The Boat Race 1861

Lunch 1/2 a pint of beer and bread-and-butter or a sandwich, or a glass of sherry and biscuits ... For dinner, we had four days a week beef and mutton, on the others fowls, fish (on Sundays), and once or twice a light pudding.

The race featured the first non-British rower in the history of the event: William Robertson of Wadham College, Oxford was educated at Geelong Grammar School in Australia before representing the Dark Blues at number four.

[7] At the football ground, rough water created by one of the nearby steamboats (who, according to MacMichael, had "shamefully put her paddle-wheels into motion") caused a swell to slow the Oxford boat.

[15] The Dark Blue crew's rhythm combined with more poor steering from Cambridge allowed Oxford to pull away, three lengths ahead by the Crab Tree and six by Hammersmith Bridge.

Oxford suffered briefly at the hands of a barge blocking their route but by Barnes Bridge were at least twelve lengths ahead.

They passed the flag boat (indicating the finish of the race) at the Ship Tavern in a time of 23 minutes 30 seconds,[a] and a lead of 16 lengths.