boat race took place april held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race delayed lead changed hands times oxford rower nearly fell boat won cambridge quarter lengths time minutes seconds 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 quarter lengths cambridge led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge lost consecutive races race cambridge coaches included rowed light blues races rowed races races rowed race oxford coaching team comprised rowed oxford rowed dark blues races oxford opted row foot long foot longer cambridge cambridge arrived reputation speed short distances potentially dangerous oxford anticipated exceptionally strong occasion rowing appeared commentators blaming longer race umpired oxford races boat race accompanied umpire boat husband cambridge victory race crews oxford crew weighed average pound rower opponents cambridge crew contained blues cox rower making appearance event oxford saw members previous year race return non british participants registered race oxford number cambridge united_states pair captained boat club harvard_university race oxford pre race favourites won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river cambridge race commenced delayed minutes result drifting stake boat cambridge taking early brief lead minute oxford led feet increased advantage half length cambridge retook lead oxford edged ahead advantage bend river cambridge drew level mile_post dark blues took lead hammersmith_bridge seconds ahead held clear water advantage rowing oxford began lose shape cambridge reduced deficit overlap boat oxford led length minutes race oxford number turned pale disrupting oxford rhythm appeared recover gone cambridge overtook boat lengths ahead passed finishing post half length advantage time minutes seconds slowest race cambridge victory years largest winning margin race rowing correspondent times suggested oxford sad day cooper tragedy cambridge splendid victory cambridge stroke said tough race saw oxford crew distress knew help winning time war oxford lost event result crew member collapsing mid race oxford bow confessed didn know wrong race knew best
The Boat Race 1961