The Boat Race 1961

Meanwhile, Oxford were anticipated to be "exceptionally strong" yet on occasion their rowing appeared to be "laborious", with some commentators blaming the longer oars.

[13][14][15] He was accompanied in the umpire's boat by Antony Armstrong-Jones, husband of Princess Margaret, who had coxed Cambridge to victory in the 1950 race.

Cambridge's crew contained two former Blues, cox Roger Weston and rower John Beveridge who was making his third appearance in the event.

[17] There were three non-British participants registered in the race: Oxford's number three, John Sewell and Cambridge's Mike Christian and Mark Hoffman were all from the United States.

[9] Oxford, the pre-race favourites,[9] won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Cambridge.

[17] The race commenced at 2.35 p.m., delayed by more than 20 minutes as a result of a drifting stake boat,[9] with Cambridge taking an early but brief lead.

[1] The rowing correspondent for The Times suggested that "for Oxford it was a sad day, and for Cooper a tragedy", while for Cambridge it was "a splendid victory".