 By the bottom of Dukes Meadows , Oxford 's lead was down to half a length and as Cambridge out @-@ rated their opponents , they drew level and passed under Barnes Bridge side by side . Despite numerous spurts from Oxford 's stroke Davidge , Cambridge kept in touch and " were fighting every inch of the way " . Commentating for the BBC on a launch whose engine had failed , John Snagge announced " I can 't see who 's in the lead , but it 's either Oxford or Cambridge . " Both crews were rating over 33 strokes per minute as they approached the finishing post , with the Light Blues just edging ahead to win by a quarter of a length in a time of 18 minutes 57 seconds . The winning distance was the narrowest since the " dead heat " result of the 1877 Race . It was Cambridge 's third consecutive victory and took the overall record in the event to 51 – 43 in their favour . The rowing correspondent for The Manchester Guardian suggested that this was a race that " will never be forgotten " , while the correspondent for The Times claimed that " 1949 must go down in Boat Race history as having provided one of the epic struggles of all time . " G. I. F. Thomson , writing in The Observer , stated that " heroic determination on both sides ... produced perhaps the most exciting Boat Race of all time . " 
