The Boat Race 1953
99th Boat Race | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | 28 March 1953 | ||
Winner | Cambridge | ||
Margin of victory | 8 lengths | ||
Winning time | 19 minutes 54 seconds | ||
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 54–44 | ||
Umpire | Gerald Ellison (Oxford) | ||
|
The 99th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1953. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race, in which the Oxford crew was slightly heavier than their opponents, was umpired by former rower Gerald Ellison. Cambridge won by eight lengths in a time of 19 minutes 54 seconds. It was their sixth win in seven years and took the overall record in the event to 54–44 in their favour.
Background
Cambridge were coached by James Crowden (who had represented Cambridge in the 1951 and 1952 races), David Jennens (who rowed three times between 1949 and 1951), Roy Meldrum (a coach for Lady Margaret Boat Club) and R. H. H. Symonds (who had rowed in the 1931 race). Oxford's coaches were A. J. M. Durand (who had rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1920 race), Hugh "Jumbo" Edwards (who rowed for Oxford in 1926 and 1930), R. D. Hill (who rowed in the 1940 wartime race) and J. H. Page.[7] The race was umpired for the second time by former Oxford rower and Gerald Ellison, the Bishop of Willesden.[8]
In the build-up to the race, opinions were divided on which crew was favourite to win. According to the rowing correspondent of The Manchester Guardian, upon arrival at Putney, Oxford demonstrated "great superiority" over Cambridge, yet the Light Blues had improved, and had "the pace, if not the form, to win".
Crews
The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 13 lb (81.9 kg), 3 pounds (1.4 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge saw two rowers return to their crew: J. S. M. Jones at number two and G. T. Marshall at number four. Oxford's crew contained three rowers with Boat Race experience: A. J. Smith, M. L. Thomas and H. M. C. Quick.[13] Two of the participants in the race were registered as non-British: Oxford's Smith was Australian while Cambridge's L. B. McCagg was from the United States.[14] The rowing correspondent for The Times described Oxford's crew as containing "no outstanding individuals" yet "no weak links".[10] Conversely, Cambridge's crew was "variable" in quality but in former Harvard University rower Louis McCagg, they had the "outstanding oarsman in either crew".[10]
Seat | Oxford |
Cambridge | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | College | Weight | Name | College | Weight | |
Bow |
R. A. Byatt | New College | 12 st 4 lb | J. A. N. Wallis | Lady Margaret Boat Club | 11 st 12.5 lb |
2 | A. J. Smith | Merton | 12 st 9 lb | J. S. M. Jones | Lady Margaret Boat Club | 12 st 3 lb |
3 | J. M. Wilson | Trinity | 13 st 3 lb | J. R. MacMillan | 1st & 3rd Trinity | 13 st 0.5 lb |
4 | E. C. B. Hammond | Brasenose | 13 st 2 lb | G. T. Marshall (P) | King's | 13 st 5 lb |
5 | M. L. Thomas (P) | Jesus | 13 st 10 lb | D. A. T. Leadley | Emmanuel | 13 st 3.5 lb |
6 | D. T. H. Davenport | University | 13 st 1 lb | L. B. McCagg | Emmanuel | 13 st 0 lb |
7 | H. M. C. Quick | Merton | 13 st 5 lb | J. M. King | Lady Margaret Boat Club | 12 st 8.5 lb |
Stroke |
J. S. Howles | University | 12 st 0 lb | P. D. Hall | Corpus Christi | 12 st 6 lb |
Cox | W. R. Marsh | University | 8 st 10 lb | B. M. Eddy | Pembroke | 8 st 10 lb |
Source:[15] (P) – boat club president[16] |
Race
Cambridge won the
Pushing away from the bridge, Oxford stayed in touch with Cambridge for a brief period, although could not reduce their lead. Rowing into rough water towards Chiswick Eyot, Cambridge moved across to seek shelter closer to the Surrey shore, while Oxford continued in the difficult conditions. A lead of 14 seconds by Chiswick Steps was calmly extended to 20 seconds by the time the crews passed below Barnes Bridge.[12] Cambridge won by eight lengths in a time of 19 minutes 54 seconds, a time which "could have been shortened by at least half a minute had the winners been pressed".[17] It was their sixth victory in the past seven and the fastest winning time since the 1949 race.[5] The rowing correspondent for The Times described the result as a "spectacular reversal of form" having failed to show the pace they demonstrated in practice.[18]
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Burnell, pp. 110–111
- ^ Burnell, pp. 49, 74
- The Manchester Guardian. 28 March 1953. p. 1.
- ^ a b c "Prospects for today's Boat Race". The Times. No. 52582. 28 March 1953. p. 7.
- ^ "1953: Queen Mary dies peacefully after illness". BBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d Thomson, Ian (29 March 1953). "Cambridge lead all the way". The Observer. p. 12.
- ^ a b Burnell, p. 77
- ^ Burnell, p. 39
- ^ Dodd, p. 335
- ^ Burnell, pp. 50, 52
- ^ The Manchester Guardian. 30 March 1953. p. 9.
- ^ "Form upset in Boat Race". The Times. No. 52583. 30 March 1953. p. 2.
Bibliography
- ISBN 0950063878.
- Dodd, Christopher (1983). The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. Stanley Paul. ISBN 0091513405.