THE BOAT RACE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1930, Page 2

THE BOAT RACE

HOW CAMBRIDGE AVON

A THRILLING DUEL

OXFORD’S LONG-HELD LEAD

LONDON, April 15

Cambridge beat Oxford by two lengths in - the University float Race Oil Saturday,, ’and. .thus,, for the first time since 1863, takes the lead in the number; of victories to the credit of each University. Cambridge has. now won on forty-one occasions . and ■ Oxford on forty, one rape, liavirig ended in a dead-heat. Cambridge', has(vyon seven races in succession.

'Tlje "opinion generally expressed r that it was the finest boat race since 1921, and-one of the largost crowds ever witnessed on the towpath.

BROADCAST .COMMENTARY

-Ay in,previous years, a running commentary on the race was broadcasted by Mr G. O, Nicltalls, the former Oxford Blue, and Mr J. C, Squire from •the - launch -Magician, which followed t)ie crows, During the 10 mimitos be fore the start commentators' described tjie t-rbvVd «n the hank as being bigger than in. previous years, in spite of the relatively early, hour at which the race was rowed. Oxford favours were nlsc said .to ~ predominate. A heavy storm of rn-ty began almost immediately af ter the start; and the launch rocked violently,',-but only at one point aboul lialf-way .through the broadcast Was the speechUn- any way markedly dis forjterL At the end of the brondcnsl r,)ie commentators admitted they were drenched. ' Gramophone records of the aptual broadcast account of the boat race Were made, and the account was theiVTehfoadcast 1 on Saturday evening from, the national station. • Tlnfdrtiiiiiiteiy, the weather was sljdwerv, and rain * was falling slightly as. the crews, puddled to the stakeboats -in.ciored opposite the University Stone at Putney. Oxford won the toss and elected to take the Surrey station. challengers, they were the first‘ to get afloat, to be followed- a few niihutbs. afterwards by Cambridge. There was a soWth-westerly breeze hjp.wing,. and, the crews had a following wind' almost to Hnrrod’s. Above •Hammersmith and m the Corney Reach boweyer, it'was nearly .dead ahead, shd there was much had water above Hammersmith.

A GOOD START.

'Very little time wnsNvasted in the, preliminaries, and Lieut.-Colonel C. D. Burnell, D. 5.0., the old Oxford Blue who' acted' as umpire and starter, got the crews away, to a good start, Oxford .took the lead in the first two strokes' Mnrtihenu making a brilliant start. He rowed 10-19-37 in the first quarter," half and full minute, to 10-l3i-S:i| by Brocklebank. At the, end of .Vi minute ; 6xford. led by a third of a ' lengih. in’.the second minute - both crews rowed 33, and they were practically ' rowing stroke for stroke. Oxford, however, were longer, and at the end of the second minute had increased their lead to half a length. ■ , At Craven Steps, reached in ,2min 13sec., Oxford led still by half a length, but Brocklebank gave his.crev* a ’“ton” opposite the Fulham Footbalk Ground, and the Light Blues drew ! eveL It' was in this vicinity that, the races in the two previous vears had be,en- yon and' lost, and when Cambridge drew level one wondered if. history. was going to repeat itsel'f. Cambridge, however, could only get a lead of a few 'feet, and when their effort died down Martineau replied for Oxford, and the crews passed the .mile post level in the. fast time of 4min. This time equalled the previous best Oxford time, made by R. C. Bourne’s crew in 1911, but was eight seconds slower than the record of 3min 52sec. made by W. "Dudley Ward’s Cambridge crew in 1900.

AHEAD WIND

Above the Ship Brocklebank had another freshener to feel the pace of his rivals, but found lie would do nothing a,nd .Oxford were two-thirds of a length ahead when the crews met the ful! lorce rtf the wind. At Chiswick Fyot their lead was three-quarters of a length, and the question was whether they could get another length before the cross over. Brocklebank was beginning to’ look a little worried, for (Cambridge' had been forced into atrocioqs water. At the bottom of the Eyot he' had spurted for five strokes and then thought the better of it, and just before Chiswick Steps the crew had one really had lurch, and it looked for a moment as if they would crack. The same series of waves however, upset Oxford just when they looked as if, they .might, go away. Although Cambridge were down to 2ft Oxford never, got below 30. At Chiswick. Steps, reached in limit) 3fisec, Oxford were still only half a length ahead.

j BACK IN CALM WATER. Once into the calm water Brocklebnnk quickened to 31, and the crew, rowing with great length and determination for one which had been so badly battered quickly closed up the gap. All along Duke’s Meadows the

crews raced stroke for stroke, though it was plain Brocklebank had the pace of his rivals, and it was right opposite the Cambridge enclosure that lie first drove his crew into the lead. Even so, Alartineau did not crack. Some of his men were exhausted, notably Clive, the freshman at No. 6, wim had rowed a heroic race to this point, but he still kept them steady, his only chance in the face of all temptations. At the end of Dukes Meadows it was plain that Brocklebank had won his race. Collins was rowing powerfully, and the crew forged ahead rapidly, to shoot Barnes Bridge one length ahead in the time of lomih 52sec, which made those who had seen the rough water !bok again at 'their watches. Immediately after the. .bridge Cambridge got clear, and Durbridge, still steering the most cleverly course, dropped in half behind.f he.ni.

(for the. first time in the race Cambridge, at 32, were rowing a faster stroke than Oxford; at 31. Ami this, too, in some inexplicable humpy water In the second minute past Barnes Cambridge, gained the best part o' - another length, but when rowing in they became a 'trifle short, ‘ and although they rowed 34 to the 32 of their rivals in. the last minute, they lid not gain anything more than Oxrord, which, however tired the men were, Mnrtineou kept steady and long co the last, Cambridge passed the winning post two lengths ahead in ISmih. Ssec,

A GREAT RACING STROKE

Cnmbriclgo’s victory (writes a rowing correspondent) was due largely to tlieir greator experience and to the met that they possessed a great racing

stroke in Bvicklebnnk. Th'e old Etonian refused to be flurried through out tiie race, and never once let his rivals get beyond his reach. He judged ‘lie capabilities of his own crow an also of his opponents to a nicety, so that .when he made his special effort along Duke’s Meadows, he quickly had the satisfaction of. seeing Oxford,come back to him one by one. Once he had orged ahead lie did not let his crew slacken in their efforts, lint drove them, hard oyer the last, half mile. Collins 'Varriner, and Carpmaei backed up Brocklebank splendidly, whilst tlm other members .of the crew, although less effective, all piayed their part.

OXFORD’S FIGHTING SPIRIT.

In the Oxford , crew, Martineau deserves very high praise for the fine way n ’which he stroked the crew. Martineau was in his right place. He proved in .the trial eights at Henley last December that he possesed the fighting spirit, and he improved upon his performance on Saturday. Few of the critics expected Oxford to make such a fine race of it. It was thought they might press their opponents to Hammersmith, but it was not expected that they would lead for three miles. In their second trial row over the course during practice Oxford met with a head wind and rough water above Hammersmith, and although they had been faster than Cambridge to , Hammersmith, they then lost ground in the rough water, and the same thing happened on Saturday. Oxford’s fight will long be remembered,j and the crew have no reason to feel despondent.... oyer ..the result, for nil j did their very best.