The Boat Race 1872

29th Boat Race
Date	27 March 1872 (1872-03-27)
Winner	Cambridge
Margin of victory	2 lengths
Winning time	21 minutes 15 seconds
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford)	13–16
Umpire	Robert Lewis-Lloyd (Cambridge)
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The 29th Boat Race took place on the 27 March 1872. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. In a race umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd, Cambridge won by two lengths in a time of 21 minutes 15 seconds taking the overall record to 16–13 in Oxford's favour.

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having defeated Oxford by one length in the previous year's race, while Oxford led overall with sixteen wins to Cambridge's twelve.

During the build-up to the race, Oxford's boat club president, Robert Lesley of Pembroke College,strained his side and was prohibited from practice. Worse still, four days before the race, the number two rower Armistead "broke down and was replaced by C. C. Knollys, also an untrained man". Conversely, Cambridge saw John Goldie return as president for the third consecutive year, and while all the previous year's Blues were available, four were selected for the race.

Oxford were coached by E. G. Banks of Worcester College and Frank Willan who had rowed for the Dark Blues four times between the 1866 and 1869 races. Cambridge's coaches were John Graham Chambers (who rowed for Cambridge in the 1862 and 1863 races, and was non-rowing boat club president for the 1865 race) and William Henry Lowe (who rowed in three times, in the 1868, 1870 and 1871 races).

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