The 134th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1988. Held annually, the event 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 won by lengths in a time of 18 minutes 27 seconds, the equal-fourth fastest time in the event's history. The race was umpired by former Cambridge rowing
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 ...
Mike Sweeney.
In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie won, while Oxford won the
Women's Boat Race.
Background
The Boat Race 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 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 and followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.Beefeater Gin
Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom. Beefeater remained in the Burrough's family control until 1987. It is a 47% or 44% alcohol product (94 proof) in the US, and a 40% alcoh ...
and was televised in the United Kingdom by the BBC on its ''Grandstand'' sports programme.[
The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. 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.][
]
Crews
Oxford weighed in with the heaviest crew in Boat Race history – on average the rowers weighed 14 st 11.5 lb (93.9 kg), 11 lb more per man than Cambridge.[ Oxford's Gavin Stewart, at was the tallest rower in the history of the Boat Race.][ Cambridge's crew included four former ]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 ...
while Oxford's featured six.[ Oxford's coaching team included Canadian international coach ]Mike Spracklen
Michael A Spracklen, (born 15 September 1937) is a British rowing coach who has led teams from Great Britain, United States, Canada to success at the Olympic games and World Rowing Championships, including the early Olympic successes of Steve R ...
.[
]
Race
The race took place on 2 April 1988. Oxford started as pre-race favourites,[ and having won the toss, elected to start from the Surrey station.][ Immediately from the start, the umpire was called into action, warning both coxes for steering too closely to one another. Cambridge took a slight lead but Oxford soon recovered to become level, and by the Mile Post were three seconds ahead.][ Shortly after, the Cambridge number 7, Nick Grundy caught a crab, causing his boat to "shudder to a halt."][ Oxford slowly extended their lead; nine seconds ahead at Hammersmith Bridge, eleven seconds by the Chiswick Steps and fifteen 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 ...
. Oxford passed the finishing post 16 seconds ahead of Cambridge, winning by lengths in a time of 18 minutes 27 seconds, the equal-fourth fastest time in the event's history.[ Oxford won the 43rd Women's Boat Race with their third victory in four years.][
]
Reaction
The Beefeater Gin Trophy was presented by Denis Thatcher.[ Oxford Boat Club president Chris Penny said "It was not an easy race but it was enjoyable. We kept our heads, found our rhythm and moved back and through them."][
]
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1988
The Boat Race
1988 in English sport
1988 in rowing
1988 sports events in London
April 1988 sports events in the United Kingdom