▁ ▁per ▁ro wer ▁more ▁than ▁their ▁oppon ents . ▁Oxford ' s ▁crew ▁contained ▁four ▁former ▁Blues ▁while ▁Cambridge ▁featured ▁three . ▁Bruce ▁Phil p ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁man ▁to ▁row ▁for ▁both ▁univers ities , ▁having ▁represented ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁races . ▁Henri etta ▁Shaw ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁co x ▁the ▁Cambridge ▁boat . ▁ ▁Race ▁ ▁Cambridge ▁won ▁the ▁toss ▁and ▁elected ▁to ▁start ▁from ▁the ▁Sur rey ▁station . ▁ ▁A ▁quick ▁start ▁from ▁Cambridge ▁couple d ▁with ▁a ▁poor ▁one ▁from ▁Oxford ▁saw ▁the ▁Light ▁Blues ▁take ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁a ▁length ▁lead ▁before ▁being ▁re ined ▁back ▁at ▁Ful ham ▁Football ▁Club . ▁ ▁A ▁one - second ▁lead ▁at ▁the ▁mile ▁post ▁preced ed ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁warnings ▁from ▁u mp ire ▁Ron nie ▁Howard ▁to ▁both ▁co xes ▁as ▁they ▁cont ested ▁the ▁same ▁water . ▁Oxford ▁held ▁a ▁canvas ' ▁lead ▁as ▁the ▁cre ws ▁passed ▁under ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Bridge ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁move ▁away ▁along ▁Ch is wick ▁E y ot . ▁ ▁A ▁ten - second ▁lead ▁at ▁Bar nes ▁Bridge ▁became ▁a ▁th ir teen - second ▁lead ▁at ▁the ▁finishing ▁post , ▁as ▁Oxford ▁took ▁the ▁win ▁by ▁four ▁and ▁three - qu arter ▁lengths ▁in ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁minutes ▁ 1 1 ▁seconds . ▁This ▁was ▁Oxford ' s ▁t enth ▁consecutive ▁victory , ▁and ▁their ▁ele vent h ▁in ▁twelve