The Boat Race 1973

It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post thirteen lengths ahead of Oxford, the largest winning margin since the 1955 race.

[1] First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2 miles (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.

[11] Both crews had to cope with strong winds in their outings, with large pieces of driftwood providing additional hazards to the boats.

[12] Cambridge's number four, Chris Baillieu, recovered from a back injury while his cox, Mike Williams, spent time before the race recuperating from an upset stomach.

[15] In an interview with Barry Norman writing for The Observer, Oxford's stroke Sawyier had prophetically suggested: "if we do lose, I hope we're not disgraced ... it would be a kind of tawdry end of the year to be in a crew that was beaten out of sight.

[15] Oxford saw four former Blues return, Magarey, Hall, Payne and the cox Yalouris, while Cambridge welcomed back Chris Baillieu for his fourth race and Michael Hart.

[21] In the warm-up to the race, the Light Blues opted for calm waters in Wandsworth Reach while Oxford rowed part of the course, in rough conditions, up to the Mile Post and back.

[22] Oxford made a fast start, rating over 40 strokes per minute, but in the rough conditions it resulted in more water being drawn into their boat.

[7] A ten-second lead at the Mile Post was extended to sixteen seconds by Hammersmith Bridge with Oxford still taking on more water in their pursuit of the Light Blues.