The 19th Boat Race between crews from the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

took place on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

on 12 April 1862. Oxford won by 10 lengths in a time of 24 minutes and 34 seconds, taking the overall record to 10–9 in Cambridge's favour.

Background

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...

is a side-by-side rowing competition between the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the

(sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of th ...

on the

in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1861 race by sixteen lengths, with Cambridge leading overall with ten victories to Oxford's eight. Both University crews were downselected from trials eights, with varied success. The Cambridge crew set a record time during practice, while Oxford "were in very rough condition". Just one former Blues returned to the crew, instead of the four who had been expected. Morale was so low in the Dark Blue camp that it was suggested that they write to Cambridge claiming that they could not assemble a crew. The

Oxford University Boat Club Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century. The Boat Race The club races agai ...

president and coach George Morrison refused this course of action and the race was set for 12 April 1862. The boats were built by J. and S. Salter of Oxford. The race was umpired by

Joseph William Chitty Sir Joseph William Chitty (28 May 1828 – 15 February 1899) was an English cricketer, rower, judge and Liberal politician. Early life Chitty was born in London, the second son of Thomas Chitty (himself son and brother of well-known lawye ...

who had rowed for Oxford twice in 1849 (in the

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

and December races) and the 1852 race, while the starter was Edward Searle.

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 11 st 11.375 lb (74.8 kg), per rower more than their Light Blue opposition. Poole and Hoare returned for the Oxford crew while Cambridge's crew featured three returning

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

in Robert Fitzgerald, Henry Collings and George Richards.

Race

Weather conditions on the day of the race were described as "excessively cold" with "a smart breeze" although "the sun shone brilliantly." Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge.MacMichael, p. 292 The Light Blues took an early lead but Oxford were soon level with them by the time they passed the Star and Garter pub. With the steadier stroke, Oxford took the lead and were clear of Cambridge by

Craven Cottage Craven Cottage is a football ground in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896.According to the club'official website The ground's capacity is 22,384; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game against M ...

. They extended their lead further, to such an extent that even though the Light Blue

cox Cox may refer to: * Cox (surname), including people with the name Companies * Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company ** Cox Communications, cable provider ** Cox Media Group, a company that owns television and radio stations ** ...

Richards made a spurt at the Soap Works, his boat had been surrounded by the steamers, and overtaken by one. The disruption from steamers would become so severe that in the 1864 race, both boat club presidents threatened to postpone the race unless the steamers remained behind the two crews.Drinkwater, p. 54 The Dark Blues held a three-length advantage by the time they shot

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough ...

, and despite another spurt from Cambridge off Chiswick Eyot, the lead had extended to at least by

Barnes Bridge Barnes Bridge railway station, in Travelcard Zone 3, is on The Terrace, Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in south west London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway. It is on the Houn ...

.MacMichael, pp. 292–293 Oxford won by 10 lengths in a time of 24 minutes 34 seconds. It was their third win in four years and secured Oxford's ninth win in the event compared to Cambridge's ten. Contemporary rower and author William MacMichael suggested: "Of these two crews it is scarcely necessary to say more than that if they did not reach the consummate excellence of some which we have been accustomed to look back upon as the highest standard of form and beauty, they were yet a good average specimen of University rowing."MacMichael, p. 293

References

Notes Bibliography * * * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1862 1862 in English sport The Boat Race 1862 in sports April 1862 events