boat race 55th boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames cambridge won success decade quarter lengths time minutes seconds victory took overall record event oxford 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 oxford went race reigning champions having won race easily cambridge leading overall victories cambridge excluding dead heat oxford coaches rowed oxford races times rowed oxford times cambridge coached president captain 1st rowed trials cambridge selected blue boat umpire race tenth year row won event consecutive times rowing oxford races crews oxford crew weighed average pounds rower opponents cambridge saw rowers boat_race experience return president oxford crew contained blues including rowing stroke fourth consecutive year oxford crew educated cambridge crew contained old australian rower participant race registered non british oxford father cricket broadcaster eighty years later bbc principal boat race commentator race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford weather day race good tide poor got race underway crews remained reasonably level mile_post oxford held quarter length lead cambridge began reduce deficit oxford stroke gold increased rate attempt favourable bend river little effect stroke responded kind burst cambridge boat drew away quickly ahead pub allowing matters fairly easily course cambridge won quarter lengths time minutes seconds victory years took overall record oxford favour author oxford rower remarked cambridge definitely better crew noted effort impressive number struck day race
The Boat Race 1899