The Boat Race 1947
93rd Boat Race | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | 29 March 1947 | ||
Winner | Cambridge | ||
Margin of victory | 10 lengths | ||
Winning time | 23 minutes 1 second | ||
Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 49–43 | ||
Umpire | D. T. Raikes (Oxford) | ||
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The 93rd Boat Race took place on 29 March 1947. 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 D. T. Raikes, Cambridge won by ten lengths in a time of 23 minutes 1 second, taking the overall record in the event to 49–43 in their favour.
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] Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1946 race by three lengths,[5] with Cambridge leading overall with 48 victories to Oxford's 43 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[6]
The umpire for the race was former Oxford rower D. T. Raikes who had represented the Dark Blues in the 1920, 1921 and 1922 races.[7]
Crews
The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 12 st 5 lb (78.3 kg), 5.5 pounds (2.49 kg) per rower more than their opponents.[8]
Seat | Oxford |
Cambridge File:University of Cambridge coat of arms official.svg | ||||
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Name | College | Weight | Name | College | Weight | |
Bow | D. G. Jamieson (P) | Magdalen | 11 st 9.5 lb | A. P. Mellows | Clare | 11 st 12 lb |
2 | P. H. Mathews | St Edmund Hall | 11 st 11 lb | D. J. C. Meyrick | Trinity Hall | 11 st 0 lb |
3 | D. A. M. Mackay | Lincoln | 13 st 3 lb | N. S. Rogers | Jesus | 12 st 9 lb |
4 | T. D. Raikes | Trinity | 12 st 3 lb | P. J. Garner | King's | 11 st 12 lb |
5 | J. R. W. Gleave | Magdalen | 12 st 5 lb | W. A. D. Windham | Christ's | 13 st 4 lb |
6 | R. M. A. Bourne | New College | 11 st 4 lb | I. M. Lang | Gonville and Caius | 13 st 8 lb |
7 | P. N. Brodie | Oriel | 11 st 4 lb | A. S. F. Butcher | Queens' | 11 st 13 lb |
Stroke | A. J. R. Purssell | Oriel | 11 st 12 lb | G. C. Richardson | Magdalene | 12 st 10 lb |
Cox | A. Palgrave-Brown | Queen's | 8 st 10 lb | G. H. C. Fisher | 1st & 3rd Trinity | 8 st 10 lb |
Source:[9] (P) – boat club president, M. A. Nicholson acted as Cambridge's non-rowing president[10] |
Race
Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Cambridge. The race was started by umpire Raikes at 6:15 p.m.[8]
Cambridge won by ten lengths in a time of 23 minutes 1 second, their first win since the 1939 race. It was the slowest winning time since the 1877 race and the winning margin was the largest since the 1928 race. The victory took the overall record in the event to 49–43 in Cambridge's favour.[5]
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight". The Observer. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ Smith, Oliver (25 March 2014). "University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "The Course". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew". CBC News. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Boat Race – Results". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "Classic moments – the 1877 dead heat". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ Burnell, p. 49
- ^ a b Burnell, p. 76
- ^ Dodd, p. 332
- ^ Burnell, pp. 50, 52
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 0091513405.