Eights 1972

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Christ Church 195 196 Christ Church 2 Keble 188 184 Keble 3 S.E.H. 170 161 University 4 University 154 159 Oriel 5 Oriel 154 153 S.E.H. 6 Balliol 141 145 Balliol 7 St John's 135 128 Wadham 8 Queen's 127 126 St John's 9 Merton 114 125 Queen's 10 Wadham 109 105 New College 11 Lincoln 103 102 Jesus 12 Brasenose 99 100 Merton 13 New College 98 99 Lincoln 14 St Catherine's 97 97 Pembroke 15 Jesus 90 96 Brasenose 16 Pembroke 89 94 Worcester 17 Exeter 83 92 Magdalen 18 Worcester 82 84 Exeter 19 Magdalen 80 83 St Catherine's 20 St Peter's 72 71 St Peter's 21 Trinity 68 56 Trinity 22 Hertford 59 53 Hertford 23 Corpus Christi 54 50 Corpus Christi 24 Mansfield 9 10 Mansfield 25 Osler House 6 8 Osler House 26 Linacre 2 2 Wolfson 27 Wolfson 2 2 Linacre 28 Regent's Park 2 2 Regent's Park

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Wadham 5[ 6] 14[ 1] 2.80[ 5] New College 4[11] 13[ 2] 3.25[ 4] St Peter's 4[11] 10[ 3] 2.50[ 6] Osler House 2[24] 9[ 4] 4.50[ 1] University 6[ 2] 8[ 5] 1.33[ 8] Mansfield 2[24] 7[ 6] 3.50[ 3] Exeter 4[11] 6[ 7] 1.50[ 7] Queen's 4[11] 5[ 8] 1.25[ 9] Pembroke 5[ 6] 5[ 8] 1.00[10] Wolfson 1[26] 4[10] 4.00[ 2] Jesus 4[11] 4[10] 1.00[10] Worcester 4[11] 3[12] 0.75[12] Oriel 5[ 6] 3[12] 0.60[13] Christ Church 6[ 2] 1[14] 0.17[14] Magdalen 3[19] 0[15] 0.00[15] Balliol 5[ 6] 0[15] 0.00[15] St John's 6[ 2] -1[17] -0.17[17] Regent's Park 1[26] -2[18] -2.00[23] Linacre 1[26] -2[18] -2.00[23] St Catherine's 3[19] -3[20] -1.00[18] Corpus Christi 3[19] -4[21] -1.33[19] Brasenose 3[19] -4[21] -1.33[19] Lincoln 5[ 6] -9[23] -1.80[21] Hertford 4[11] -11[24] -2.75[26] Keble 7[ 1] -13[25] -1.86[22] Trinity 3[19] -13[25] -4.33[28] Merton 4[11] -14[27] -3.50[27] S.E.H. 6[ 2] -16[28] -2.67[25]

Notes

• Wed 24 – Sat 27 May 1972
• Division times: 1.05, 1:40, 2:15, 2:50, 3:35, 4:00, 4:35, 5:15, 6:00.

• The Times Wed 24 May, by Jim Railton

  Fast Oriel crew could surprise the leaders

  It is difficult to forecast the outcome of this year's Oxford summer eights until the leading crews show their form in today's opening race.

  The head title lies between the first three crews in last year's race — Christ Church, Keble and Oriel, but only Oriel have given any hint of their form. The defending head crew, Christ Church, contains four Blues including their cox Eastman and Isis oarsman Mayhew. Christ Church's vulnerability lies in a relatively weak bow four.

  Keble will be out to avenge their lowering of status throughout last year at the hands of Christ Church. But Keble received a setback recently when the Oxford stroke, Baines, was forced to retire from training with a recurring muscle injury.

  Keble have been able to attract back the Oxford president, Hall, who has been deeply immersed in studies. Hall anchors the boat at six but the only other Blue in the crew is the seven man, Hunt, who rowed in the 1971 Oxford crew and the 1972 Isis boat.

