Oxford Cambridge Boat Race Makes History

A close race for Oxford and Cambridge
© 2003 Getty Images

It was the closest win in the history of The Boat Race. Oxford beat Cambridge by less than .05 of a second (approx. 30 cm!) in a race, which kept spectators hanging throughout the entire 18 min 6 seconds ordeal to the finish.

No more than two seconds separated the crews at every intermediate timing point along the 6.8 km course, providing nail-biting suspense right to the end.

Despite a significant weight advantage and a strategic decision to row the Surrey station side, Cambridge was soon fighting to keep up with their opponent. A slight hesitation from Oxford at the start, when bowman John Adams missed a stroke, did not put them off course. At the Mile Post, Oxford was already leading by one second. Just over three minutes later, at Hammersmith Bridge, Cambridge had taken a one second lead, which it kept until the next timing point ? Chiswick steps. By Barnes Bridge, the distance had grown to a two second lead by Oxford. As the finish line approached, Cambridge made a comeback, but after a final neck-to-neck sprint and some minutes of intense suspense in which neither crew knew the final verdict, Oxford was finally pronounced the winner.

The race was to be a historic one before it had even been raced as brothers David Livingston (Oxford) and James (Cambridge) were joined by Smith brothers ? Matt (Oxford) and Ben (Cambridge) to make this race the first ever occasion when two sets of brothers raced against each other in the Boat Race.

Ben Smith had been brought onto the Cambridge boat at the last minute, after an unlucky collision with a harbour master launch on Friday forced the Cambridge bowman Wayne Pommen of Canada to withdraw.

Despite Cambridge’s bad luck, the reserve crew Goldie managed a three-length victory over the Oxford reserves Isis. The strategy used by Goldie was the same as their more unfortunate teammates, as they chose to row on the Surrey side after winning the toss.

Oxford’s victory in the 149^th edition of the Boat Race has brought the tally to 71 wins for Oxford against 77 since its beginning in 1829, when it first took place in Henley. It has been raced on its current course, from Putney to Mortlake since 1845. It has become one of the most popular events on the British sporting calendar, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Thames riverbanks each year.