The 41st Boat Race took place on 7 April 1884. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race, for which Robert Lewis-Lloyd acted as both umpire and starter for the first time, was won by Cambridge by margin of 2+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 21 minutes 39 seconds. The victory took the overall record in the event to 22–18 in Oxford's favour.