boat race 30th boat race took place march boat race annual rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race umpired oxford rower cambridge won lengths time minutes seconds fastest time history event time rowers raced sliding seats 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 lengths previous year race oxford led overall sixteen wins cambridge thirteen use sliding seats considered previous year cambridge boat club president boat manufacturer fitting race boats time fitted innovation cambridge coached rowed cambridge races non rowing boat club president race oxford coaches non rowing president rowed races rowed oxford twice march december races race returned umpire race having previous year starter crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds opponents oxford saw blues return crew cambridge crew included rowers participated previous year race oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge race commenced oxford higher stroke rate enabled good race remained contention mile half hammersmith_bridge exhausted cambridge eased won race lengths winning time minutes seconds fastest time history boat race seconds faster previous record set
The Boat Race 1873