The Boat Race 1896
53rd Boat Race | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | 28 March 1896 | ||
Winner | Oxford | ||
Margin of victory | 2/5 of a length | ||
Winning time | 20 minutes 1 second | ||
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 22–30 | ||
Umpire | Frank Willan (Oxford) | ||
|
The 53rd Boat Race took place on 28 March 1896. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. In a race umpired by former rower Frank Willan, Oxford won by two-fifths of a length in a time of 20 minutes 1 second, taking the overall record in the event to 30–22 in their favour. It was their seventh consecutive victory and the narrowest winning margin since 1877.
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 29 victories to Cambridge's 22 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[7][8]
Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne who had rowed for Oxford in the
Crews
The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 6.5 lb (79.0 kg), 1 pound (0.5 kg) per rower more than their opponents.[12] Five of the Cambridge crew had rowed in the previous year's race: boat club president Theodore Byram Hope, Herbert Aylward Game, Richard Yerburgh Bonsey, Thomas Jones Gibb Duncanson and Adam Searle Bell.[12] The Oxford crew contained three former Blues, including Walter Erskine Crum who was making his third consecutive appearance in the event. Six of the Oxford crew and two Cantabrigians were educated at Eton College.[12]
Seat | Oxford |
Cambridge | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | College | Weight | Name | College | Weight | |
Bow |
J. J. J. de Knoop | New College | 11 st 1.5 lb | T. B. Hope (P) | Trinity Hall | 11 st 1 lb |
2 | C. K. Phillips | New College | 12 st 5.5 lb | H. A. Game | 1st Trinity | 12 st 4 lb |
3 | E. C. Sherwood | Magdalen | 12 st 12 lb | D. Pennington | Gonville and Caius | 12 st 7 lb |
4 | C. D. Burnell | Magdalen | 13 st 10 lb | R. Y. Bonsey | Lady Margaret Boat Club | 12 st 10 lb |
5 | E. R. Balfour | University | 13 st 6 lb | W. A. Bieber | Trinity Hall | 12 st 12 lb |
6 | R. Carr | Magdalen | 12 st 8.5 lb | T. J. G. Duncanson | Emmanuel | 13 st 12 lb |
7 | W. E. Crum | New College | 12 st 3 lb | A. S. Bell | Trinity Hall | 11 st 13 lb |
Stroke |
H. G. Gold | Magdalen | 11 st 5.5 lb | W. J. Fernie | Trinity Hall | 11 st 13 lb |
Cox | H. R. K. Pechell | Brasenose | 8 st 1 lb | T. R. Paget-Tomlinson | Trinity Hall | 8 st 4.5 lb |
Source:[13] (P) – boat club president[14] M. C. Pilkington acted as non-rowing president for Oxford. |
Race
Cambridge, the pre-race favourites,
Despite being behind for most of the race, the Oxford
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 978-0691137513.
- ^ "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 978-0521350600.
- ^ Burnell, pp. 110–111
- ^ Burnell, pp. 49, 59
- ^ a b c d Burnell, p. 66
- ^ Dodd, p. 312
- ^ Burnell, pp. 50–51
- ^ a b c Drinkwater, p. 102
- ^ Drinkwater, p. 103
Bibliography
- ISBN 0950063878.
- Dodd, Christopher (1983). The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. Stanley Paul. ISBN 0-09-151340-5.
- Drinkwater, G. C.; Sanders, T. R. B. (1929). The University Boat Race – Official Centenary History. Cassell & Company, Ltd.