  Keble, rowing at a lively rate in their new Italian boat, have a more even spread of talent with three Isis oarsmen and Mills at bow, who rowed in the Oxford trials. Certainly the surfeit of confidence which led to their downfall last year, has been replaced with a workmanlike approach.

  Oriel, who finished head of the Torpids, have concentrated on building a strong crew. The crew is built around the South African heavyweight, Hebblethwaite, a former Trident oarsman from Johannesburg. Seven of the Oriel crew rowed in the boat last year and earlier this month Oriel finished a close second to Jesus, Cambridge, in the head of the Cam.

  This is the fastest Oriel crew for some years and it will be interesting to see if they can really make the big league, in spite of the absence of Blues within their ranks.

  The order of start is:[...]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 24 May

  Oriel showing winning form

  There is little sign of a revival in Oxford's fortunes among the college crews competing in the Summer Eights which start today. The top three may be the best on view, but Christ Church and Keble have weaknesses.

  By a process of elimination this leaves Oriel as the tip for the top. They have been hiding their light by practising far away from the Isis, but their recent performance in the Cambridge Head, when they lost only to Jesus, reads like winning form. [Order of Start]

• The Times Thu 25 May, by Jim Railton

  Pattern of eights set from start

  A strong cross-wind and rain set the theme for the start of yesterday's Oxford summer eights. On yesterday's performances the indications are that there will be no change in the division one leadership, with Christ Church more than holding their own at the top, and even drawing away from Keble.

  The first four crews in division one rowed over, with Keble, in second place, converting their quarter of a length loss to Oriel in the Gut to a gain of over half a length at the finish, with Oriel's challenge failing, in spite of their early promise.

  Perhaps a change in climate might produce an extra-special effort in today's race from one of the leading three crews, otherwise Christ Church will find no difficulty in retaining their place at the head of divison one. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 25 May, by Desmond Hill

  Christ Church stay in front

  There was no change at the top when the Oxford Summer Eights began yesterday in weather far more appropriate for Torpids. The situation looks likely to remain unaltered for the rest of the week, with Christ Church retaining the headship.

  Keble, at 38½, 40 [sic] came within threequarters of a length at the Gut, where Oriel had not gained on Keble at all. Up the Green Bank, Keble fell back but an Oriel spurt had no effect and all three were widely spaced at the O U B C.

  Balliol, half a length off Queen's in the Gut, caught them just before the finish but Wadham, Jesus, Lincoln and Magdalen all scored within two minutes. Worcester missed New College twice before catching them at the Pink Post.

  Pembroke over-bumped Trinity, but St Peter's, Corpus and Hertford all succumbed to second boats. [List of bumps]

• The Times Fri 26 May, by Jim Railton

  Keble close gap with leaders in eights

  Keble made a special effort today to usurp Christ Church's place at the head of division I on the second day of the Oxford summer eights. The high rating Keble crew rapidly closed the gap coming through the Gut and there was only half a length between the two crews at the finish, indicating a three-quarter of a length gain by Keble on their principal opponents.

  Oriel, who were strong outside favourites to gain the Head title this year, fell further behind today losing two and a half lengths on the starting distance between themselves and Keble.

  Altogether there were 42 bumps in the nine divisions, including one overbump in division VI by St. Peter's IV, who earlier in the afternoon gained promotion from division VIII. The first six crews in division I rowed over, with only Keble left to challenge Christ Church now that Oriel's reputation is in decline. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 26 May, by Desmond Hill

  Keble close to success

  The first six boats rowed over when the Oxford Summer Eights continued yesterday. Keble held on to Christ Church more tenaciously and were within a length at the O U B C, and closer at the finish, but never really likely to succeed.

  There was excitement lower down, where St John's caught an early crab and handed Wadham their 14th consecutive bump. Jesus caught St Edmund Hall on the Green Bank and the next three boats came up separated by feet only.

