The Boat Race 1971

Last updated

117th Boat Race
Date27 March 1971
WinnerCambridge
Margin of victory10 lengths
Winning time17 minutes 58 seconds
Overall record
(CambridgeOxford)
6551
Umpire C. G. V. Davidge
(Oxford)
Other races
Reserve winnerGoldie
Women's winnerCambridge

The 117th Boat Race took place on 27 March 1971. Held annually, it is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post ten lengths ahead of Oxford, securing Cambridge's fourth consecutive victory. The winning time was, at that point, the second fastest in the history of the event.

Contents

In the reserve race, Goldie beat Isis, and in the Women's Boat Race, Cambridge were victorious.

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, followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. [4] [5] [6] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Oxford by 3+12 lengths in the previous year's race, and held the overall lead, with 64 victories to Oxford's 51 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [7] [8]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races. [9] The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race. [8]

Cambridge coach Lou Barry was aiming to lead the Light Blues to victory for the fourth consecutive time under his guidance, [10] while Oxford were coached by their former Blue, Ronnie Howard, who represented the university in the 1957 and 1959 races. [11] [12] The race was umpired by the former Oxford and Olympic rower Christopher Davidge who had represented the Dark Blues in the 1949, 1951 and 1952 races. [13] [14] [15]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 13  st 8  lb (86.0 kg), 2 pounds (0.9 kg) per rower more than their opponents. [16] Cambridge saw the return of four former Blues in Chris Baillieu, James Hervey-Bathurst, Christopher Rodrigues and N. G. Hughes, all of whom had made their Boat Race debut in the 1970 race. Oxford welcomed back A. J. Hall, J. Hawksley and F. J. L. Dale, the latter rowing in his third Boat Race for the Dark Blues. [16] Cambridge's American number seven, Somerset Waters III, was the only non-British rower recorded in the race. [17] [18]

SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameCollegeWeightNameCollegeWeight
Bow D. Hunt Keble 12 st 11 lbG. J. Phillpotts Clare 11 st 11 lb
2K. Bolshaw Christ Church 12 st 11 lb C. L. Baillieu Jesus 13 st 5 lb
3S. D. Nevin Christ Church 13 st 8 lb J. F. Hervey-Bathurst Trinity 13 st 4 lb
4C. R. W. Parish Christ Church 13 st 10 lbN. W. James Jesus 13 st 10 lb
5D. R. D. Willis St Peter's 15 st 0 lbB. A. Sullivan Selwyn 14 st 7 lb
6A. J. Hall Keble 14 st 13 lb D. L. Maxwell Jesus 14 st 6 lb
7F. J. L. Dale (P) Keble 14 st 13 lbS. R. Waters III Trinity 13 st 8 lb
Stroke J. Hawksley Balliol 12 st 10 lbC. J. Rodrigues (P) Jesus 13 st 6 lb
Cox M. T. Eastman Christ Church 8 st 11 lbN. G. Hughes Queens' 8 st 12 lb
Source: [19] [20]
(P) Boat club president [21]

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 were pre-race favourites, [10] according to Jim Railton writing in The Times, they were "the strongest favourites for many years". [19] They won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, [16] consigning Oxford to Middlesex, from which the losers of the last ten consecutive races had commenced. [11] After a good start, and despite a "desperate attack" from the Dark Blues, Cambridge were three seconds ahead at the Mile Post. The Light Blues were clear soon after and by the time the crews shot Hammersmith Bridge, they held a three length, ten-second lead over Oxford. By Chiswick Steps, the lead had extended out to 18 seconds; Oxford trailed by 26 seconds at Barnes Bridge and could make no ground on Cambridge as they passed the finishing post ten lengths clear. [11] The winning time of 17 minutes 58 seconds was the second fastest in the history of the event, behind that of the Cambridge crew of the 1948 race who recorded a time eight seconds faster. [22]

In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis by fifteen lengths, their fifth consecutive victory. [8] In the 26th running of the Women's Boat Race, Cambridge triumphed, their ninth consecutive victory. [8]

Related Research Articles

The 129th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1983. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The pre-race preparation saw Cambridge threaten to boycott the race for the first time, following the inclusion of Boris Rankov in the Oxford boat. The crews were the two heaviest in the history of the event, and featured ten former Boat Race competitors. Oxford won the race by 4+12 lengths.

The 132nd Boat Race took place on 29 March 1986. 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 won by seven lengths and took their first victory in eleven years, in one of the fastest winning times in the history of the event. Cambridge were coxed for the first time by a woman, Carole Burton. Isis won the reserve race, while Oxford were victorious in the Women's Boat Race.

The 123rd Boat Race took place on 19 March 1977. 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 won by seven lengths, their biggest margin of victory for more than 90 years. It was the first time in the history of the event that one of the crews, Oxford, used a plastic boat as opposed to a wooden one. It was also the first race to have an official sponsor in Ladbrokes.

