The Boat Race 1888

Last updated

45th Boat Race
Date24 March 1888 (1888-03-24)
WinnerCambridge
Margin of victory7 lengths
Winning time20 minutes 48 seconds
Overall record
(CambridgeOxford)
2123
Umpire Robert Lewis-Lloyd
(Cambridge)

The 45th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1888. 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 the race umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd for the final time, Cambridge won by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds.

Contents

Background

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") [1] and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). [1] First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2 miles (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. [2] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. [3] [4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race by 2+12 lengths, while Oxford held the overall lead, with 23 victories to Cambridge's 20 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [5] [6]

Oxford's boat club president Hector McLean died of typhoid fever in January 1888 and while the Dark Blues recruited "good men", according to Drinkwater, they also "did not develop into a good crew and were never looked on as possible winners", while Cambridge "had a surplus of excellent material". [7] Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne (who had rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1882 and 1883 races, and coached them for the 1885 race), F. P. Bully (who had coached Oxford in 1886 race), and Tom Edwards-Moss (who rowed for the Dark Blues four times between the 1875 and the 1878 races). [8] There is no record of who coached Cambridge. According to Drinkwater, during practice, the weather conditions were "very bad ... rough and stormy, and bitterly cold". [7] He also noted that the Light Blue crew was "undoubtedly one of the fastest that have ever appeared at Putney." [7]

The umpire for the race was Robert Lewis-Lloyd (who had rowed for Cambridge four times between 1856 and 1859) and had umpired every year since the 1881 race. [9]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 11  st 13.75  lb (75.9 kg), 1.75 pounds (0.8 kg) more than their opponents. [10] Cambridge saw two former Blues return in Percy Landale and Stanley Muttlebury, the latter of whom was making his third Boat Race appearance. Oxford's crew contained three rowers with experience in the event, including bow W. F. C. Holland, H. R Parker and Guy Nickalls. [10] All competitors in the race were British. [11]

Muttlebury SD Vanity Fair 1890-03-22.jpg
Nickalls 5537493922 6b328c147b o.jpg
Stanley Muttlebury (caricature left) rowed for Cambridge for the third time, while Guy Nickalls (right) occupied the number seven seat for Oxford.
SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameCollegeWeightNameCollegeWeight
Bow W. F. C. Holland Brasenose 11 st 0 lbR. H. Symonds-Tayler Trinity Hall 10 st 7 lb
2A. P. Parker Magdalen 11 st 11 lbL. Hannen Trinity Hall 11 st 1 lb
3M. E. Bradford Christ Church 11 st 9 lbR. H. P. Orde 1st Trinity 11 st 7 lb
4S. R. Fothergill New College 12 st 10 lbC. B. P. Bell Trinity Hall 12 st 13.5 lb
5H. Cross Hertford 13 st 0.5 lb S. D. Muttlebury (P) 3rd Trinity 13 st 7 lb
6H. R. Parker (P) Brasenose 13 st 5 lbP. Landale Trinity Hall 12 st 4 lb
7 G. Nickalls Magdalen 12 st 4 lb F. H. Maugham Trinity Hall 11 st 8 lb
Stroke L. Freere Brasenose 10 st 0.5 lb J. C. Gardner Emmanuel 11 st 7 lb
Cox A. H. Stewart New College 7 st 13.5 lbJ. R. Roxburgh Trinity Hall 8 st 2 lb
Source: [12]
(P) boat club president [13]

Race

The Championship Course, along which the race is conducted University Boat Race Thames map.svg
The Championship Course, along which the race is conducted

Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge. [10] Commencing at 10.56 a.m., [10] Cambridge took an early lead, and led from the start, holding a six-length lead by Hammersmith Bridge. [7] They extended their lead by a further length to win by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds. [12] It was their third consecutive victory, and their fourth in five years, and took the overall record to 2321 in Oxford's favour. The winning time was four seconds quicker than the previous year's race. [6] It was the last time the race was umpired by Lewis-Lloyd, who was replaced the following year by Frank Willan who had rowed for Cambridge four times between the 1866 and 1869 races. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

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The 28th Boat Race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on the River Thames on the 1 April 1871. The race, umpired by Joseph William Chitty, was won by Cambridge by one length in a time of 23 minutes 10 seconds for their second consecutive victory.

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The 35th Boat Race took place on 13 April 1878. 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 total, ten former Blues took part in the contest. The race was umpired by former rower Joseph William Chitty and Oxford won by a margin of 10 lengths in a time of 22 minutes 15 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 18–16 in Oxford's favour.

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The 38th Boat Race, an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames, took place on 8 April 1881. In a race umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd, Oxford won by a margin of three lengths in a time of 21 minutes 51 seconds taking the overall record to 20–17 in their favour.

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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+12 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.

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The 44th Boat Race took place on 26 March 1887. 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 was umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd, and Cambridge won by two and a half lengths after one of the Oxford crew's oars snapped in half. The winning time for the race was 20 minutes 52 seconds, and Cambridge's victory took the overall record to 23–20 in Oxford's favour.

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The 67th Boat Race took place on 23 March 1910. 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. Oxford were reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. In a race umpired by Frederick I. Pitman, Oxford won by 3+12 lengths in a time of 20 minutes 14 seconds, taking their overall lead in the competition to 36–30.

The 73rd Boat Race took place on 30 March 1921. 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. Cambridge, with the heavier crew, went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. In total, nine of the participants in this year's race had previous Boat Race experience, and five had won a silver medal in the 1920 Summer Olympics. In this year's race, umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by one length in a time of 19 minutes 45 seconds. It was Cambridge's third consecutive win, the fastest winning time since 1913 and the narrowest margin of victory since 1913. The result took the overall record to 39–33 in Oxford's favour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 1924</span> Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 76th Boat Race took place on 5 April 1924. 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. Oxford were reigning champions, having won the previous year's race, and their crew was significantly heavier than their opponents for this year's race. Umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by 4+12 lengths in a time of 18 minutes 41 seconds, the fastest time since 1911. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–35 in Oxford's favour.

The 79th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1927. 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. Oxford's crew was marginally heavier than their opponents, and saw five participants return with Boat Race experience, compared to Cambridge's four. Umpired for the first time by former Oxford rower Charles Burnell, Cambridge won by three lengths in a time of 20 minutes 14 seconds. It was the first race in the history of the event to be broadcast live on BBC Radio. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–38 in Oxford's favour. The inaugural Women's Boat Race was contested this year, with Oxford securing the victory.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer . 6 April 2003. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  3. "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  5. "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Drinkwater, p. 91
  8. Burnell, pp. 110111
  9. Burnell, p. 106
  10. 1 2 3 4 Burnell, p. 64
  11. Burnell, p. 38
  12. 1 2 Dodd, p. 308
  13. Burnell, pp. 5051
  14. Drinkwater, p. 92
  15. Burnell, p.102

Bibliography