1960: 106th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 1¼ lengths. Oxford 47, Cambridge 58. See Boat Races 1960s
For the first time in a boat race Oxford used Spade Blades.
The original naval oars used in Napoleonic War gigs were simply spars with no blade at all.
So the first great development was to add a blade. But then the shapes developed:
There are theoretical considerations to do with the drag of the area of the blade away from the pivotal point whilst the blade is in the water. However to my mind the most significant change is to do with the catch, the initial start of the stroke in the water. The old narrow blades had to hit the water and keep it compressed otherwise the stroke tended to 'wash out'. Steve Fairbairn, in his poetic description of rowing style says
And he gathers aft to strike the craft
With a ringing bell note crack.
Well that 'ringing bell note crack' became much less essential. Spades held the water more significantly and decreased the importance of the sudden hit making a smoother action possible (and desirable). The modern hatchet blades are designed to smell water and latch on to it making 'washing out' less likely.
1960: HEAD OF THE RIVER - St Edmund Hall
1961: 107th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 4¼ lengths. Oxford 47, Cambridge 59. See Boat Races 1960s
Oxford coach Jumbo Edwards tried to capitalise on a very strong crew by increasing the oar length to 13 feet - it may have been too much!
Cambridge trained utilizing an unwieldy and primitive device developed in
Australia and called an "ergometer".
An Australian Ergometer (1960s)
Nobody can say rowing doesn't move with the times! It only took 90 years from the first patent (1871) to Cambridge trying out the idea. When was the first use in Oxford?
1961: HEAD OF THE RIVER - St Edmund Hall
1962: 108th BOAT RACE - Cambridge by 5 lengths. Oxford 47, Cambridge 60. See Boat Races 1960s
Oxford's 7, Peter Burnell, was the son of Richard Burnell who rowed 5 for Oxford in 1939;
and the grandson of Charles Burnell who rowed 6 for Oxford in 1895 and 4 for Oxford in 1896 and 1897;
and also grandson of Arthur Garton who rowed 4 for Oxford in 1909 and 6 for Oxford in 1910 and 1911.
1962: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Christ Church
1963: 109th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 5 lengths. Oxford 48, Cambridge 60. See Boat Races 1960s
1963: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Keble
1964: 110th BOAT RACE - Cambridge by 6½ lengths. Oxford 48, Cambridge 61. See Boat Races 1960s
1964: HEAD OF THE RIVER - St Edmund Hall
1965: 111th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 4 lengths. Oxford 49, Cambridge 61. See Boat Races 1960s
1965: HEAD OF THE RIVER - St Edmund Hall
1966: 112th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 3¾ lengths. Oxford 50, Cambridge 61. See Boat Races 1960s
1966: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Oriel
1967: 113th BOAT RACE - Oxford by 3¼ lengths. Oxford 51, Cambridge 61. See Boat Races 1960s
1967: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Keble
1968: 114th BOAT RACE - Cambridge by 3½ lengths. Oxford 51, Cambridge 62. See Boat Races 1960s
1968: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Keble
1969: 115th BOAT RACE - Cambridge by 4 lengths. Oxford 51, Cambridge 63. See Boat Races 1960s
1969: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Keble
In 1969, after one hundred and fifteen boat races, the overall tally was:
Oxford 51, Cambridge 63 (and one dead heat)
Leadership in Overall Tally of Boat Race Wins:
 
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| 1829 | 1969 |