THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2376, 9 April 1884, Page 3

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE.

The Oxford and Cambridge Universities eight-oar race, which is the most noteworthy in the world of all annual rowing matches, took place on Monday last, and, notwithstanding that we are 11-J hours in advance of British time, the result was chronicled by us last evening. The race was won by the Cambridge crew. The betting at the start was 15 to 8 on Oxford.

This event is now rowed annually upon the Thames from Putney to ■Mortlake, the course being 4| miles. The first match between these Universities was rowed on the 10th June, 1829, at Henley, over a three-mile course, and was won easily by Oxford in 14niins. 30secs. The next match did not take place—owing, in 1831, to the prevalence of cholera, and in 1834 to disagreement as to locality—till 1836, when Cambridge resolved to accept the the long-standing challenge of Oxford, and succeeded in reversing their first defeat. The course for this and the four subsequent races was from Westminster to Putney, on the river Thames. Although commenced, as we have said, in 1829, the matches have only been annual since 1856. In 1864, after 20 contests, the opposing parties were equal. Oxford then won five years in succession, and from 1870 to 1874 inclusive, Cambridge won, thus making the number of winnings equal again. "Victory then alternated till 1879—except in 1877, when for the first and only occasion there was a dead heat—the Oxford bow-man "caught a crab" and sprung his oar when their boat was leading. There have now been 41 matches, of which Oxford has won 22, Cambridge 18, and one was a dead heat. Cambridge is credited with the quickest time on record, viz., 19mins. 35secs. The best picked men from each University are selected to contest this great event, and the hardest exercise and the severest training gone through by the crews, to improve their wind, strength, and endurance, for months before the day of rowing, their diet consisting mainly of the plaiuest cooked lean meat and potatoes, with malt liquors, spirituous liquors being prohibited, and the duties of temperance, soberness, and chastity strictly enforced. It was at one time thought that light men stood the best chance in these matches, but experience has shown this to be an error, and ten, eleven and twelve-stone men are now chiefly selected.

The time chosen for the race is usually at slack-tide, and the time taken in rowing varies according as there is little or no tide or wind, or the reverse, from 18 to 26 minutes, for the 4-£ miles. Sliding Feats were nsed for the first time in 1873, when Cambridge won in the fastest timo yet made. The introduction of sliding seats has added verv greatly to the power of the rower by lengthening the stroke,

It will no doubt interest most of our readers to see some statement of the races contested by the rival University meu, and we accordingly append a complete list of the events since their commencement—the year, the winner, the time taken, and by how much the race was won, as follows :

Year. Winner. jr. s. Won by 1829 Oxford 14 30 Won easily. 1836 Cambridge 36 0 1 minute. 1839 Cambridge 31 0 lmin. 45sec. 1840 Cambridge 29 30 2-3ds length. 1841 Cambridge 32 30 lmin. 4sec. 1842 Oxford 30 45 13sec. 1845 Cambridge 23 30 30sec. 1846 Cambridge 21 5 Two lengths. 1849 Cambridge 22 0 Many lengths. 1849 Oxford Foul Foul. 1852 Oxford 21 36 27sec. 1854 Oxford 25 29 11 strokes. 1856 Cambridge 25 50 Half length. 1857 Oxford 22 50 35sec. 1858 Cambridge 21 23 22sec. 1859 Oxford 24 40 Camb. sank. 1860 Cambridge 26 0 One length. 1861 Oxford 23 27 48sec. 1862 Oxford 24 40 30sec. 1863 Oxford 23 5 42sec. 1864 Oxford 22 28 23sec. 1865 Oxford 21 0 13sec. 1866 Oxford 25 48 15sec. 1867 Oxford 22 39 Half length. 1868 Oxford 20 56 Four lengths. 1869 Oxford 20 4 Three lengths 1870 Cambridge 22 6 H length! 1871 Cambridge 23 5 One length. 1872 Cambridge 21 14 Two lengths. 1873 Cambridge 19 35 3J lengths. 1874 Cambridge 22 35 2£ lengths. 1875 Oxford 22 2 Ten lengths. 1876 Cambridge 20 20 Eight lengths 1877 Dead heat 24 8 1878 Oxford 22 13 Ten lengths. 1879 Cambridge 21 20 2h lengths 1880 Oxford 21 23 U lengths. 1881 Oxford 21 54 Three lengths. 1882 Oxford 20 12 Ten lengths. 1883 Oxford 21 8 Four lengths. 1884 Cambridge

There has been one international University eight-oared boat race. This took place on the 27th August, 1869, between the University men of Oxford, and Harvard College men, in Massa. chusetts, United States. The match was won by the English men.