page_title: The Boat Race 1839
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: The Boat Race 1839 / Background
context_page_description: The 3rd Boat Race took place on the River Thames on 3 April 1839. It was the second of the University Boat Races to be held on the River Thames, this time between Westminster and Putney. Cambridge had competed against Leander Club in 1837 and 1838; it had been three years since Oxford and Cambridge raced against one another. Representatives of both universities and an independent referee oversaw the proceedings. Cambridge won the race by 35 lengths, as of 2019 the largest winning margin in the history of the event.
context_section_description: The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").  The race was first held in 1829, and takes place on the River Thames in southwest London.  No race between the two universities was held in 1837 or 1838, instead Cambridge raced against Leander Club those years.  The umpires for the race were C. B. Wollaston (for Oxford) and C. J. Selwyn (for Cambridge), while W. H. Harrison acted as referee.
  Cambridge's boat was constructed by Searle of Stangate, while Oxford's "beautifully constructed" vessel was built by King of Oxford.  The race was scheduled to take place on a five-and-three-quarter-mile stretch between Westminster Bridge and Putney Bridge.  Oxford were trained by a Thames waterman while Cambridge were guided by their cox, Thomas Selby Egan.
caption: The 1839 race took place between Westminster and Putney bridges.
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