  Magdalen, who had emerged from a lengthy sojourn in division two by catching St Caterine's at the Stone, cut it very fine when catching Lincoln at the O U B C. In the second division Pembroke almost forced Exeter up to New College, but failed to take their advantage and all three survived. [List of bumps]

• The Times Sat 27 May, by Jim Railton

  Keble will hope for strong headwind today

  Keble came within 10 feet of catching the head crew Christ Church in the penultimate day of the Oxford summer eights yesterday, writes Jim Railton. A distinctly attired Christ Church crew barely managed to hold off the series of onslaughts by Keble along the boathouses led by the Keble stroke and captain Adrian Burns.

  Keble will hope for a strong headwind today, the final day of the competition. Christ Church clearly showed yesterday the effects of holding off their challengers for the third day in succession that their title is now in the balance. A head wind would keep the race alive for a longer period today which could prove fatal for Christ Church. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 27 May, by Desmond Hill

  Wadham lose man overboard

  Christ Church lasted home [sic] by 10 feet on the third night of Oxford Summer Eights, when an atrocious gusting wind was generally expected to favour Keble. Behind them, the next six boats completed the course, but a battery of appeals followed.

  Wadham, fully expected to catch Queen's, lost a man overboard below the Stone, and were overlapped by St John's, who were then caught by Jesus.

  St John's claimed to have made contact, but this was disallowed. Wadham's misfortune could have cost them a fourth successive maximum.

  Division II provided further excitement. Worcester caught St Catherine's in the Gut and behind them Brasenose, three-feet ahead of New College, held that tenuous advantage to the end.

  Pembroke extended

  Pembroke made a fair meal of catching Exeter, overlapping at Tims but not scoring before their boathouse.

  Corpus, Hertford and Trinity again succumbed to second boats, while in the nether regions Osler House and New College III have already gained six places each. [List of bumps]

• The Sunday Telegraph Sun 28 May

  Keble take the Head

  After a fiercely exciting race in the Oxford Summer Eights, Keble regained the Head of the River from Christ Church, who displaced them last year.

  From the start Keble began to gain steadily until they caught Christ Church along the Green Bank.

  During the four days of racing 166 bumps were made and the crews that gained their oars for rising four or more places were Magdalen, Worcester, Pembroke, New College II, Queen's II, Wadham II, Pembroke II, Christ Church IV, Jesus II, Mansfield, Osler House, St. Catherine's III, St. Peter's IV, Oriel IV, Wolfson, St. John's V and New College III.

• The Times Mon 29 May just shows the final bumps chart.
• The Daily Telegraph Mon 29 May, by Desmond Hill

  Keble end up Head of River

  The elements defeated Christ Church when the Oxford Summer Eights ended on Saturday. Having rowed over at the head for three days, they were then faced with a raging headwind and Keble's advantage of a stone per man gave them their bump leaving the Gut.

  The next three boats rowed over, but Wadham, thwarted on Friday, made no mistake and gained their 15th place in 16 days' racing. Worcester followed Magdalen into the First Division, both scoring five bumps.

  Wadham II, Osler House, and New College III did best of all with seven each. Without belittling Keble's success, and, after all, they included two Blues and three Isis caps, it would have been more convincing had they not taken four days to achieve it. [Head of River crew — as below] [List of bumps & Finishing order]

• In other news ... [1972]

  Wed May 24

  Scottish Association football club Rangers F.C. win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, defeating FC Dynamo Moscow 32 in the final at Camp Nou in Barcelona (Spain). A pitch invasion by their supporters leads to the team being banned from defending the trophy the following season.

  Wed May 24

  A Red Army Faction bomb explodes in the Campbell Barracks of the U.S. Army Supreme European Command in Heidelberg, West Germany; three U.S. soldiers (Clyde Bonner, Ronald Woodard and Charles Peck) are killed.

  Wed May 24

  The Magnavox Odyssey video game system is first demoed, marking the dawn of the video game age; it goes on sale to the public in August.

  Fri May 26

  Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT I treaty in Moscow, as well as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and other agreements.

  Fri May 26

  Wernher von Braun retires from NASA, frustrated by the agency's unwillingness to pursue a manned trans-orbital space program.

  Fri May 26

  Willandra National Park is established in Australia.

  Sat May 27

  Mark Donohue wins the Indianapolis 500 in a Penske Racing McLaren-Offenhauser.

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