Eights 1955

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Magdalen 130 123 Balliol 2 Balliol 113 119 Magdalen 3 Merton 107 105 Merton 4 New College 100 98 New College 5 Trinity 94 90 Christ Church 6 S.E.H. 91 89 Trinity 7 Christ Church 90 87 Queen's 8 Lincoln 83 85 S.E.H. 9 Oriel 78 78 University 10 University 78 78 Oriel 11 Queen's 74 75 Lincoln 12 Brasenose 66 73 Brasenose 13 Jesus 65 66 St Peter's 14 Worcester 61 57 Jesus 15 St Peter's 57 55 Worcester 16 Pembroke 57 54 St Catherine's 17 St Catherine's 52 51 Pembroke 18 Wadham 42 46 Wadham 19 St John's 42 46 Exeter 20 Exeter 41 43 Keble 21 Hertford 39 42 Hertford 22 Keble 39 40 St John's 23 Corpus Christi 33 35 Corpus Christi

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg St Peter's 5[ 1] 18[ 1] 3.60[ 1] Balliol 5[ 1] 14[ 2] 2.80[ 2] Corpus Christi 3[15] 6[ 3] 2.00[ 3] Oriel 5[ 1] 6[ 3] 1.20[ 6] Christ Church 4[ 4] 5[ 5] 1.25[ 5] Hertford 2[23] 3[ 6] 1.50[ 4] Worcester 3[15] 3[ 6] 1.00[ 7] Keble 4[ 4] 3[ 6] 0.75[ 8] Wadham 4[ 4] 2[ 9] 0.50[ 9] Queen's 4[ 4] 2[ 9] 0.50[ 9] Exeter 4[ 4] 0[11] 0.00[11] University 4[ 4] -2[12] -0.50[12] S.E.H. 4[ 4] -3[13] -0.75[13] Pembroke 3[15] -3[13] -1.00[14] Brasenose 3[15] -3[13] -1.00[14] Lincoln 3[15] -3[13] -1.00[14] Magdalen 4[ 4] -4[17] -1.00[14] St Catherine's 3[15] -4[17] -1.33[20] St John's 4[ 4] -5[19] -1.25[18] Trinity 4[ 4] -5[19] -1.25[18] New College 3[15] -7[21] -2.33[21] Merton 3[15] -7[21] -2.33[21] Jesus 4[ 4] -16[23] -4.00[23]

Notes

• Wed 25 – Sat 28 May 1955
• The Times Mon 30 May includes a photograph captioned

  Summer Eights — Holidaymakers watching the racing of the Oxford University Summmer Eights, which were finished on Saturday. University III (foreground) and Lincoln III are seen racing in the 5th Division.

• The Times Wed 25 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  Standard lower than last year

  In Eights Week last year the three crews at the top of the river at Oxford rowed over every night, in spite of the fact that Balliol, starting second, actually overlapped Magdalen on one occasion, and that Merton, who started third, threatened Balliol. In the Eights Week racing which starts to-day it is possible that much the same story will be told.

  Magdalen are criticized as ponderous, as they were last year, and again this is ascribed, in some measure, to their stroke H. B. Holt. Holt is no natural born stroke, but he took Magdalen head in 1953, kept them there last year, and there seems to be no good reason why he should not do it again. J. A. Gobbo and D. P. Wells make a strong combination behind him, and the crew is well together if not inspiring.

  Balliol, by contrast, are ragged. They are said to be faster than their last year's crew, but hardly look it. But they probably have the pace to close up on Magdalen, and it remains to be seen whether hard work can make up for lack of stride in finishing the job off. Merton have the advantage of an effective stroke and seven combination, in B. S. Mawer and R. D. T. Raikes, who is about the best oar at Oxford to-day. Your correspondent has not seen them rowing, but they are reputedly the fastest crew on the river. This may well be so, but it is questionable whether there is sufficient support to enable them to clinch the matter.

  For the rest there is plenty of variety — Worcester, for example, have suddenly affected the "Lady Margaret" style, while St. Catherine's parody, most energetically, the R.A.F. — and plenty of hard work, but no sort of class at all [a member of the crew tells me that it was particularly satisfying later to bump the crew coached by the author of this article]. More crews than ever were practising at Henley and elsewhere before term began, and there are few crews in the first two divisions which have no redeeming features. But the general standard, particularly at the top, seems a little below last year's.

  Christ Church, stroked by G. Sorrell, and with M. S. Murray-Threipland and P. F. Barnard at six and seven, are stronger than of late, and should be able to take advantage of any weakness ahead of them. Queen's perhaps Worcester, and certainly Brasenose, who are stroked by E. V. Vine, should go up.

  The order of start is:— [...]

• The Times Thu 26 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  Balliol Regain Headship

  What seemed to be the first really fine Eights Week day for a very long time produced some racing worthy of the occasion, including a change of headship. Balliol, who were bumped by Magdalen on the last night of racing in 1953, re-bumped them yesterday, opposite their own barge, moored at the top of the Green Bank.

