WREXHAM'S Tom James yesterday suffered the agony of completing an unwanted hat-trick of Boat Race defeats from as many races rowing for Cambridge. Oxford tamed the angry River Thames to hand favourites Cambridge a decisive beating in the 152nd University Boat Race. The Dark Blues belied their lack of Boat Race experience to power to an emphatic victory by 15 seconds and five lengths as Cambridge were virtually swamped by the white-force waves. The winning time of 18 minutes 26 seconds was well short of the course record of 16 minutes 19 seconds set by Cambridge in 1998 - but that was no surprise considering the tempestuous conditions. Oxford handled them far better than their rivals and their president, Canadian Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams, praised the tactics of coach Sean Bowden for that. Williams, the only returning rower from last year's Oxford triumph by the heaviest crew in Boat Race history, said: "We had a coach who kept us focused on the moment. "That was the key." He was troubled by the conditions, adding: "It was choppy but we handled it really well. "Coming into the headwind I thought we would have to tuck in and it would be survival rowing but it didn't faze us." | 
