boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race cambridge crew substantially heavier opponents non british participants umpired oxford rower cambridge won sixteen lengths second largest margin victory history boat race time minutes seconds second win years took 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 championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide oxford went race reigning champions having won race half lengths cambridge led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge coached rowed races oxford coaches rowed races non rowing president race blue represented oxford races race umpired oxford rower rowed oxford races prior race rowing correspondent times suggested rare boat_race crews oxford cambridge crews race oxford lighter crew demonstrated excellent cambridge style diverse demonstrated tremendous hard work hard rowing crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents oxford crew previous boat_race experience including bow cambridge saw rowers return bow hill number race saw non british participants oxford crew included australians cambridge harvard_university rowers oxford pain olympic bronze men summer olympics race oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge umpire started race oxford better start rating strokes minute taking slight lead maintaining higher stroke rate dark blues passed canvas length lead record time taking advantage bend river cambridge drew level holding quarter length lead time crews passed mile_post furniture lead canvas mistake steering oxford cox watson approach hammersmith_bridge saw cambridge leading feet oxford stroke went unanswered crew response stroke pushed taking cambridge boat away held length lead extended lengths rough water meant crews reduced strokes minute oxford number stopped rowing kept sort time barely blade water rowing correspondent suggested got buried stomach handle virtually stopped rowing cambridge passed thirty seconds ahead reduced rating strokes minute fewer oxford continued struggle cambridge won sixteen lengths second largest margin victory history boat race length victory race winning time minutes seconds second win years took overall record event favour
The Boat Race 1955