Apr. 2. prising all rowing cut fies, who had predicted an easy Oxford victory, Cambridge University emerged easy victors in the annual boa race yesterday, gaining a lead at the start of the gruelling course which they never lost in spite of valiant effort on the par of a very ragged Oxford crew. bridge's time for the 4% mile course from Putney to Mortlake was 19 minut 1 three seconds and as they flashed by the winning post a good four lengths ahead of a very tired Dark Blue crew, they put paid to Oxford's chances of winning three consecutive races.
To date Cambridge has won 48 races to Oxford's 42, one race having ended in a draw.
Weather conditions for the race were not per feel, a fairly dense fog bhanging over the river, but the water was quite calm in contrast to. the conditions which had existed durin, the trials, There was a slight loi Towing wind which was to the ad= vantage of both ecews and his as ay Mlonsor AB eve ple shouting. themselves hon both sides of the river throughout the whole length of the course.
Massie, the Oxford cox, who weighed only 8 stone 2 pounds, was the smallest man ever to have taken part inn boat face, % special seat having been fixed for him' 18 inches behind the normal position of a cox. right over the canvas of the boat, The Cambridge boat, as it came out of the boathouse, was observed to be without washboards.
With a difference of 3% stone tween the coxes, the Oxford crow still possessed an advantage in weight Of J stones which was easily notiee-Abie as the (we crews emerged on the waterfront, and later, as Massie perchd over his crew, their extra Weight seemed to be greater. The record for the course was 18 minutes 3 seconds made by Cambridge in 1934.
The Cambridge crew were Urst on the river, huge crowds cheering them og they placed their boat in the water prior to rowing out in midstream to make their way slowly towards the stake boat where the race was to commence, Amid deafening cheers Oxford, the favourites, followed the Light Blues a few minutes Inter and rowed In the wake of the Cambridge boat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.