 Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station , handing the Surrey side of the river to Camridge . In wind gusting from the south @-@ west , the umpire Gibbons started the race . Cambridge took an early lead , although they were out @-@ rated by the Dark Blues . The boats were close , with oars nearly touching , for the first two minutes of the race , before the Light Blue cox steered to avoid a collision . By the end of Fulham Wall , Cambridge held a half @-@ length lead although Oxford kept in touch , and even reduced the deficit to a quarter of a length by the time the crews passed the Mile Post . 
