The Boat Race 1888


The 45th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1888. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. In the race umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd for the final time, Cambridge won by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds.

Background

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. First held in 1829, the race takes place on the Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. 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. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race by lengths, while Oxford held the overall lead, with 23 victories to Cambridge's 20.
Oxford's boat club president Hector McLean died of typhoid fever in January 1888 and while the Dark Blues recruited "good men", according to Drinkwater, they also "did not develop into a good crew and were never looked on as possible winners", while Cambridge "had a surplus of excellent material". Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne, F. P. Bully, and Tom Edwards-Moss. There is no record of who coached Cambridge. According to Drinkwater, during practice, the weather conditions were "very bad... rough and stormy, and bitterly cold". He also noted that the Light Blue crew was "undoubtedly one of the fastest that have ever appeared at Putney."
The umpire for the race was Robert Lewis-Lloyd and had umpired every year since the 1881 race.

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 11 st 13.75 lb, more than their opponents. Cambridge saw two former Blues return in Percy Landale and Stanley Muttlebury, the latter of whom was making his third Boat Race appearance. Oxford's crew contained three rowers with experience in the event, including bow W. F. C. Holland, H. R Parker and Guy Nickalls. All competitors in the race were British.

Race

Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge. Commencing at 10.56 a.m., Cambridge took an early lead, and led from the start, holding a six-length lead by Hammersmith Bridge. They extended their lead by a further length to win by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds. It was their third consecutive victory, and their fourth in five years, and took the overall record to 23-21 in Oxford's favour. The winning time was four seconds quicker than the previous year's race. It was the last time the race was umpired by Lewis-Lloyd, who was replaced the following year by Frank Willan who had rowed for Cambridge four times between the 1866 and 1869 races.