The Boat Race 1986

Cambridge won by seven lengths and took their first victory in eleven years, in one of the fastest winning times in the history of the event.

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

[8] The race was sponsored by Ladbrokes for the tenth consecutive year,[9] estimated to be worth about £30,000 to each boat club,[10] and was umpired by former Cambridge rower Mike Sweeney.

The Cambridge crew featured three international rowers: two Canadians (Gibson and Wilson), and the American Pew.

[13] Oxford's MacDonald was the oldest in the race at the age of 30, he was accompanied in the boat by international rowers Clark and Livingstone from the United States and Jones from Australia.

[11] Cambridge were clear favourites to win, but prior to the race, Topolski claimed his crew had "pulled themselves back into contention by sheer hard work.

Continuing to pull away, Cambridge passed the finishing post 21 seconds and seven lengths ahead of Oxford.