Oxford was victorious in the 157th Xchanging Boat Race on Saturday 26th March. The dark blues avenged their defeat in last year’s race with a comfortable victory. Cambridge maintains its lead in total victories with 80 to Oxford’s 76. Oxford was also victorious in the reserves Isis-Goldie race which took place immediately before.

The race, regarded as a British institution and watched by millions globally, took place on a cold, windy and overcast afternoon in London. Supporters however were undeterred and showed out in force along the 4 ¼ mile route between Putney and Mortlake.

With a more experienced crew, featuring three of the victorious blues from last year (and Hardy Cubasch from the defeated 2009 boat), Cambridge entered the boat race as favourites; odds at race time placed them 1/2 on to win versus 6/4 for Oxford. But as in 2010, pre-race predictions proved incorrect.

Oxford President Ben Myers won the toss and decided to race the Surrey side of the Thames. Competing on the Middlesex side, Cambridge, led by President Derek Rasmussen, started well and maintained a higher stroke rate into the first bend. Oxford were determined to minimise Cambridge’s advantage from the early inside racing line which led to a clash of oars and repeated warnings from the race umpire during the first three minutes of the race.

The crews stayed even until the beginning of the long Surrey bend when the advantage changed to Oxford on the Surrey side. As the boats passed the Harrods Depository the dark blues had a half a length lead. They maintained this lead to Hammersmith Bridge clearing it three seconds faster than the light blue boat. Cambridge fought back from this position last year but were unable to repeat this as Oxford dug out an ever increasing lead. Oxford’s higher stroke rate, especially during an impressive period eight minutes into the race, gave them a two lengths plus lead by Chiswick Eyot and the second half of the race.

Oxford’s dominance allowed them to move in front of the Cambridge boat as the Surrey bend ended and the river curved back to the Middlesex side. Liz Box, the Cambridge cox, continued to defiantly encourage her crew and they maintained a higher stroke rate than Oxford during most of the remainder of the race. The dark blue lead was however already near insurmountable and they led comfortably going under Barnes Bridge (only two boats have ever lost after leading at this point). The Oxford cox, Sam Winter-Levy, emphasised this with frequent cries of ‘glory’ to his rowers during the last two minutes of the race.

Oxford’s winning time was 17 minutes 32 seconds, approximately 12-13 seconds faster than Cambridge. The winning time was also three seconds faster than the light blues’ victory in 2010 but still comfortably behind Cambridge’s 1998 record of 16 minutes 19 seconds.

Constantine Louloudis, the 19 year old tipped as a possible Olympian for 2012 and referred to by Matthew Pinsent as ‘the best engine’ in this year’s boat race, was the stand-out figure in the Oxford boat and gave a strong performance in the six seat. As he is only in the first year of a four year course, he will remain a threat for future light blue crews.

As for the Cambridge crew, particular sympathy must be extended to Hardy Cubasch who having lost in 2009 missed the 2010 Cambridge victory with injury (he instead rowed in Goldie) before returning to be defeated again in 2011. Steve Trapmore, the Cambridge coach who won Olympic gold at Sydney in 2000, was also defeated in his first race.