 Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station , handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge . The umpire , Nickalls , started the race at 11 : 30 a.m. The Dark Blues took an early lead and were half a length ahead after the first minute of the race . They were clear of Cambridge by Craven Steps , and by the time the crews passed the Mile Post , were a length ahead . In the headwind along Chiswick Reach , and with the bend in the river in their favour , Cambridge slowly redressed the balance and by Chiswick Eyot they had begun to overlap Oxford 's boat . 
