progress practice definite improvement race oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge race commenced fresh north north westerly wind anticipated cambridge took early lead quarters length ahead minute race continuing higher stroke rate oxford second minute light blues clear end wall nearly length mile_post oxford cox strong began steer cambridge forcing centre river narrowly avoiding warning umpire level oxford half length hammersmith_bridge increasing length pub despite cambridge lead half lengths half oxford won lengths time minutes seconds slowest time race dark blues victory years took overall record cambridge favour
The Boat Race 1963