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The 127th Boat Race took place on 4 April 1981. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Umpired by former Oxford rower Ronnie Howard, it was won by Oxford who passed the finishing post eight lengths ahead of Cambridge, their largest margin of victory since 1898. The race saw Oxford coxed by Sue Brown, the first female cox in the history of the event. In the reserve race, Isis beat Goldie by four-and-a-half lengths, and in the Women's Boat Race, Oxford were victorious. ==Background== 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").〔 First held in 1829, the race takes place on the Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Cambridge by a canvas in the previous year's race. However Cambridge held the overall lead, with 68 victories to Oxford's 57.〔Dodd, p. 348〕 The race was sponsored for fifth time by Ladbrokes.〔 The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races. The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.〔 Christopher Dodd writing in ''The Guardian'' noted Oxford's aggressiveness during the preparations for the race, suggesting that they were "set to humiliate their opponents if they possibly can." Dodd went on to predict that Oxford would win by their greatest margin since the 1898 race. Meanwhile, Cambridge had reorganised their seating order the week before the race.〔 Oxford's boat was named after Russell Crockford who had rowed in Oxford's successful 1978 and 1979 races. He was killed in a car accident the previous year on his way to a regatta in Australia. Umpire Ronnie Howard modified the starting arrangements, making the boats commence the race closer together to dissuade the coxes steering into one another from the start.〔 He warned both coxes that should they foul, he would disqualify them.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Boat Race 1981」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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