boat race boat race took place april held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race umpired oxford rower cambridge won lengths time minutes seconds victory took overall record event cambridge favour 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 rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide oxford went race reigning champions having won race lengths cambridge leading overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge coached time blue oxford coaches rowed dark blues races rowed times race umpired oxford rower coach represented dark blues races coached races build race oxford stroke suffered hand injury temporarily replaced failed regain form returning dropped favour stand oxford described rowing correspondent having powerful orthodox crew weak man boat suggested cambridge orthodox style rowing correspondent times agreed stating cambridge rowing certainly deteriorated produced year crew seen race dark blues considered favourites win race crews raced boats built crews oxford crew weighed average pounds rower opponents cambridge crew saw blues return including making consecutive appearance oxford crew included rowers including number stewart taking consecutive race individuals participating race registered non british oxford canadian cambridge crew included american number australian number race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford umpire started race oxford kept cambridge waiting minutes oxford quicker start quarter length ahead seconds cambridge longer strokes saw soon pick pace minute length ahead dark blues rating opponents strokes minute cambridge half length ahead lengths mile_post despite lead light blues ragged badly oxford rowing perfectly steadily dark blue cox steered surrey station attempt gain advantage tide cambridge began pull away furniture led half lengths passed hammersmith_bridge light blues reduced stroke rate continued extend lead passing second advantage held passed barnes bridge cambridge stroke called push increased rate strokes minute pull ahead oxford push cambridge won lengths time minutes seconds victory race fastest winning time largest winning margin race victory took overall record event cambridge favour rowing correspondent critical oxford failure respond cambridge early pressure incumbent fight like tigers settled middle aged stride observer rowing correspondent agreed hardly described race oxford effort race went fell
The Boat Race 1939