The 83rd Boat Race took place on 21 March 1931. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

along 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 ...

. In a race umpired by the former rower John Houghton Gibbon, Cambridge won by two and a half lengths in a time of 19 minutes 26 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 42–40 in their favour. It was the first race for which

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provided a radio commentary for the

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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 ...

side-by-side rowing

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

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 ...

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; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1930 race by two lengths, and led overall with 41 victories to Oxford's 40 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). Cambridge were coached by R. W. M. Arbuthnot (who had rowed for Cambridge four times between 1909 and 1912), J. A. MacNabb (who had rowed in the 1924 race) and P. H. Thomas (a four-time Blue between 1902 and 1905). Oxford's coaches were A. V. Campbell (who took part in the

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and 1925 races), Stanley Garton (who had rowed three times between 1909 and 1911) and P. C. Mallam (a Dark Blue from 1921 to 1924 inclusive). The race was umpired by former Cambridge rower John Houghton Gibbon who had participated in the 1899 and 1900 races. The rowing correspondent for ''The Times'' stated that the crews were "well-matched", while ''The Manchester Guardian''s correspondent predicted a "gruelling struggle". It was the first time

provided a radio commentary for the

...
. He would go on to commentate for the corporation every year up to and including the 1980 race.

Crews

The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 12 st 4.625 lb (78.1 kg), per rower more than their opponents. Oxford saw three rowers return to their crew with Boat Race experience, including D. E. Tinne who was making his third consecutive appearance. Cambridge's crew included five rowers who had participated in the event prior to this year, including their

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

T. A. Brocklebank who was also rowing for the third year in a row.Burnell, p. 73 All of the participants in the race were registered as British.Burnell, p. 39

Race

Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge. In wind gusting from the south-west, the umpire Gibbons started the race. Cambridge took an early lead, although they were out-rated by the Dark Blues. The boats were close, with oars nearly touching, for the first two minutes of the race, before the Light Blue cox steered to avoid a collision. By the end of Fulham Wall, Cambridge held a half-length lead although Oxford kept in touch, and even reduced the deficit to a quarter of a length by the time the crews passed the Mile Post. By the Crab Tree pub, Cambridge's

Brocklebank made his first push for ten strokes to which Oxford responded in kind. A second push from the Light Blues however saw them pull away and lead by one and a quarter lengths as they passed below

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 ...

. As both crews encountered a headwind, they dropped to 29 strokes per minute, but their styles were markedly different: Cambridge were lively while Oxford laboured. By Chiswick Steps the lead was two and a half lengths and three 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 ...

. The Dark Blues pushed hard in the final stretches and slowly reduced Cambridge's lead until Brocklebank put one final spurt in at Mortlake Brewery to secure the victory. Cambridge won by two and a half lengths in a time of 19 minutes 26 seconds, their eighth consecutive win in the event and the narrowest margin of victory since the 1923 race. The win took the overall record in the event to 42–40 in their favour.

References

Notes Bibliography * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1931 1931 in English sport The Boat Race March 1931 sports events 1931 sports events in London