The Boat Race 1972
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| 118th Boat Race | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 1 April 1972 | ||
| Winner | Cambridge | ||
| Margin of victory | 9+1⁄2 lengths | ||
| Winning time | 18 minutes 36 seconds | ||
| Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 66–51 | ||
| Umpire | P. N. Carpmael (Cambridge) | ||
| Other races | |||
| Reserve winner | Goldie | ||
| Women's winner | Cambridge | ||
| |||
The 118th Boat Race took place on 1 April 1972. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tidal stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. Umpired by former Cambridge rower Philip Carpmael, the race was won by Cambridge, who passed the finishing post 9+1⁄2 lengths ahead of Oxford in a time of 18 minutes and 36 seconds, their fifth consecutive victory. The win took the overall record since 1829 to 66–51 in favour of Cambridge.
The race was variously described as an "anti-climax" and "a bore" given the ease with which Cambridge secured the win. Their crew was the heaviest in Boat Race history and included siblings for the first time since 1935. In the reserve race, Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis, and in the Women's Boat Race, Cambridge were victorious.
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] First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.[2] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.[3][4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having beaten Oxford by ten lengths in the previous year's race. Cambridge also held the overall lead with 65 victories to Oxford's 51 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).[5][6]
The first Women's Boat Race took place in 1927, but did not become an annual fixture until the 1960s. Up 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.[7] The reserve race, contested between Oxford's Isis boat and Cambridge's Goldie boat has been held since 1965. It usually takes place on the Tideway, prior to the main Boat Race.[6]
Oxford were coached by Dick Fishlock who had coxed Great Britain in the men's eight in the 1960 Summer Olympics.[8][9] He was assisted by John Langfield, John Peake, Peter Reynolds (who had coxed for the Dark Blues in the 1960 and 1961 races) and Peter Sutherland.[10] Cambridge were being coached by Lou Barry for the fifth consecutive year, along with James Crowden (who had rowed for the Light Blues in the 1951 and 1952 races), David Jennens (who had represented the Cantabrigians three times between 1949 and the 1951 race, Donald Legget (who rowed in the 1963 and 1964 races, Mike Sweeney (who rowed in the 1965 and 1966 races) and Robin Winckless (who rowed in the 1967, 1968 and 1969 races).[10][11][12] The umpire for the race was Philip Carpmael who had rowed for Cambridge in the 1930 and 1931 races.[13][14]
Writing in The Times, Jim Railton suggested that Cambridge looked "invincible" before their arrival at the Thames, and former Oxford Blue and author Dickie Burnell suggested that the Light Blues were "reckoned to be unbeatable".[15] However, Oxford rowed a number of record practice times, while Cambridge met with several "disasters" (including catching some "mammoth crabs" and experiencing outings "spoilt by shipwrecks").[12]
Crews
The Cambridge crew weighed 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg) per rower more than their opponents, averaging just over 13 st 11 lb (75.6 kg), making them the heaviest crew in the history of the race.[12] Both boats contained four Blues; Oxford saw Keith Bolshaw, D. d'A Willis, Andrew Hall and J. Hawkesley return, while Cambridge's crew included Chris Baillieu (whose grandfather had rowed in the 1913 race),[16] Neil James, David Maxwell and Graham Hughes.[17] American Olympic rower Gardiner Cadwalader (who finished fifth in the men's coxed four in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico)[18] along with four British Olympic team candidates (Maxwell, Bailieu, Michael Hart and James)[19] brought experience to the Light Blue boat.[12] Cambridge's crew also contained brothers Michael and James Hart, the first time a pair of siblings had rowed for Cambridge since the Kingsfords in the 1935 race.[20][21] Along with Cadwalader, Oxford cox Fred Yalouris was American, while the Dark Blue bow Michael Magarey was Australian; all the other participants were British.[22]
| Seat | Oxford  |
Cambridge  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | College | Weight | Name | College | Weight | |
| Bow | M. A. Magerery | Magdalen | 13 st 8 lb | R. J. S. Clarke | St Catharine's | 13 st 1 lb |
| 2 | K. Bolshaw | Christ Church | 12 st 11 lb | C. L. Baillieu | Jesus | 13 st 13 lb |
| 3 | D. R. d'A Willis | St Peter's | 14 st 12 lb | S. G. I. Kerruish | Fitzwilliam | 12 st 10 lb |
| 4 | A. J. Hall (P) | Keble | 15 st 3 lb | J. A. Hart | Fitzwilliam | 13 st 5 lb |
| 5 | D. R. Payne | Balliol | 12 st 10 lb | N. W. James | Jesus | 14 st 0 lb |
| 6 | J. P. W. Hawksley | Balliol | 12 st 12 lb | G. A. Cadwalader | Lady Margaret Boat Club | 14 st 10 lb |
| 7 | Hon. P. D. E. M. Moncreiffe | Christ Church | 11 st 6 lb | M. J. Hart | Peterhouse | 14 st 2 lb |
| Stroke | M. G. C. T. Baines | Keble | 12 st 3 lb | D. L. Maxwell | Jesus | 14 st 6 lb |
| Cox | E. Yalouris | Merton | 8 st 12 lb | N. G. Hughes (P) | Queens' | 9 st 1 lb |
| Source:[23] (P) – Boat club president[12][24] | ||||||
