VARSITY BOAT RACE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 March 1925, Page 4

VARSITY BOAT RACE

CAM lilt I RGK WINS. [llY ',:_LEOP.APII —I’EH rmsss ASSOCIATION.] LONDON. March 28. Cambridge won the boat race. LONDON,'March 28. The weather was dull and showery for the boat race. The attendance was enormous. The water was rough, especially on the Surrey side. Cambridge won the toss, and chose the .Middlesex side. Cambridge led slightly at the start, rowing thirty-four strokes the first minutes to Oxlord s 33. At Duke s Head, Oxford was just in front hut at Beverley Brook, Cambridge was leading by nearly a length. At the mile post this was increased to three lengths, the ei-'-vr rowing steadily aL twentyeight si robes to the minute. Cambridge was five lengths to the good passing llarrods. and six at Hammersmith Bridge, whore both crews were stroking 28 to the minute. Tin- Cantabs continued to increase (heir lead, and they were 120 yards ahead at two miles.

Oxford was then in diHiculties. r l heir boat was waterlogged, and il was impossible to propel it. When opposite llarrod’s it appearead to be sinking. It went deeper and deeper into the water, being more than hall lull. When 30',) va.rds above Hannu.ersinil.il bridge, the crew stopped and nulled to hank. The crew were taken to Putney soaked to the skin, and smothcivil in borrowed *jcsirmoiiLs.

A little later their boat was brought back by a police launch. Oxford gave un opposite Rove’s booth, where their boat was waterlogged. Cambridge paddled past the post,

the Oxford cr.-w having returned to headquarters in motor launches. Cambridge completed ilit* course in 21 min ■msecs. (Received tiiis day at f) a.m ') LONDON. March 28. Exports the boat race* was oivo of the most remarkable in tho history of the rare. Thousands of sj-o: laiors did not even get a glimpse of the OxLed boat. The cry went al eg th crowded bank : ‘‘Oxlord ban Mink”. Ox lord's 1 oat |- a i.balL became » submarine, but the clew doggedly eontinned for some time alter they realised the position was hopeless. A loud groan went up from thousands on the spot where Oxford stapled.Crowds on the banks approaching the lost did net know what, to make ol the extraordinary spectacle. Cambridge was -lowing a 'solitary race pursued by the umpire's launch. Spectators shouted plaintive inquiries about- Oxford and were answered hv lingers pointing to the boltoni ol the river. • Guy Niekalls, writing in the "Holiday Times’' rays that unfortunately the umpire decided against the idea of stalling both boats under the Middlesex shore. This gave such an advantage to the boat with the Mudieses shore that the ra-e was virtually over be.! ore it started. ‘ Cambridge went' straight into the calm water and Oxlord into water in which it was impossible for any 1.-uai to live. Niekalls expressed the opinion thai wlu'ii the umpire saw the impossibility of Oxford ever covering the distance, or even half, and when lie knew the race would not be a fair test il oarsmanship, the race should have been i ailed oil'. The Universities should got together and rewrite the rules before a similar catastrophe occurs.