The Boat Race 1975

"[11] On 24 March 1975, Cambridge beat Oxford's record time (set five days earlier) between Hammersmith Bridge and the Mile Post by two seconds.

[12] The following day, Oxford's coach Dan Topolski (who had rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1967 and 1968 races) revealed that the Oxford reserve crew, Isis, had equalled the record time, downplaying Cambridge's efforts: "Shows how fast conditions really were yesterday.

[11] Although the British international rower David Sturge was replaced through illness prior to the race, the Light Blues also saw international-standard rowers Alistair Christie and James Macleod in the crew, both of whom had withdrawn from selection for the 1974 race to represent Great Britain.

[14] Only two competitors in the race were registered as "overseas" Blues, Oxford's number five John Hutchings and his counterpart and Tourek, both from the United States.

[15] Cambridge started as pre-race favourite;[11] according to the author and former rower Dickie Burnell, although Oxford had some "useful new recruits" no-one "outside their immediate camp thought they could win.

Shooting Hammersmith Bridge five seconds ahead, Cambridge held a length-and-a-quarter lead, which they defended against a number of Oxford pushes.

Midway round the Surrey bend, Oxford's bow man Andrew Baird's oar came out of its gate, allowing Cambridge to increase their lead by another length.

"[8] Christopher Dodd, writing in The Guardian was impressed: "The contest had a rare element ... it was a race nearly all the way, and was not all over in the first 20 stokes as has so often been the case in recent years.