The Boat Race 1953
| 99th Boat Race | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 28 March 1953 | ||
| Winner | Cambridge | ||
| Margin of victory | 8 lengths | ||
| Winning time | 19 minutes 54 seconds | ||
| Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) |
54–44 | ||
| Umpire |
Gerald Ellison (Oxford) |
||
|
|||
The 99th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1953. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race, in which the Oxford crew was slightly heavier than their opponents, was umpired by former rower Gerald Ellison. Cambridge won by eight lengths in a time of 19 minutes 54 seconds. It was their sixth win in seven years and took the overall record in the event to 54–44 in their 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"). First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1952 race by a canvas, with Cambridge leading overall with 53 victories to Oxford's 44 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).
Cambridge were coached by James Crowden (who had represented Cambridge in the 1951 and 1952 races), David Jennens (who rowed three times between 1949 and 1951), Roy Meldrum (a coach for Lady Margaret Boat Club) and R. H. H. Symonds (who had rowed in the 1931 race). Oxford's coaches were A. J. M. Durand (who had rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1920 race), Hugh "Jumbo" Edwards (who rowed for Oxford in 1926 and 1930), R. D. Hill (who rowed in the 1940 wartime race) and J. H. Page. The race was umpired for the second time by former Oxford rower and Bishop of Willesden Gerald Ellison.
...
Wikipedia