The 55th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1898. Held annually, the Boat Race is a
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 ...
. Oxford, the reigning champions and leading overall, went into the race with a marginally heavier crew than Cambridge. They won "easily" as Cambridge's boat became waterlogged in strong winds and inclement conditions. It was their ninth consecutive victory and took them to an overall lead of 32–22 in the event. The winning time of 22 minutes 15 seconds was the slowest since the
1878 race.
Background
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 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").
[ The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken 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 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 ...
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. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1897 race by lengths, with Cambridge leading overall with 31 victories to Cambridge's 22 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).
Oxford were coached by G. C. Bourne who had rowed for Oxford in the 1882
Events
January–March
* January 2
** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates.
** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...
and 1883 races and Douglas McLean (an Oxford Blue five times between 1883 and 1887). Cambridge's president, William Dudley Ward
William Dudley Ward PC (14 October 1877 – 11 November 1946) was an English sportsman and Liberal politician.
Early life
Dudley Ward was born in London, the son of William Humble Dudley Ward and the great-grandson of William Humble Wa ...
, despite opposition, invited William Fletcher, Oxford Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
and former coach, to assist in teaching his crew the style required to challenge the Dark Blues.[ Several members of the Light Blue crew refused to row, and Dudley Ward himself was refused leave to row on grounds of sickness. According to George Drinkwater, former rower and author, "Fletcher turned out a crew well above the average of previous years."][Drinkwater, p. 105] Conversely, Oxford "did not develop as it should have done" and was "by no means up to the average of those that went before it."[
The umpire for the race for the tenth year in a row was ]Frank Willan
Group Captain Frank Andrew Willan, (21 December 1915 – 12 November 1981) was an English aviator, Royal Air Force officer and Conservative politician. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1973 to 1979.
Early life
The son of Briga ...
who won the event four consecutive times, rowing for Oxford in the 1866
Events January–March
* January 1
** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee.
** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published.
* January 6 – Ottoman tr ...
, 1867
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...
, 1868
Events
January–March
* January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries.
* January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...
and 1869 races.
Crews
The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 7 lb (79.2 kg), per rower more than their opponents.[Burnell, p. 66] Cambridge's crew contained two participants with Boat Race experience: Adam Searle Bell who was rowing in his fourth contest and cox
Cox may refer to:
* Cox (surname), including people with the name
Companies
* Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company
** Cox Communications, cable provider
** Cox Media Group, a company that owns television and radio stations
** ...
Edward Caesar Hawkins steering in his second appearance. Claude Goldie
Claude John Dashwood Goldie (29 December 1876 – 30 December 1956) was an English rower who won the Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta.
Goldie was born at St Ives, Huntingdonshire, the son of John Goldie and his wife Grace Miriam Watson. ...
, son of John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
rowed at number seven for the Light Blues. Oxford saw six members of the previous crew return, including Charles Burnell
Charles Desborough 'Don' Burnell, (13 January 1876 – 3 October 1969) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Burnell was born at Beckenham, then in Kent. He was educated at Eton College and Magdalen Coll ...
and R. Carr, both of whom were making their fourth consecutive appearance in the race. Eight of the nine crew Oxford crew had studied at Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
.[ R. O. Pitman, rowing at bow for Oxford, was the third of his siblings to participate in the Boat Race, with his brothers ]Frederick I. Pitman
Frederick (Freddie) Islay Pitman (18 April 1863 – 22 January 1942) was a British rower who rowed in the Boat Race three times and won the Diamond Challenge Sculls and the Wingfield Sculls in 1886.
Biography
Pitman was born at Edinb ...
rowing for Cambridge between 1884 and 1886 and C. M. Pitman who rowed for Oxford between 1892 and 1895.
Race
According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, "there was a gale blowing ... which met a spring tide, so that the water was very rough from the start."[ Oxford, the slight pre-race favourites,][Drinkwater, p. 105] won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the rougher Surrey side of the river to Cambridge.[ Willan started the race at 3:47 p.m. but within four strokes, the Cambridge boat was "half-full of water".][
Oxford steered towards the shore for shelter, with Cambridge following, but they had taken on so much water that "only the bladders which had been placed under their seats kept them afloat".][ Although the Dark Blues had shipped a fair amount of water, they were able to continue, and with Cambridge waterlogged, the race was effectively ended as a contest. Oxford won "easily",][Dodd, p. 313] to secure their ninth consecutive victory in the slowest winning time since the 1878 race.[
]
References
Notes
Bibliography
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*
*
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1898
1898 in English sport
The Boat Race
1898 in sports
March 1898 events
1898 sports events in London