The Boat Race 1999

Last updated

145th Boat Race
Date3 April 1999
WinnerCambridge
Margin of victory3 12 lengths
Winning time16 minutes 41 seconds
Overall record
(CambridgeOxford)
7668
Umpire Mark Evans
(Oxford)
Other races
Reserve winnerGoldie
Women's winnerCambridge

The 145th Boat Race took place on 3 April 1999. 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. Featuring the tallest rower in Boat Race history at that time, Cambridge won the race in the second-fastest time ever. It was their seventh consecutive victory in the event.

Contents

In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie defeated Oxford's Isis in the fastest time ever, while Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race.

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-mile (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 and followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. [3] [4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1998 race by three lengths, [5] with Cambridge leading overall with 75 victories to Oxford's 68 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). [6]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up 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. [7] 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. [5]

Andrew Lindsay was confident that the Oxford crew would be more motivated than their opponents: "our advantage over Cambridge is that we are hungry for the victory. Everyone in the Oxford boat is driven to go and win this damn thing". [8] He was making his third and final appearance in the race having lost in both the 1997 and 1998 race. His grandfather represented Cambridge in the 1930s, and his uncle, Alexander Lindsay, rowed for the losing Oxford crew in the 1959 race before triumphing the following year. [8] Cambridge boat club president and Canadian international rower Brad Crombie was also making his third Boat Race appearance, attempting to complete a hat-trick of victories. [8] Sean Bowden was the head coach of Oxford. His Cambridge counterpart, Robin Williams, suggested "it still feels like all or nothing to us. The fear of defeat, the aim of trying to push the limits is motivation itself". [8] Just as he had done in the 1993 race, umpire Mark Evans introduced modifications to the starting procedure, suggesting that he would be content to hold the crews for up to ten seconds between issuing the "set" and "go" commands. [9] Cambridge's Williams remarked: "I'm happy as long as both crews abide by it", Bowden was nonplussed "Go is when you start races. I'm happy." [9]

The race was sponsored for the first time by Aberdeen Asset Management, [10] and both crews were competing for the Aberdeen Asset Trophy. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the BBC's coverage of the event and over the preceding five years had secured an average audience in excess of six million. [11]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed-in at an average of 14  st 10  lb (93.2 kg), 0.5 pounds (0.23 kg) more per rower than Cambridge. [12] Josh West, rowing at number four for Cambridge, became the tallest rower in Boat Race history at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m). [12] The Oxford crew comprised three Britons, three Americans, a Swede, a Canadian and a German, while Cambridge were represented by five Britons, two Americans, a German and a Canadian. [12] Three former Blues returned for Cambridge in Wallace, Crombie and Smith, while Oxford saw Humphreys and Lindsay return. [12] Vian Sharif, the Cambridge cox, became the tenth female to steer a Boat Race crew, and was the lightest competitor at the event since the 1986 race. [12]

Dan Snow (pictured in 2019) rowed at number 3 for Oxford. Dan Snow Aldershot 2019.jpg
Dan Snow (pictured in 2019) rowed at number 3 for Oxford.
SeatOxford
Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
Cambridge
University of Cambridge coat of arms.svg
NameNationalityCollegeWeightNameNationalityCollegeWeight
Bow Charlie P A Humphreys (P)British Oriel 13 st 1.5 lbToby J WallaceBritish Jesus 15 st 2 lb
2Henrik K NilssonSwedish Hertford 14 st 2 lb T A Stallard British Jesus 13 st 8.5 lb
3 D R Snow British Balliol 15 st 12 lbBrad Crombie (P)Canadian Peterhouse 14 st 12 lb
4Toby H AyerAmerican Worcester 16 st 0 lb A J West American Gonville and Caius 15 st 2.5 lb
5Martin CrottyAmerican Keble 14 st 10 lbDavid O M EllisAmerican Trinity 14 st 4 lb
6Morgan A L CrooksCanadian Keble 14 st 4 lb K M West British Christ's 14 st 13 lb
7 A J R Lindsay British Brasenose 14 st 4 lbGraham D C R SmithBritish St Edmund's 14 st 2.5 lb
Stroke Colin von EttingshausenGerman Keble 15 st 2 lbTim WoogeGerman Magdalene 15 st 2 lb
Cox Neil J O'DonnellAmerican Keble 7 st 13 lbVian SharifBritish Clare 6 st 10.5 lb
Source: [13]
(P) boat club president

