“THE Tideway’s an interesting old place, isn’t it,” Duncan Holland, the Cambridge coach, said as he stood looking at his sad crew after his first experience of the Boat Race.

For his Oxford counterpart, Sean Bowden, it was his eleventh Boat Race and he has now won seven. The omens were on his side when he won the toss for stations for the first time since 1998 and chose Surrey, which was likely to be the least rough in windy conditions after Hammersmith.

Oxford increased their chances with a cracking start that gave them a marginal lead, but Cambridge, generally appearing more relaxed, drew ahead to a canvas advantage at the Mile and it was “race on”.

Bowden spoke beforehand of “being strong in the second half” and “pacing yourself to go for the kill”. At Hammersmith Bridge, with bend advantage ahead, Oxford led by a third of a length and went for that “kill”, but Cambridge hung on and were just half- a-length down at St Paul’s.

The conditions then kicked in and waves and a head wind caused both crews virtually to stop, Cambridge appearing to suffer most markedly. According to the umpire “they certainly shipped more water”.

Oxford rallied, Cambridge had no reply and the former opened up a five-length win. “Full marks to them,” Holland said. “They found a better line and took it.” Kieran West, Cambridge’s Olympic champion, added: “The water hit us so hard and, on Middlesex, we had to stay in it.”

Before the race, Holland had suggested that “in good water we would anticipate a long race, decided on the last bend. If the water is bad, anything might happen.” It was a prophetic thought.