Torpids 1974

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Oriel 71 76 Oriel 2 University 50 55 University 3 Balliol 49 50 Christ Church 4 Christ Church 45 41 Balliol 5 Worcester 39 39 Jesus 6 St Catherine's 39 39 S.E.H. 7 Jesus 36 39 Worcester 8 Queen's 36 33 New College 9 S.E.H. 32 30 St Catherine's 10 Keble 29 28 Lincoln 11 St John's 27 28 Keble 12 New College 26 22 Wadham 13 Wadham 24 20 Magdalen 14 Trinity 23 20 Trinity 15 Pembroke 20 20 Pembroke 16 Lincoln 19 18 Queen's 17 St Peter's 17 18 St Peter's 18 Magdalen 16 17 St John's 19 Exeter 15 17 Exeter 20 Brasenose 14 13 Brasenose 21 Corpus Christi 10 11 Osler House 22 Osler House 10 10 Corpus Christi 23 Merton 8 9 Merton 24 Hertford 3 4 Hertford 25 Wolfson 3 4 Wolfson 26 Mansfield 1 2 Mansfield

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Lincoln 2[ 6] 10[ 1] 5.00[ 1] Wolfson 1[21] 5[ 2] 5.00[ 1] Christ Church 2[ 6] 5[ 2] 2.50[ 4] Hertford 1[21] 4[ 4] 4.00[ 3] New College 2[ 6] 4[ 4] 2.00[ 5] Magdalen 2[ 6] 3[ 6] 1.50[ 7] University 2[ 6] 3[ 6] 1.50[ 7] S.E.H. 3[ 1] 3[ 6] 1.00[ 9] Mansfield 1[21] 2[ 9] 2.00[ 5] Exeter 2[ 6] 2[ 9] 1.00[ 9] Keble 2[ 6] 2[ 9] 1.00[ 9] Jesus 2[ 6] 2[ 9] 1.00[ 9] Merton 1[21] 1[13] 1.00[ 9] Osler House 1[21] 1[13] 1.00[ 9] Corpus Christi 2[ 6] 1[13] 0.50[15] St Peter's 3[ 1] 1[13] 0.33[16] Brasenose 2[ 6] 0[17] 0.00[17] Oriel 3[ 1] 0[17] 0.00[17] Wadham 3[ 1] -1[19] -0.33[19] Worcester 2[ 6] -2[20] -1.00[20] Trinity 1[21] -2[20] -2.00[22] Pembroke 3[ 1] -4[22] -1.33[21] Balliol 2[ 6] -5[23] -2.50[23] St Catherine's 2[ 6] -6[24] -3.00[24] St John's 2[ 6] -14[25] -7.00[25] Queen's 2[ 6] -15[26] -7.50[26]

Notes

• Wed 27 Feb – Sat 2 March 1974
• Multilane racing
• Division at 30min intervals from 1:30 until 4pm.
• Between the Thursday and Friday (according the to Daily Telegraph) the crews of Wadham II and Wadham III were switched.

• Coverage in The Times limited to just the bumps charts

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 28 Feb, by Cedric Venables

  Oriel stay Head as Balliol fall back

  The floodwater having receded, conditions were easier yesterday for the first day of the Oxford Torpids, though there were still a few problems of steering in negotiating the Gut.

  Oriel had an easy passage as Head of the River, where the only change in the First Division was for University to take second place ahead of Balliol after a crack of oars in the Gut which, according the to umpires, was Balliol's fault.

  At the University Boathouse, Christ Church had been only a few feet away from bumping Balliol but failed to keep up the pressure.

  In Division II, Queen's had an unsatisfactory day. First they were passed by Keble and then, in turn, were bumped by New College and St Edmund Hall so that they lost four places.

  St Peter's improve

  Although they are only in the Third Division, St Peter's are one of the better first boats and raced well in overtaking Brasenose at the top of the Green Bank.

  Hertford, after last year's disaster when they went down 11 places, are in Division V — the only first boat to be so lowly placed. Yesterday, however, they showed some hope of better things by catching Wadham II.

