The Boat Race 1979
| 125th Boat Race | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 17 March 1979 | ||
| Winner | Oxford | ||
| Margin of victory | 3 1/2 lengths | ||
| Winning time | 20 minutes 33 seconds | ||
| Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) |
68–56 | ||
| Umpire | Ronnie Howard (Oxford) |
||
| Other races | |||
| Reserve winner | Goldie | ||
| Women's winner | Cambridge | ||
|
|||
The 125th Boat Race took place on 17 March 1979. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The 150th anniversary race was won by Oxford by three-and-a-half-lengths. For the first time in 50 years, neither crew featured foreign rowers, while Cambridge's stroke was replaced just hours before the race. Goldie won the reserve race in the slowest time in the history of the race while Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.
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. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities, as of 2014 it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1978 race after Cambridge sank. Cambridge, however, led overall with 68 victories to Oxford's 55. The race was sponsored for the third consecutive year by Ladbrokes. Former Oxford Blue Ronnie Howard was the umpire for the race. To allow for television viewing, the start time of the race (2 p.m.) was an hour earlier than the traditional flood tide.
The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races. The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.
...
Wikipedia