The Boat Race 1893
50th Boat Race | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | 22 March 1893 | ||
Winner | Oxford | ||
Margin of victory | 1+1⁄4 lengths | ||
Winning time | 18 minutes 45 seconds | ||
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 22–27 | ||
Umpire | Frank Willan (Oxford) | ||
|
The 50th Boat Race took place on 22 March 1893. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford went into the event as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. In a race umpired by former rower Frank Willan, Oxford won by a length and a quarter in a time of 18 minutes 45 seconds which was, at the time, the fastest in the history of the event. It was their fourth consecutive victory and took the overall record to 27–22 in their favour.
Background
The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the boat clubs of University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues")[1] and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").[1] The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.[2][3] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; as of 2014 it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.[4][5][6] Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Cambridge by 2+1⁄4 lengths in the previous year's race, and held the overall lead, with 26 victories to Cambridge's 22 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[7][8]
Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne (who rowed for Oxford in the
According to author Wadham Peacock, Barnes Bridge was undergoing repair which had jeopardised the running of the race. It was also one of only a few occasions where the race was not held on a Saturday, this year taking place on a Wednesday.[12]
Crews
The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 3.125 lb (77.4 kg), 3.125 pounds (1.4 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge saw two rowers with Boat Race experience return, including Graham Campbell Kerr and Charles Thurstan Fogg-Elliot. Six of the Light Blues had matriculated at Trinity College. The Oxford boat contained five former Blues including William Fletcher who was participating in his fourth Boat Race. Four of the Dark Blues were studying at Magdalen College.[13] All of the competitors in the race were registered as British.[14]
Although Oxford had four members of the previous year's race available, Fletcher was injured in practice and Vivian Nickalls was unwell. Cambridge's crew was considered to be powerful but technically deficient.[15]
Seat | Oxford |
Cambridge | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | College | Weight | Name | College | Weight | |
Bow |
H. B. Cotton |
Magdalen | 9 st 12 lb | G. A. H. Branson | 1st Trinity | 10 st 12 lb |
2 | J. A. Ford | Brasenose | 11 st 13 lb | R. F. Bayford |
Trinity Hall | 11 st 9 lb |
3 | J. A. Morrison | New College | 12 st 4.5 lb | C. T. Fogg-Elliot | Trinity Hall | 11 st 10.5 lb |
4 | H. Legge | Trinity | 12 st 13.5 lb | E. H. M. Waller | Corpus Christi | 12 st 5.5 lb |
5 | V. Nickalls | Magdalen | 13 st 4 lb | L. A. E. Olliivant | 1st Trinity | 13 st 3.5 lb |
6 | W. A. L. Fletcher (P) | Magdalen | 13 st 8.5 lb | G. C. Kerr | 1st Trinity | 12 st 6 lb |
7 | C. M. Pitman | New College | 13 st 0.5 lb | R. O. Kerrison | 3rd Trinity | 12 st 0 lb |
Stroke |
M. C. Pilkington | Magdalen | 11 st 11 lb | T. G. E. Lewis | 3rd Trinity | 11 st 12 lb |
Cox | L. Portman | University | 7 st 7 lb | C. T. Agar | 3rd Trinity | 7 st 7 lb |
Source:[16] (P) – boat club president, Gerard Elin acted as non-rowing president for Cambridge.[17] |
Race
Cambridge won the
Along Chiswick, despite a higher stroke rate, Cambridge failed to move ahead and showed signs of tiredness, and Oxford began to move away again. By Barnes Bridge they were a length-and-a-half clear, but encountered difficult water there as a temporary dam that had been constructed created an eddy.[18] Cambridge took advantage to reduce the deficit and pushed all the way to the finishing post, but Oxford won by 1+1⁄4 lengths. It was their fourth consecutive victory and in a time of 18 minutes 45 seconds, the fastest in the history of the event at the time.[8]
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "The Course". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-69-113751-3.
- ^ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ a b "Men – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-52-135060-0.
- ^ Burnell, pp. 110–111
- ^ Burnell, pp. 49, 59
- ^ a b Peacock, p. 114
- ^ a b Burnell, p. 65
- ^ Burnell, p. 38
- ^ Drinkwater, p. 98
- ^ Dodd, p. 310
- ^ Burnell, pp. 50–51
- ^ Drinkwater, pp. 98–99
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-95-006387-4.
- Dodd, Christopher (1983). The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. Stanley Paul. ISBN 978-0-09-151340-5.
- Drinkwater, G. C.; Sanders, T. R. B. (1929). The University Boat Race – Official Centenary History. Cassell & Company, Ltd.
- Peacock, Wadham. The Story of the Inter-university Boat Race. ISBN 978-1-12-093124-5.