The Boat Race 1892

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49th Boat Race
Muttlebury coaching CUBC from steamer 1892.jpg
Engraving of Cambridge's Stanley Muttlebury coaching the crew from a steamer
Date9 April 1892 (1892-04-09)
WinnerOxford
Margin of victory2+1⁄4 lengths
Winning time19 minutes 10 seconds
Overall record
(Cambridge–Oxford)		22–26
Umpire Frank Willan
(Oxford)
← 1891 1893 →

The 49th Boat Race took place on 9 April 1892. 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 total, twelve of the competitors had previous Boat Race experience. In a race umpired by former rower Frank Willan, Oxford won by 2+1⁄4 lengths in a time of 19 minutes 10 seconds. It was their third consecutive victory and the fastest in the history of the event at that time.

Contents

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 half a length in the previous year's race, and held the overall lead, with 25 victories to Cambridge's 22 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [7] [8]

Oxford's coaches were F. P. Bully, R. C. Lehmann (former president of the Cambridge Union Society and captain of the 1st Trinity Boat Club; although he had rowed in the trial eights for Cambridge, he was never selected for the Blue boat) [9] Douglas McLean (who rowed five times for Oxford between 1883 and 1887), and Guy Nickalls (five-time Blue between 1887 and 1891). [10] Lehmann had briefly coached Cambridge in the "early stages" of their preparation. [11]

The umpire for the race for the fourth year in a row was Frank Willan who won the event four consecutive times, rowing for Oxford in the 1866, 1867, 1868 and 1869 races. [12]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12  st 3  lb (77.4 kg), 5.125 pounds (2.3 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge's crew contained two rowers with no experience in the event, Robert Grieve Neill rowing at number two and Graham Campbell Kerr at number six. Four of their crew attended Trinity Hall. Oxford saw four rowers and the cox return from the previous year's race, and included Guy Nickalls rowing in his fourth consecutive event. Six of the Dark Blues had been pupils at Eton College, and four were studying at Magdalen College. [13] One rower was registered as non-British: Edward Wason Lord for Cambridge hailed from Australia, having attending Brisbane Grammar School. [14]

Hugh Benjamin Cotton rowed at bow for Oxford. Cotton HB Vanity Fair 1894-03-15.jpg
Hugh Benjamin Cotton rowed at bow for Oxford.
SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg 		Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameCollegeWeightNameCollegeWeight
Bow H. B. Cotton Magdalen 9 st 13 lbE. W. Lord Trinity Hall 10 st 12 lb
2J. A. Ford Brasenose 11 st 9 lbR. G. Neill Jesus 11 st 11 lb
3W. A. S. Hewett University 12 st 2 lbG. Francklyn 3rd Trinity 12 st 3 lb
4F. E. Robeson Merton 13 st 7.5 lbE. T. Fison Corpus Christi 12 st 6.5 lb
5 V. Nickalls Magdalen 13 st 1 lbW. Landale Trinity Hall 13 st 1 lb
6 W. A. L. Fletcher Magdalen 13 st 8 lbG. C. Kerr 1st Trinity 12 st 1 lb
7R. P. P. Rowe (P) Magdalen 13 st 2 lbC. T. Fogg-Elliot Trinity Hall 11 st 8.5 lb
Stroke C. M. Pitman New College 11 st 12 lbG. Elin 3rd Trinity 10 st 10 lb
Cox J. P. Heywood-Lonsdale New College 8 st 9 lbJ. V. Braddon Trinity Hall 7 st 13 lb
Source: [15]
(P) – boat club president, John Friend Rowlatt acted as Cambridge's non-rowing president [16]

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, [13] the pre-race favourites (although former rower and author George Drinkwater states this was as a result of a practice row after which Oxford's time was inaccurately reported in the press). Conditions for the race were described by Drinkwater as "perfect" with a light breeze from the east and a good tide. [11] Oxford led from the start and were half a length ahead by Craven Steps (approximately 1,080 yards (990 m) along the course), extending to almost a length at Harrods Furniture Depository. A spurt from Cambridge's stroke Gerard Elin reduced the deficit and by Hammersmith Bridge they were half a length down. [11]

A malfunctioning slide rendered Elin's contributions to the Light Blues' efforts negligible and Oxford accelerated away, being two lengths up by Chiswick and four lengths ahead as they passed under Barnes Bridge. [11] They passed the finishing post 2+1⁄4 lengths ahead in a time of 19 minutes and 10 seconds. It was Oxford's third consecutive victory, and was the fastest winning time in the history of the race (when held on the Championship Course), beating the 1873 race winning time by 25 seconds. [8]

Related Research Articles

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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 1922</span> Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 74th Boat Race took place on 1 April 1922. 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 went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race, and had the significantly heavier crew. Four of the Oxford crew and three of the Cambridge crew had previous Boat Race experience. In this year's race, umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by 4+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 19 minutes 27 seconds. It was Cambridge's fourth consecutive victory, the largest winning margin since 1914 and the fastest winning time since 1911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race 1923</span> Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 75th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1923. 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's crew was marginally heavier than Oxford's, the latter included an Olympic silver medallist. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. In this year's race, umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Oxford won by three-quarters of a length in a time of 20 minutes 54 seconds, securing their first win in five years. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–34 in their favour.

The 77th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1925. 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. Umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won in a time of 21 minutes 50 seconds after Oxford became waterlogged and were unable to finish the race. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–36 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 11 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Course". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Markovits, Andrei; Rensmann, Lars (6 June 2010). Gaming the World: How Sports Are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture. Princeton University Press. pp. 287–288. ISBN   978-0-69-113751-3.
  7. ↑ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Men – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  9. ↑ Searby, Peter (6 November 1997). A History of the University of Cambridge: Volume 3, 1750–1870. Cambridge University Press. p. 664. ISBN   978-0-52-135060-0.
  10. ↑ Burnell, pp. 110–111
  11. 1 2 3 4 Drinkwater, p. 97
  12. ↑ Burnell, pp. 49, 59
  13. 1 2 Burnell, p. 65
  14. ↑ Burnell, p. 38
  15. ↑ Dodd, p. 310
  16. ↑ Burnell, pp. 50–51

Bibliography

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