The Boat Race 1969

The 115th Boat Race took place on 5 April 1969. Held annually, it is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. The race featured the heaviest oarsman in the history of the event in Cambridge's David Cruttenden. It was won by Cambridge who passed the finishing post four lengths ahead of Oxford, securing Cambridge's second consecutive victory. The winning time of 18 minutes 4 seconds was the third fastest in modern Boat Race history.

In the reserve race, Goldie beat Isis, and in the Women's Boat Race, Cambridge were victorious.

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, followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.^[4][5][6] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Oxford by three-and-a-half lengths in the previous year's race, and held the overall lead, with 63 victories to Oxford's 51 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).^[7][8]

The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up until 2014, the contest was conducted as part of the Henley Boat Races, but as of the 2015 race, it is held on the River Thames, on the same day as the men's main and reserve races.^[9] The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.^[8]

The race was umpired by Alastair Graham who had rowed for Oxford, while the timekeepers for the race were Dickie Burnell and G. G. H. Page.^[10][11] Oxford's coach was Derek Drury while Cambridge were led by Lou Barry.^[12]

Crews

The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 13 st 9 lb (86.5 kg), 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) per rower more than their opponents.^[13] At 15 st 11 lb, Cambridge's number four David Cruttenden was the heaviest oarsman to have ever participated in the race, half a stone heavier than American rower Josh Jensen who rowed for Oxford in the 1967 race.^[14] Cambridge's Robin Winckless and Nick Hornsby were rowing in their third Boat Race, while Chris Powell and Graeme Hall were also returning Light Blues. Peter Saltmarsh returned for Oxford, making his third appearance in the event.^[13][14] Australian Ashton Calvert, the Oxford cox, was the only non-British competitor registered in the race.^[15]

Seat	Oxford			Cambridge
	Name	College	Weight	Name	College	Weight
Bow	F. J. L. Dale	Keble	13 st 4 lb	C. Robson	Clare	11 st 9 lb
2	K. M. Gee	Worcester	12 st 4 lb	R. N. Winckless (P)	Fitzwilliam	13 st 13 lb
3	D. M. Higgs	Balliol	13 st 5 lb	C. W. Daws	1st & 3rd Trinity	13 st 4 lb
4	H. P. Matheson	Keble	14 st 8 lb	D. L. Cruttenden	St Catharine's	15 st 11 lb
5	J. M. Duncan	Keble	13 st 10 lb	C. S. Powell	Downing	14 st 12 lb
6	W. R. C. Lonsdale	Keble	13 st 10 lb	N. J. Hornsby	Trinity Hall	14 st 9 lb
7	N. D. C. Tee	Balliol	12 st 0 lb	T. M. Redfern	Fitzwillam	13 st 2 lb
Stroke	P. G. Saltmarsh (P)	Keble	13 st 12 lb	G. F. Hall	Downing	11 st 12 lb
Cox	A. T. Calvert	New College	9 st 0 lb	C. B. Murtough	Fitzwilliam	8 st 6 lb
Source:[13] (P) – Boat club president[16]

Race

The Championship Course along which the Boat Race is contested

Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station.^[13] With helicopters hovering above the start, Douglas Calder of The Times reported that it was unlikely that either the crews could hear the umpire nor the umpire hear the crews at the start; instead just the flag dropping notified the strokes of the start.^[11] Cambridge took an early lead, and their advantage was compounded when the umpire warned Oxford at Beverley Brook to move away to avoid a clash of oars.^[17] Cambridge were two seconds ahead at the Mile Post; through rough water, the Light Blue boat coped better and extended their lead to six seconds ahead at Hammersmith Bridge, and at least a length clear of Oxford.^[11] While the conditions improved beyond Hammersmith, Cambridge continued to extend their lead, and held an advantage of eight seconds ahead at Chiswick Steps, increasing to eleven seconds ahead at Barnes Bridge.^[11] Cambridge won by four lengths and 14 seconds, in a time of 18 minutes 4 seconds, the third fastest time in the history of the event on the Championship Course, bettered only in the 1934 and 1948 races.^[8][11] Oxford's coach Derek Drury was philosophical in defeat: "That's the way the cookie crumbles."^[18]

In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis by two lengths and in a time of 18 minutes 50 seconds, in their third consecutive victory.^[8] In the 24th running of the Women's Boat Race, Cambridge triumphed, their seventh consecutive victory.^[8]

References

Bibliography

• Burnell, Richard (1979). One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Precision Press. ISBN 0-9500638-7-8. 
• Dodd, Christopher (1983). The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. Stanley Paul. ISBN 0-09-151340-5. 

Notes

External links

• Official website

The Boat Race Oxford University Boat Club (crews) Cambridge University Boat Club (crews) The Championship Course Results Oxford University Women's Boat Club Cambridge University Women's Boat Club Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club Goldie Stones Blue Boat Henley Boat Races Women's Boat Race 1927 1929 1930 1934 1935 1936 1939 1941 1973 1974 1975 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1994 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1829 1836 1839 1840 1841 1842 1845 1846 1849 1849 1852 1854 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Category Commons