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

Bookmakers could not initially separate the crews, offering odds on for either boat to win. [12] However, as the start of the race approached, Williams had suggested that he was worried by his crew's "inconsistency" and Oxford were declared favourites. [14] Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station. Despite being warned by the umpire, Cambridge were soon half-a-length ahead, and a second clear by the Mile Post. [14] The lead was extended to a length by Hammersmith Bridge and Sharif had steered her boat into a better angle of attack. Pushing on, Cambridge were seven seconds up by Chiswick Steps and nine seconds at Barnes Railway Bridge. They passed the finishing post 3 12 lengths ahead, with an eleven-second advantage over the Dark Blues. The Light Blues finished in 16 minutes 41 seconds, a time only bettered once before, in 1998. [5] [14] It was the first time since 1936 that Cambridge had secured seven consecutive victories. [14]

In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis by 1 12 lengths, their ninth victory in ten years, and in a record time of 16 minutes 58 seconds which beat the fastest time recorded in 1996 and repeated in 1998. [5] Cambridge won the 51st Women's Boat Race by one length in a time of 6 minutes 1 second, their eighth consecutive victory. [5]

Reaction

Oxford's Bowden was dumbstruck: "I'm really floored. I just haven't got any answers until I talk to the crew." [15] His number four, Toby Ayer admitted: "my impression is that they were quicker than us and that is a very hard thing to have to say." [15] Cambridge's Williams noted: "I thought it would be a bit more competitive than that." [15] Cambridge boat club president Crombie exclaimed "that's the most fun I've ever had rowing for Cambridge." [15]

Related Research Articles

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The 134th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1988. Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford won by ​5 12 lengths in a time of 18 minutes 27 seconds, the equal-fourth fastest time in the event's history. The race was umpired by former Cambridge rowing Blue Mike Sweeney.

The 136th Boat Race took place on 31 March 1990. 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 ​2 14 lengths. The race featured the heaviest oarsman ever to have rowed in the event in Oxford's Chris Heathcote, and the lightest Cambridge crew for nearly 30 years.

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The 138th Boat Race took place on 4 April 1992. 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 cox Andrew Probert was the oldest competitor in Boat Race history at the age of 38 years and 86 days. Oxford won by ​1 14 lengths, the closest margin of victory for twenty years. The race also featured the first German competitor in the history of the event in Dirk Bangert. Umpired by former Cambridge rower Roger Stephens, Mike Rosewell writing in The Times described the race as "one of the greatest races since 1829".

The 139th Boat Race took place on 27 March 1993. 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, using "cleaver blades" for the first time in the history of the race, won by ​3 12 lengths in a victory that was described in The Times as "crushingly conclusive". The winning time of 17 minutes exactly was the fourth-fastest time in the event. In winning the event, Cambridge prevented Oxford making it seventeen wins from the last eighteen races and levelling the overall score for the first time since the 1929 race.

The 140th Boat Race took place on 26 March 1994. 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 ​6 12 lengths. The race saw the first competitors from Norway in the history of the race, in brothers Snorre and Sverke Lorgen. It was also the first time that both competing coxes had previously won the event.

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The 142nd Boat Race took place on 6 April 1996. 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 a former Blue, Mike Sweeney, Cambridge won by ​2 34 lengths in the second-fastest time in the history of the race.

The 144th Boat Race took place on 28 March 1998. 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 heaviest crew in the history of the event, won by three lengths in a record time of 16 minutes 19 seconds.

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 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 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 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 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.

The Boat Race 2018 2018 boat races between Oxford and Cambridge universities

The Boat Race 2018 took place on 24 March 2018. 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. For the third time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were all held on the Tideway on the same day.

References

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  7. "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.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hughes, Rob (31 March 1999). "Hunger the starter in university challenge". The Times (66475). p. 42.
  9. 1 2 Rosewell, Mike (2 April 1999). "Oxford are starting to impress". The Times (66477). p. 52.
  10. Matheson, Hugh (26 January 1999). "Rowing: New sponsor keeps Boat Race afloat". The Independent . Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  11. Rosewell, Mike; Goodbody, John (3 April 1999). "Oxford prepare to pay back old rivals for past defeats". The Times (66478). p. 39.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Roswell, Mike (25 March 1997). "Weigh-in offers few clues to the outcome of Boat Race". The Times (65846). p. 48.
  13. Rosewell, Mike (30 March 1999). "History weighs heavily on Oxford". The Times (66474). p. 48.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Rosewell, Mike (5 April 1999). "Oxford fail to live up to expectations". The Times (66478). p. 32.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Longmore, Andrew (4 April 1999). "The 145th Boat Race: Classic Cambridge turn the screw". The Independent . Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.