55th Boat Race
Date24 March 1898 (1898-03-24)
WinnerOxford
Margin of victory"easily"
Winning time22 minutes 15 seconds
Overall record
(Cambridge–Oxford)		22–32
UmpireFrank Willan
(Oxford)
← 1897 1899 →

The 55th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1898. 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, the reigning champions and leading overall, went into the race with a marginally heavier crew than Cambridge. They won "easily" as Cambridge's boat became waterlogged in strong winds and inclement conditions. It was their ninth consecutive victory and took them to an overall lead of 32–22 in the event. The winning time of 22 minutes 15 seconds was the slowest since the 1878 race.

Background

William Fletcher, former Oxford rower, coached Cambridge.

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; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and as of 2014, broadcast worldwide.[4] Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1897 race by 2+1⁄2 lengths, with Cambridge leading overall with 31 victories to Cambridge's 22 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[5][6]

Oxford were coached by G. C. Bourne who had rowed for Oxford in the 1882 and 1883 races and Douglas McLean (an Oxford Blue five times between 1883 and 1887).[7] Cambridge's president, William Dudley Ward, despite opposition, invited William Fletcher, Oxford Blue and former coach, to assist in teaching his crew the style required to challenge the Dark Blues.[8] Several members of the Light Blue crew refused to row, and Dudley Ward himself was refused leave to row on grounds of sickness. According to George Drinkwater, former rower and author, "Fletcher turned out a crew well above the average of previous years."[9] Conversely, Oxford "did not develop as it should have done" and was "by no means up to the average of those that went before it."[8]

The umpire for the race for the tenth 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.[10]

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 7 lb (79.2 kg), 0.5 pounds (0.2 kg) per rower more than their opponents.[11] Cambridge's crew contained two participants with Boat Race experience: Adam Searle Bell who was rowing in his fourth contest and cox Edward Caesar Hawkins steering in his second appearance. Claude Goldie, son of John rowed at number seven for the Light Blues.[12] Oxford saw six members of the previous crew return, including Charles Burnell and R. Carr, both of whom were making their fourth consecutive appearance in the race. Eight of the nine crew Oxford crew had studied at Eton College.[11] R. O. Pitman, rowing at bow for Oxford, was the third of his siblings to participate in the Boat Race, with his brothers Frederick I. Pitman rowing for Cambridge between 1884 and 1886 and C. M. Pitman who rowed for Oxford between 1892 and 1895.[13]

Raymond Etherington-Smith rowed at number six for Cambridge.
Seat Oxford
Cambridge
Name College Weight Name College Weight
BowR. O. PitmanNew College11 st 0 lbW. B. RennieEmmanuel11 st 7 lb
2G. O. C. EdwardsNew College12 st 7.5 lbJ. F. Beale1st Trinity12 st 2.25 lb
3C. K. Phillips (P)New College12 st 0.5 lbH. G. Brown1st Trinity13 st 11.75 lb
4F. W. WarreBalliol12 st 12 lbS. V. PearsonEmmanuel12 st 9 lb
5C. D. BurnellMagdalen14 st 0 lbA. W. SwanstonJesus12 st 10 lb
6R. CarrMagdalen13 st 1 lbR. B. Etherington-Smith1st Trinity12 st 11.25 lb
7A. T. HerbertBalliol12 st 10.5 lbC. J. D. Goldie3rd Trinity12 st 0 lb
StrokeH. G. GoldMagdalen11 st 10.5 lbA. S. BellTrinity Hall12 st 2.25 lb
CoxH. R. K. PechellBrasenose8 st 1 lbE. C. HawkinsGonville and Caius8 st 4 lb
Source:[14]
(P) – boat club president[15]
William Dudley Ward was Cambridge's non-rowing president.[8]

Race

The Championship Course along which the Boat Race is contested

According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, "there was a gale blowing ... which met a spring tide, so that the water was very rough from the start."[9] Oxford, the slight pre-race favourites,[9] won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the rougher Surrey side of the river to Cambridge.[11] Willan started the race at 3:47 p.m. but within four strokes, the Cambridge boat was "half-full of water".[9]

Oxford steered towards the shore for shelter, with Cambridge following, but they had taken on so much water that "only the bladders which had been placed under their seats kept them afloat".[9] Although the Dark Blues had shipped a fair amount of water, they were able to continue, and with Cambridge waterlogged, the race was effectively ended as a contest. Oxford won "easily",[16] to secure their ninth consecutive victory in the slowest winning time since the 1878 race.[6]

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 Ltd. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 20 August 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 "Men – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Burnell, pp. 110–111
  8. 1 2 3 Drinkwater, p. 104
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Drinkwater, p. 105
  10. ↑ Burnell, pp. 49, 59
  11. 1 2 3 Burnell, p. 66
  12. ↑ Burnell, p. 41
  13. ↑ Burnell, p. 40
  14. ↑ Dodd, p. 313
  15. ↑ Burnell, pp. 50–51
  16. ↑ Dodd, p. 313

Bibliography

  • Burnell, Richard (1979). One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Precision Press. ISBN 0950063878.
  • Dodd, Christopher (1983). The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. Stanley Paul. ISBN 0-09-151340-5.
  • Drinkwater, G. C.; Sanders, T. R. B. (1929). The University Boat Race – Official Centenary History. Cassell & Company, Ltd.
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