boat race boat race took place april held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames featuring tallest rower boat race history cambridge won race second fastest time seventh consecutive victory event reserve race cambridge defeated oxford isis fastest time cambridge won 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 lengths cambridge leading overall victories oxford excluding dead heat 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 confident oxford crew motivated opponents advantage cambridge hungry victory oxford boat driven win damn thing making final appearance race having lost race grandfather represented cambridge 1930s uncle rowed losing oxford crew race following year cambridge boat club president canadian international rower making boat_race appearance attempting complete hat trick victories head coach oxford cambridge counterpart suggested feels like fear defeat aim trying push limits motivation race umpire introduced modifications starting procedure suggesting content hold crews seconds issuing set commands cambridge williams remarked happy long crews start races happy race sponsored time crews competing anniversary bbc coverage event preceding years secured average audience excess million crews oxford crew weighed average pounds rower cambridge rowing number cambridge tallest rower boat race history oxford crew comprised americans canadian german cambridge represented americans german canadian blues returned cambridge wallace smith oxford saw return cambridge cox tenth female steer boat_race crew competitor event race race initially separate crews offering odds boat win start race approached williams suggested worried crew oxford declared favourites cambridge won toss elected start surrey station despite warned umpire davis cambridge soon half length ahead second clear mile_post lead extended length hammersmith_bridge steered boat better angle attack pushing cambridge seven seconds seconds barnes railway bridge passed finishing post half lengths ahead second advantage dark blues light blues finished minutes seconds time time cambridge secured seven consecutive victories reserve race cambridge beat oxford isis half lengths ninth victory years record time minutes seconds beat fastest time recorded repeated cambridge won 51st women boat race length time minutes second eighth consecutive victory reaction oxford haven got answers talk crew number admitted impression quicker hard thing cambridge williams noted thought bit competitive cambridge boat club president fun rowing cambridge
The Boat Race 1999