  For Balliol II, in Division VI, it was an unlucky race. Early on their No. 3 was catapulted out of the boat and this led to their being passed or bumped by New College II, Corpus II and St Peter's II. [List of Bumps/Passes] [Start Order]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 1 Mar, by Cedric Venables

  Oriel are in a class of their own on second day

  Oriel again were in a class of their own when the Oxford Torpids continued yesterday. Striking 34 to the Pink Post, they were then three lengths ahead of the pursuing University.

  University confirmed Wednesday's verdict with a four length lead over Balliol.

  Christ Church could have been unlucky, but had only themselves to blame. They were pressing Balliol when they steered into the Tims Raft.

  Even if University install Nairne, the former Isis oarsman, at stroke tomorrow, as is their reported intention, then can hardly expect to dislodge Oriel.

  New College ahead

  Most of yesterday's action was concentrated in the Second Division. At the university boat club New College were less than half a length down on Keble, while St Edmund Hall were closing on Keble. The Hall made their bump, but New College finished ahead of both.

  This earned them promotion to the First Division and, in view of the standard of the lower boats there, they should make further rapid progress.

  After Wadham III had gained two places in the Fifth Division and Wadham II had lost three, it was agreed these crews should be transposed today. [List of Bumps/Passes]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 2 Mar, by Cedric Venables

  Oriel leave no room for argument

  A miracle could remove Oriel from the Head of the River in the Torpids at Oxford, but nothing else seems likely to do so. Yesterday, striking 34 at the top of the Green Banks [sic], they were comfortably ahead of University.

  Below them Christ Church pressing Balliol hard, had drawn level at the University boat house and were in front at the finish, with half a length of clear water between the boats.

  The only other incident in the First Division occurred when New College, going up again, passed St Catherine's.

  Oriel II, lone second boat in the Second Division, are proving a real threat. When they passed Trinity it took them up a fourth place and Keble, starting in front of Oriel today, may view their prospects in this afternoon's race with apprehension

  Stately procession

  The nine crews in the Third Division seem to have found their levels. Yesterday they came up the river in a stately procession.

  It will take Hertford a year or two to recover from former disasters, but they are on their way to regaining a place among other first boats. They took a useful step forward in the Fourth Division by bumping Queen's II. [List of Bumps/Passes]

• The Sunday Telegraph Sun 3 Mar

  Easy for Oriel

  Oriel oarsmen had an easy race to stay Head of the River in the Oxford Torpids. They gained all the way from University in second place, and at the finish led by at least three lengths.

  Oriel's second eight, racing among first boats, also did well and went up four places. For Lincoln it has been a triumphant four days as the first boat, in Division II, gained four places while the second eight, finishing at the top of Division IV went up six places. [Finishing order for Div 1 & 2]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 4 Mar

  No threat as Oriel remain at head

  By Cedric Venables

  Oriel had it all their own way on the final day of the Oxford Torpids, and easily held their place at the head of the river. University never offered the smallest threat, and Oriel finished with a sizeable gap of clear water.

  It has been a Torpid triumph for Oriel, as the second boat rose four places, though on Saturday, against obvious form, they failed to catch Keble.

  Saturday's racing was uneventful in the three leading divisions. Among the 27 crews there were only five changes of place.

  Up six places

  Lincoln did well during the four days. Their first boat, in Division II, went up four places, while the second did even better with a rise of six places.

  Other crews to gain their oars were St Edmund Hall, Christ Church II, Hertford and Wolfson, but, on the debit side Queen's slid down nine places. St John's lost five, and in a lower division their second boat followed suit with a descent of eight.

• In other news ... [1974]

  February 28

  Egypt and the United States re-established normal diplomatic relations

  February 28

  The general election results in the first hung parliament since 1929, with the Conservative government having 297 seats four fewer than Labour, who have 301 and the largest number of votes. Prime Minister Ted Heath hopes to form a coalition with the Liberal Party in order to remain in power.

  March 3

  Turkish Airlines Flight 981, travelling from Paris to London, crashes in a wood near Paris, killing all 346 aboard. This becomes the deadliest single aircraft accident with no survivors.

  March 4

  Ted Heath fails to convince the Liberals to form a coalition and announced his resignation as Prime Minister, paving the way for Harold Wilson to become Prime Minister for the second time as Labour forms a minority government.

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