boat race took place april held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames umpired oxford rower won oxford passed finishing post lengths ahead cambridge largest margin victory race saw oxford female cox history event reserve race isis beat half lengths oxford victorious background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues held race takes place miles championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide oxford went race reigning champions having beaten cambridge canvas previous year race cambridge held overall lead victories oxford race sponsored fifth time women boat race took place annual fixture 1960s contest conducted race held river_thames day men main reserve races reserve race contested oxford isis boat cambridge boat held usually takes place prior main boat race writing guardian noted oxford preparations race suggesting set opponents possibly went predict oxford win greatest margin race cambridge reorganised seating order week race oxford boat named rowed oxford successful races killed car accident previous year way australia modified starting arrangements making boats commence race closer dissuade steering start warned foul crews selected cox oxford boat female competitor history boat race learned cox selected represent great_britain women summer olympics moscow impressed oxford coach chose dark blues selection caused according passed advised oxford largest victory century race making fourth appearance time junior fellow undergraduate corpus representative women college men boat race oxford crew weighed average pounds rower opponents race saw return fewer blues crew brown oxford cambridge new race cambridge finishing coach oxford took role weeks prior race race oxford strong pre race favourites quoted oxford odds win cambridge won toss time seven years elected start surrey station race started umpire howard guidance crews rating equally start oxford took early lead lead seconds mile_post allowing boat cambridge pushing crew cambridge oxford extended lead seconds hammersmith_bridge seconds seconds seconds finishing post oxford won sixth consecutive victory lengths time minutes seconds largest margin victory cambridge won race thirteen lengths largest margin victory 20th century dark blues reserve race isis beat lengths second consecutive victory 36th running oxford second consecutive victory reaction avoided traditional thames later commented steered extremely badly won coach said brilliant job writing guardian described oxford victory crushing following calculated performance times impressed doubt finest crews oxford produced arguably best
The Boat Race 1981