The 127th Boat Race took place on 4 April 1981. 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 Oxford rower Ronnie Howard, it was won by Oxford who passed the finishing post eight lengths ahead of Cambridge, their largest margin of victory since 1898. The race saw Oxford coxed by Sue Brown, the first female cox in the history of the event.

The 119th Boat Race took place on 7 April 1973. 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. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post thirteen lengths ahead of Oxford, the largest winning margin since the 1955 race. Despite being pre-race favourites, Oxford's warm-up saw them take on board a large amount of water in rough conditions.

The 128th Boat Race took place on 27 March 1982. 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 won by 3+14 lengths, securing their seventh consecutive victory. Their number five, Boris Rankov, won a record fifth Boat Race as a rower, and Oxford's Clay brothers became the first twins to win the event.

The Boat Race 1870 Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race

The 27th Boat Race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on the River Thames on the 6 April 1870. Cambridge won by 1+12 lengths in a time of 22 minutes 4 seconds, their first victory since the 1860 race.

The 122nd 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 20 March 1976 and was won by Oxford by 6+12 lengths in 16 minutes 58 seconds, the fastest time in the history of the race. The race was umpired by former Cambridge rower Farn Carpmael. It was the first race in the event for which an official weigh-in was held, and featured the heaviest rower ever in Steve Plunkett.

The 113th Boat Race took place on 25 March 1967. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race was won by Oxford by three-and-a-quarter-lengths. Goldie won the reserve race while Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.

The 114th Boat Race took place on 30 March 1968. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race, umpired by Harold Rickett, was won by Cambridge by 3+12 lengths. Goldie won the reserve race and Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.

The 121st Boat Race took place on 29 March 1975. 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 won their seventh race in eight years by 3+34 lengths in a time of 19 minutes and 27 seconds. The race was umpired by former Oxford rower Christopher Davidge.

The 120th Boat Race took place on 6 April 1974. 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. It was won by Oxford who passed the finishing post 5+12 lengths ahead of Cambridge, in a winning time of 17 minutes 35 seconds, the fastest in the history of the race, beating the existing record set in the 1948 race. It was umpired by Ran Laurie.

The 118th Boat Race took place on 1 April 1972. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. Umpired by former Cambridge rower Philip Carpmael, the race was won by Cambridge, who passed the finishing post 9+12 lengths ahead of Oxford in a time of 18 minutes and 36 seconds, their fifth consecutive victory. The win took the overall record since 1829 to 66–51 in favour of Cambridge.

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.

The 116th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1970. Held annually, it is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post 3+12 lengths ahead of Oxford, securing Cambridge's third consecutive victory. The race was particularly notable for the "unorthodox" steering of the Oxford cox Ashton Calvert.

The 115th Boat Race took place on 5 April 1969. Held annually, it is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race featured the heaviest oarsman in the history of the event in Cambridge's David Cruttenden. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post four lengths ahead of Oxford, securing Cambridge's second consecutive victory. The winning time of 18 minutes 4 seconds was the third fastest in modern Boat Race history.

The 112th Boat Race took place on 26 March 1966. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race was won by Oxford by 3+34 lengths. Isis won the reserve race while Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.

The 111th Boat Race took place on 3 April 1965. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race was won by Oxford, who led from the start, by three-and-three-quarter-lengths, in the third fastest time in Boat Race history. Isis won the inaugural reserve race while Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.

The 57th Boat Race took place on 31 March 1900. 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 won by twenty lengths in a record-equalling time of 18 minutes 45 seconds, taking the overall record in the event to 32–24 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.

References

Bibliography

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer . 6 April 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  2. Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  3. "The Course". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  4. "Former Winnipegger in winning OxfordCambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  5. "TV and radio". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 24 August 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   978-0-691-13751-3.
  7. "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  9. "A brief history of the Women's Boat Race". The Boat Race Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  10. 1 2 Dodd, Christopher (19 March 1971). "Lou Barry mind and method of a master coach". The Guardian . p. 27.
  11. 1 2 3 Railton, Jim (29 March 1971). "Cambridge merit a place in Europe". The Times . No. 58133. p. 11.
  12. Burnell, pp. 7879
  13. Burnell, p. 49
  14. Burnell, pp. 7677
  15. "Chris Davidge Bio, Stats, and Resutlts". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 Burnell, p. 82
  17. Burnell, p. 39
  18. "Runaway win for Cambridge". The Glasgow Herald . 29 March 1971. p. 3.
  19. 1 2 Railton, Jim (27 March 1972). "Tactics are Oxford's only hope against powerful machine". The Times . No. 58132. p. 15.
  20. Dodd, p. 344
  21. Burnell, pp. 5152
  22. Purfleet, Roger (28 March 1971). "... and ten lengths behind come gallant Oxford". The Observer . p. 23.