The 78th Boat Race took place on 27 March 1926. 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 College town, 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. Cam ...

along the

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. Umpired by former rower Frederick I. Pitman, Cambridge won by five lengths in a time of 19 minutes 29 seconds in the largest winning margin since 1912. It was Cambridge's third consecutive victory and took the overall record in the event to 40–37 in Oxford's favour.

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 The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

(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

in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1925 race as Oxford became waterlogged, with Oxford leading overall with 40 victories to Cambridge's 36 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). Oxford's coaches were H. R. Baker (who rowed for the Dark Blues in the

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and 1909 races), G. C. Bourne who had rowed for the university in the

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and 1883 races, and A. V. Douglas (who took part in the

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and 1925 races). Cambridge were coached by

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 ...

(who had rowed in

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and 1900 races), Francis Escombe, David Alexander Wauchope (who had rowed in the 1895 race), and H. W. Willis. For the eighteenth and final year the umpire was

Old Etonian 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, ...

Frederick I. Pitman who had rowed for Cambridge in the

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, 1885 and 1886 races. He would be replaced in the following year's race by

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 Co ...

. Cambridge opted to arrive a fortnight later than usual at the Thames, and forwent their typical practice at Ely. According to former Oxford rower and author George Drinkwater, the Light Blues "showed great promise" only to be struck by measles, forcing a late replacement in the boat. Oxford, while "not so pleasing in appearance" were considered to be favourites for the race.

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 10.5 lb (80.8 kg), per rower more than their opponents. Four of the Cambridge crew had taken part in the Boat Race previously, including W. F. Smith, G. H. Ambler, and

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J. A. Brown, all of whom were participating in their third consecutive event. The crew also included E. C. Hamilton-Russell who had won three finals at the 1925 Henley Royal Regatta.Drinkwater, p. 145 Oxford saw three rowers return to the boat in J. D. W. Thomson, E. C. T. Edwards and C. E. Pitman. Cambridge's Australian number six J. B. Bell was the only non-British participant registered in the race.

Race

Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Cambridge.Drinkwater, p. 146 In conditions described by Drinkwater as "excellent" with "smooth water but only a moderate tide", Pitman started the race at 12:27 pm. Although Oxford marginally out-rated their opponents, the crews were level after the first minute. As the crews passed the Mile Post, the Dark Blues held a small lead which they had extended to around half a length by

Harrods Furniture Depository The Harrods Furniture Depository buildings flank the south bank of the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge in Barnes, London, built on the site of an old soap factory in 1894 as a storage centre for the larger items that could not be taken into ...

. Cambridge made a push and reduced the deficit to a quarter-length by the time the boats passed below

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 ...

. Following a series of spurts around the outside of the bend in the river, Cambridge gained to draw level by HMS ''Stork''. The Dark Blues' rhythm faltered and their number five missed a stroke as they passed

Chiswick Eyot Chiswick Eyot is a narrow, uninhabited ait (river island) of the Thames. It is a tree- and reed-covered rise on the Tideway by Chiswick, in London, England and is overlooked by Chiswick Mall and by some of the Barnes riverside on the far b ...

, allowing Cambridge to move away to take a clear lead. Two lengths ahead by Chiswick Steps, the Light Blues increased their stroke rate and pulled further away to win by five lengths, the largest winning margin since the 1912 race, in a time of 19 minutes and 29 seconds. It was their third consecutive victory and their seventh in eight races.

References

Notes Bibliography * * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1926 1926 in English sport The Boat Race March 1926 sports events 1926 sports events in London