The Boat Race 1925

Last updated

77th Boat Race
Date28 March 1925 (1925-03-28)
WinnerCambridge
Margin of victoryOxford waterlogged
Winning time21 minutes 50 seconds
Overall record
(CambridgeOxford)
36–40
Umpire Frederick I. Pitman
(Cambridge)

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 4036 in Oxford's favour.

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] 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 and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. [4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1924 race by 4 12 lengths, while Oxford led overall with 40 victories to Cambridge's 35 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [5] [6]

Oxford were coached by G. C. Bourne, who had rowed for the university in the 1882 and 1883 races, Stanley Garton (who had rowed three times between 1909 and 1911) and E. D. Horsfall (who had rowed in the three races prior to the First World War). Cambridge's coaches were Francis Escombe, P. Haig-Thomas (four-time Blue who had rowed between 1902 and 1905), Sir Henry Howard (coach of the Lady Margaret Boat Club) [7] and David Alexander Wauchope (who had rowed in the 1895 race). [8] [9] For the seventeenth year the umpire was Old Etonian Frederick I. Pitman, who had rowed for Cambridge in the 1884, 1885 and 1886 races. [10]

As a result of various illnesses, the Oxford crew was not finalised until five days before the race, and according to former Dark Blue rower and author George Drinkwater, "the innumerable changes prevented the crew from ever really getting together". [9] Drinkwater also stated that the Oxford boat rowed with "three unfit men in the boat". [9] Similarly, Cambridge were affected by illness, in particular the boat club president Robert Morrison, who was forced to leave the crew. [9]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12  st 0.875  lb (78.5 kg), 0.375 pounds (0.2 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge's crew included six participants with Boat Race experience, all of whom had made their first appearance in the event the previous year. Oxford saw three rowers return to the boat, including G. J. Mower-White who was rowing in his third consecutive race. [11] All of the participants in the race were registered as British. [12]

SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameCollegeWeightNameCollegeWeight
Bow A. H. Franklin Lincoln 11 st 9.5 lbG. E. G. Goddard Jesus 11 st 2 lb
2C. E. Pitman Christ Church 11 st 7 lbW. F. Smith 1st Trinity 11 st 7 lb
3E. C. T. Edwards Christ Church 12 st 3.5 lbH. R. Carver 3rd Trinity 12 st 13 lb
4M. R. Grant Christ Church 11 st 8 lbJ. S. Herbert King's 11 st 9 lb
5G. J. Mower-White (P) Brasenose 13 st 4 lbG. H. Ambler Clare 12 st 7 lb
6J. D. W. Thomson University 12 st 10 lbG. L. Elliot-Smith Lady Margaret Boat Club 13 st 4 lb
7G. E. G. Gadsden Christ Church 11 st 12 lbS. K. Tubbs Gonville and Caius 11 st 12 lb
Stroke A. V. Campbell Christ Church 11 st 9 lbA. G. Wansbrough King's 11 st 7 lb
Cox R. Knox Balliol 8 st 2 lbJ. A. Brown Gonville and Caius 7 st 13 lb
Source: [13]
(P) boat club president
R. E. Morrison acted as the non-rowing president for Cambridge [14]

Race

The Championship Course along which the Boat Race is contested University Boat Race Thames map.svg
The Championship Course along which the Boat Race is contested

Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Oxford. Pitman got the race underway at 3:41 p.m. in a strong wind diagonally across the start which made the Surrey virtually unnavigable, and within a minute of the start, the Dark Blues' boat was waterlogged. Cambridge enjoyed the shelter of the Middlesex wall and rapidly went away. Despite being advised to stop by their coach Garton, it was not until The Doves pub that Oxford retired. Cambridge slowed to a "strong paddle" and passed the finishing post in a time of 21 minutes 50 seconds. [9]

