The 44th Boat Race took place on 26 March 1887.

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...

is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

along the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. The race was umpired by

Robert Lewis-Lloyd Robert Lewis-Lloyd (9 January 1836 – 7 September 1915) was a Welsh rower and barrister who was High Sheriff of Radnorshire and who umpired the Boat Race between 1881 and 1888. Lewis-Lloyd was born at Cardigan, Ceredigion, the son of Thomas Le ...

, and Cambridge won by two and a half lengths after one of the Oxford crew's oars snapped in half. The winning time for the race was 20 minutes 52 seconds, and Cambridge's victory took the overall record to 23–20 in Oxford's favour.

Background

is a side-by-side rowing competition between the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). First held in 1829, the race takes place on the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of th ...

on the

in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race by two-thirds of a length, while Oxford held the overall lead, with 23 victories to Cambridge's 19 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). The coaches for Cambridge were Donaldson, Charles William Moore (who represented Cambridge in the 1881, 1882,

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

and 1884 races) and Herbert Edward Rhodes (who rowed in the 1873, 1874,

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

and 1876 races). Oxford's coaches were

Tom Edwards-Moss Tom Cottingham Edwards-Moss, (7 April 1855 – 16 December 1893), was a British amateur oarsman who rowed in the Boat Race four times and twice won the Diamond Challenge Sculls, and a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1 ...

(who rowed for the Dark Blues four times between the 1875 and the 1878 races), R. S. Kindersley (who rowed three times for Oxford between 1880 and 1882) and A. R. Paterson (four-time Blue for Oxford between 1881 and 1884). The umpire for the race was

(who had rowed for Cambridge four times between 1856 and 1859).

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 3.5 lb (77.6 kg), more than their opponents.Burnell, p. 64 Oxford initially had just two

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

available to them in the

Oxford University Boat Club Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century. The Boat Race The club races agai ...

president F. O. Wethered and

Hector McLean Hector McLean (1864 – January 1888) was an Australian-born rower who rowed in the Boat Race and won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta. McLean was the son of John Donald McLean, colonial treasurer of Queensland, Australia. He went to E ...

, yet the latter's brother

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was persuaded to return for his fifth Boat Race appearance, three weeks before the race following his return from India. Five of Cambridge's crew had Boat Race experience, including the only non-British participant, Australian Steve Fairbairn in his fourth race.Drinkwater, p. 90Burnell, p. 38

Race

The weather for the race was good, as was the tide, but a strong breeze made for some rough water. Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Oxford. Making the better start of the two crews, Cambridge were a length ahead by Walden's Wharf and had extended that by another half-length by the time they passed the Crab Tree pub. Oxford came back into contention and by the time the crews shot

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough ...

there was "little or no daylight between the boats." The other side of the bridge the crews hit rough water and as Cambridge had the advantage of shelter on their side of the river, they pulled away quickly to be three lengths clear by

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Full ...

. As the bend of the river began to favour the Dark Blues, they drew up once again and were almost level by

Barnes Bridge Barnes Bridge railway station, in Travelcard Zone 3, is on The Terrace, Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in south west London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway. It is on the Houn ...

when their number seven Douglas McLean broke his oar in two, effectively ending his participation in the race. Cambridge pulled away again and won by lengths in a time of 20 minutes 52 seconds.Dodd, p. 307 It was their second consecutive victory and their fastest time since the 1876 race. The win took the overall record to 23–20 in Oxford's favour.

References

Notes Bibliography * * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1887 The Boat Race 1887 in English sport March 1887 sports events