  They were not a little helped in this task by the steering of the Magdalen cox, who took his crew right into the bay opposite the Free Water Stone, in the Gut. This lost them half a length, and put them into imminent danger. On the Green Bank a fine Balliol spurt put the matter beyond doubt.

  Error in Coxing

  Merton rowed over third, rather outside their distance behind Balliol. But they must have at least a fair chance of catching Magdalen to-night. New College were within a few feet of catching Trinity opposite the O.U.B.C., but their cox made the fatal error of trying to strike too soon, and the chance was lost. Brasenose made their two bumps convincingly, catching first Worcester and then, as sandwich boat, bumping Jesus on the Green Bank. They should be set for a successful week.

  At the top of the second division there was a desperate race between Pembroke, who were within a quarter of a length of St. Peter's Hall coming out of the Gut, and St. Catherine's, who came even closer to Pembroke at the O.U.B.C. However, no bump was scored.

  For the first time Magdalen's glass boat was used in a race and their fourth crew found it good enough to make their bump on Merton III. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 26 May

  Twenty-five bumps were registered in the first day of the Oxford summer eights yesterday. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Fri 27 May

  Balliol easily hold place at head

  With Magdalen, whom they had already bumped, behind them, Balliol easily held their place at the Head of the River on the second day of the Summmer Eights at Oxford. Striking 36 along the Green Bank, they were three lengths up on Magdalen and finished four lengths up, while Magdalen scraped home by only three feet from Merton.

  Brasenose further improved their position in Division I when they caught Oriel going into the Gut, and are certainly one of the fastest crews on the river. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 27 May

  Thirty Oxford Bumps

  Thirty bumps were made in the Oxford University summer eights yesterday by: [...]

• The Times Sat 28 May

  Merton now lying second

  Balliol seem certain to remain head of the river in the Oxford Summer Eights. They rowed up comfortably in front of Magdalen who were hard pressed by Merton. At the university boathouse Merton were only a canvas down and they made their bump halfway up to the finish. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 28 May

  Thirty Oxford Bumps

  Thirty-three bunmps, the highest yet, were made on the third day of the Oxford University Summer Eights yesterday. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Mon 30 May

  Balliol hold their headship

  Conditions for the last day of Eights Week at Oxford were about as bad as the conditions on the first day were good. Not least of the trials to be faced was a river in full winter spate, and not the smallest of excitements that of watching the hazardous crossings of the ferry punts. At least two actually capsized, and that, as a Cambridge visitor remarked "must constitute as severe a test of feminine enthusiasm as anything'".

  In spite of the overcast day there was a large crowd, and the racing was most exciting. Merton made a gallant attempt to rush Balliol off the start, and were within half a length of them in the Gut. But by the top of the Green Bank Balliol were well away, and so held the headship which they regained from Magdalen on Wednesday.

  Magdalen rowed over third, reasonably safe from New College, who were unexpectedly hard pressed by Trinity, whom they had bumped on Thursday. At the O.U.B.C. it looked very much as though Trinity would make this bump. Queen's made their fourth bump, at the expense of Christ Church, to finish sixth, which was a highly creditable conclusion to four years of successful racing, for in 1952 Queen's started 22nd. They have now had only five blanks in 20 nights' racing. Christ Church were disappointing after showing promising form in practice, but to some extent this must have been due to the fact that M. S. Murray-Threipland, rowing six, was suffering from a strained back. In fact his place on Saturday had to be taken by a substitute.

  Four crews make four bumps

  Brasenose caught Lincoln, and so made their four bumps, two of which were registered on the first night, when they passed from the second to the first division. Had they not been robbed by University, who caught Lincoln on Friday, it is probable that they would have made a fifth bump.

  The standard of the crews this year was not high, and was probably somewhat lower than that of last year. Nevertheless there were plenty of useful individual oarsmen and a lot of crews had obviously taken trouble. The main difficulty seems to lie in the numerical weakness of the college boat clubs, which makes it hard to produce and eight of real quality. Balliol thoroughly deserved to finish head, for, if not a stylish cew, they brought to their work an attack and determination which were not to be found generally. Balliol have no regular intake of school oarsmen, and owe their success to making the most of their novices and to infinite hard work.

  Balliol's head of the river crew were:— [as below]. [Bumps Chart].

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 30 May

  Balliol Head of River

  The Oxford Summer Eights concluded on Saturday with Balliol head of the river. The fifth crew of St. Peter's Hall registered a double over-bump over the fourth crew of Jesus. In the four days' racing there 113 bumps. Saturday's bumps were made by: [...]

• In other news ... [1955]

  Wed May 25

  Joe Brown and George Band are the first to attain the summit of Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas, as part of the British Kangchenjunga expedition led by Charles Evans.

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