The Boat Race 1927

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; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2014, broadcast worldwide.^[4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1926 race by five lengths, with Oxford leading overall with 40 victories to Cambridge's 37 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).^[5][6] This year also saw the inaugural running of the Women's Boat Race, between female crews from the two universities.^[7]

Oxford were coached by H. R. Baker (who rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1908 and 1909 races), G. C. Bourne (who had rowed for the university in the 1882 and 1883 races), R. C. Bourne (who had rowed four times between 1909 and 1912) and P. C. Mallam (a Dark Blue from 1921 to 1924 inclusive). Cambridge were coached by William Dudley Ward (who had rowed in 1897, 1899 and 1900 races), Francis Escombe and David Alexander Wauchope (who had rowed in the 1895 race).^[8] For the first year the umpire was Charles Burnell, who had rowed for Oxford in the 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898 races.^[9]

It was the first time that the progress of the race was broadcast on BBC Radio from the umpire's launch Magician.^[10] Poet J. C. Squire and Olympic gold medallist and former Oxford rower Guy Nickalls provided the commentary, with transmission equipment on the boat weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds (450 kg), and using a number of specially built reception points along the course.^[11][12] It was the second live outdoor commentary ever broadcast, the first being the Scotland versus England match of the 1927 Five Nations Championship.^[12]

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 8.625 lb (79.9 kg), 2.25 pounds (1.0 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge's boat contained four participants with Boat Race experience, including cox J. A. Brown who was steering the Light Blues for the fourth consecutive year. Oxford saw five members of the previous year's crew return, including E. C. T. Edwards and James Douglas Wishart Thomson, both of whom were rowing for the third time in the event.^[13] Cambridge's Australian number six J. B. Bell and his opposite number, American Howard T. Kingsbury of Yale University,^[14] were the only non-British participants registered in the race.^[15]

According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, neither crew could "be classed in a very high standard", claiming Cambridge's selection was poor and Oxford's coaches indecisive.^[11] Ten days before the race, Oxford's W. S. Llewellyn was struck down by German measles and was replaced by A. M. Hankin who was placed at stroke.^[11]

Seat	Oxford			Cambridge
	Name	College	Weight	Name	College	Weight
Bow	N. E. Whiting	Worcester	11 st 9 lb	Hon. J. S. Maclay	1st Trinity	11 st 9 lb
2	P. Johnson	Magdalen	11 st 11 lb	T. E. Letchworth	Pembroke	12 st 7 lb
3	E. C. T. Edwards	Christ Church	12 st 10 lb	J. C. Holcroft	Pembroke	12 st 5 lb
4	J. D. W. Thomson (P)	University	13 st 6 lb	R. Beesly	1st Trinity	12 st 11.5 lb
5	W. Rathbone	Christ Church	13 st 13 lb	L. V. Bevan	Lady Margaret Boat Club	13 st 3.5 lb
6	H. T. Kingsbury	Queen's	14 st 2 lb	J. B. Bell	Jesus	13 st 3 lb
7	T. W. Shaw	Christ Church	12 st 7 lb	S. K. Tubbs (P)	Gonville and Caius	12 st 3 lb
Stroke	A. M. Hankin	Worcester	10 st 11 lb	R. J. Elles	Trinity Hall	11 st 9 lb
Cox	Sir J. H. Croft	Brasenose	8 st 12 lb	J. A. Brown	Gonville and Caius	8 st 10.5 lb
Source:[13] (P) – boat club president[16]