It was the slowest winning time since the 1912 race, and the third time in the history of the event that one or both of the crews sank (in the 1859 and 1912 races). [5] According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, the race was "a complete 'washout' in the literal sense of the word". [9] Following the race, Pitman was heavily criticised for his placement of the stakeboats; Drinkwater disagreed, noting that "when the take-boats were being placed ... the water was possible for both boats." [15] Indeed, prior to the race he had followed the requests of both boat club presidents to move the boats closer to the Middlesex station but did not want to give an inappropriate advantage to the crew starting from that side of the river. In a letter from Pitman, published in The Field , he wrote that "I hope that the umpire may be relieved from the duty of fixing the course, or that he may have the assistance of a representative of both Universities on his launch in fixing the stake-boats and deciding whether the race can be rowed." [15]

Related Research Articles

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The Boat Race 1912

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The 59th Boat Race took place on 22 March 1902. 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. Although Oxford used swivel rowlocks for the first time in the history of the race, Cambridge won by five lengths in a time of 19 minutes 9 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 33–25 in Oxford's favour.

The 60th Boat Race took place on 1 April 1903. 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 was umpired for the first time by former Cambridge rower Frederick I. Pitman, whose misfiring starter pistol caused confusion at the start, allowing Cambridge to gain an advantage. They went on to win by six lengths in a time of 19 minutes 33 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 33–26 in Oxford's favour.

The 61st Boat Race took place on 26 March 1904. 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. Neither boat club president was able to row through injury. In a race umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by ​4 12 lengths in a time of 21 minutes 37 seconds. Their third victory in a row, it took the overall record in the event to 33–27 in Oxford's favour.

The 62nd Boat Race took place on 1 April 1905. 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. In this year's race, umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Oxford won by three lengths in a time of 20 minutes 35 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 34–27 in their favour.

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The 64th Boat Race took place on 16 March 1907. 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 were reigning champions, having won the previous year's race, and more than half their crew had already participated in the event. In a race umpired by Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by ​4 12 lengths in a time of 20 minutes 26 seconds. It was their second consecutive victory and their fifth win in six races, taking the overall record in the event to 34–29 in Oxford's favour.

The 65th Boat Race took place on 4 April 1908. 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 were reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. In a race umpired by Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by ​2 12 lengths in a time of 19 minutes 20 seconds. It was their third consecutive victory and their sixth win in seven races, taking the overall record in the event to 34–30 in Oxford's favour.

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 68th Boat Race took place on 1 April 1911. 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 went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. Umpired by former Cambridge rower Frederick I. Pitman, Oxford won by ​2 34 lengths in a time of 18 minutes 29 seconds, taking their overall lead in the competition to 37–30.

The Boat Race 1913

The 70th Boat Race took place on 13 March 1913. 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 went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race. The two crews contained a total of five medallists from the 1912 Summer Olympics. Umpired by former Cambridge rower Frederick I. Pitman, Oxford won this year's race by three-quarters of a length in a time of 20 minutes 53 seconds. The victory took the overall record in the event to 39–30 in their favour.

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.

The Boat Race 1922

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 12 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.

The Boat Race 1923

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 Boat Race 1924

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 78th Boat Race took place on 27 March 1926. 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 by five lengths in a time of 19 minutes 29 seconds in the largest winning margin since 1912. It was Cambridge's third consecutive victory and took the overall record in the event to 40–37 in Oxford's favour.

The 80th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1928. 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. In a race umpired by former Oxford rower Charles Burnell, Cambridge won by ten lengths, the largest margin of victory since 1900, in a time of 20 minutes 25 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 40–39 in Oxford's favour.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer . 6 April 2003. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  2. Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. "The Course". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  4. "Former Winnipegger in winning OxfordCambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  6. "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  7. Nickalls, Guy (16 March 1934). "Why Cambridge Wins the Boat Race". The Spectator . p. 9.
  8. Burnell, pp. 110111
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Drinkwater, p. 144
  10. Burnell, pp. 49, 108
  11. Burnell, pp. 7172
  12. Burnell, p. 39
  13. Burnell, p. 72
  14. Burnell, pp. 50, 52
  15. 1 2 Drinkwater, p. 145

Bibliography