▁Oxford ' s ▁Is is ▁boat ▁and ▁Cambridge ' s ▁Gold ie ▁boat ▁has ▁been ▁held ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁ ▁It ▁usually ▁takes ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁T ide way , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁Bo at ▁Race . ▁ ▁The ▁race ▁was ▁u mp ired ▁by ▁former ▁Cambridge ▁Blue ▁Mike ▁S ween ey , ▁his ▁fourth ▁appearance ▁in ▁the ▁role . ▁He ▁had ▁ad vised ▁the ▁co xes ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁afraid ▁to ▁dis qual ify ▁either ▁crew ▁should ▁he ▁need ▁to : ▁" If ▁I ▁warn ▁them , ▁it ' s ▁irrelevant ▁what ▁their ▁opinion ▁is . ▁ ▁If ▁they ▁respond , ▁fine . ▁ ▁If ▁not , ▁they ' re ▁in ▁trouble ." ▁ ▁The ▁race ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Be efe ater ▁G in ▁who , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁race , ▁had ▁signed ▁a ▁three - year ▁contract ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁worth ▁£ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁BBC ▁also ▁extended ▁their ▁deal ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁five - year ▁contract ▁to ▁broadcast ▁the ▁race ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁C rew s ▁The ▁Oxford ▁crew ▁we ighed ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁ 1 4   st ▁ 1 2   lb ▁( 9 4 . 1   kg ) ▁per ▁ro wer , ▁ 2   stone ▁ 1 . 5   lb ▁( 1 3 . 3   kg ) ▁more ▁than ▁Cambridge ▁whose ▁crew ▁was ▁the ▁light est ▁since ▁ 1 9