boat race boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames oxford sank race held march row ordered umpire took place days later time crews sunk race race race umpired oxford rower cambridge won row lengths time minutes seconds taking 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 cambridge went race reigning champions having won race half lengths cambridge leading overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge coached rowed light blues race coach rowed times oxford coaches rowed cambridge times coached light blues race rowed dark blues races rowed cambridge race race umpired time oxford rower competed races light blues considered firm favourites rowing correspondent times suggested outcome certain rowing correspondent writing stated oxford day superiority weight good fighting spirit race means lost crews oxford crew weighed average pounds rower opponents cambridge saw rowers return including number stroke oxford crew contained rowers taken previous year race cambridge rowers studying rowed club supervision participants race registered non british oxford number australian cox american cambridge lloyd australian race oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge started race strong wind blowing tide creating waves oxford taken onboard considerable water row opted physical protection conditions opponents crews started relatively low stroke rate cater conditions cambridge moderately rating opponents light blues took early lead appeared conditions better oxford length ahead time passed dark blues shipped water entirely submerged rescued spectators oxford launch cambridge continued headed relative protection surrey shore caught umpire boat informed race void sinking boat race race oxford went umpire declared row reason sinking deemed equipment failure end wall agreed umpire boat club presidents port london authority row arranged place easter monday march day delay oxford won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge started row light rain dead smooth river cambridge better start oxford quickly drew level light blues clear end wall poor steering cox allowed cambridge pull ahead passing mile_post lengths clear lengths pushed time cambridge passed hammersmith_bridge half lengths clear seven ahead lead lengths cambridge won margin lengths time minutes seconds securing fifth consecutive victory largest winning margin race slowest winning time race later noted believed initially sinking inferior accident certain crew failed finish course allowed continue rowing correspondent suggested race anti climax following disaster best forgotten quickly victory took overall record event cambridge favour
The Boat Race 1951