boat race boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames won oxford lengths time minutes seconds victory years victory took overall record cambridge favour build race number returning oxford crew attempted coach president cambridge stated row president crew oxford college boat club captains voted favour howard 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 led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge won previous races lost times second world war cambridge coached rowed cambridge races rowed twice cambridge races rowed races rowed race oxford coach olympic rower edwards rowed race race umpired oxford races later umpired boat race boat built tall yale graduate loss created friction suggested edwards united_states coaching methods helped successful yale crew contributed seven crew gold medal winning men summer olympics stood presidency rowed isis previous year standing opposition howard agreed emphasis placed technique fitness training howard elected single vote took responsibility selecting coach crew late urged howard adopt yale training regime drop edward yale coach howard refused decided prepare crew include returning blues new recruits gold demanded howard pirate crew allowed train independently challenged race right represent oxford boat race howard refused stating maintain point view shall sympathy people meeting boat club captains discuss future howard presented letter offering support president interview student newspaper varsity supported howard stating light blues row crew support oxford president stated row howard boat circumstances mutiny crews cambridge crew weighed average pound rower opponents oxford crew included rebels edwards cox cambridge saw rowers boat_race experience return crew cox returned steer boat second year non british registered participants race race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford started race good conditions light breeze cambridge started higher stroke rate oxford held canvas length lead minute dark blues cambridge steered opponents held half length lead held course steering close taking clear water advantage dropped cambridge boat oxford quarter length open water passed mile_post dark blues reduced rating passed hammersmith_bridge second advantage despite oxford reached seconds ahead lengths oxford continued draw away won lengths time minutes seconds oxford largest margin victory race fastest time race according rowing correspondent times went exactly according book occurrence rare good people doubted happen writer stated result great triumph group captain oxford sole coach oxford president deal revolt rowing styles autumn
The Boat Race 1959