Torpids 1980

MEN'S BUMPS WOMEN'S BUMPS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Oriel 149 147 Oriel 2 Queen's 111 110 Keble 3 Keble 96 102 Queen's 4 Lincoln 94 97 Jesus 5 Balliol 91 92 Exeter 6 Exeter 90 90 Balliol 7 Worcester 90 89 Christ Church 8 Jesus 88 88 Worcester 9 Christ Church 81 85 Lincoln 10 Wadham 78 79 University 11 S.E.H. 71 74 Wadham 12 Hertford 68 73 Hertford 13 University 66 72 Brasenose 14 St Catherine's 64 69 St Catherine's 15 Brasenose 63 68 S.E.H. 16 New College 62 65 Pembroke 17 Pembroke 54 58 New College 18 Magdalen 47 49 Osler House 19 Trinity 47 45 St Peter's 20 Osler House 46 42 Somerville 21 Wolfson 45 42 St John's 22 St John's 43 36 Corpus Christi 23 L.M.H. 41 35 L.M.H. 24 St Peter's 40 34 Magdalen 25 Merton 38 32 Wolfson 26 Corpus Christi 33 31 Trinity 27 Linacre 33 27 Merton 28 Somerville 25 25 Linacre 29 St Hugh's 22 19 Mansfield 30 Mansfield 17 14 St Anne's 31 St Anne's 12 13 St Hilda's 32 Regent's Park 11 12 St Hugh's 33 St Hilda's 9 9 Regent's Park

STATISTICS College All Crews Men's Crews Women's Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Keble 6[ 1] 21[ 1] 3.50[ 2] 5[ 2] 17[ 1] 3.40[ 1] 1[10] 4[ 3] 4.00[ 2] Somerville 3[19] 11[ 2] 3.67[ 1] 3[ 1] 11[ 1] 3.67[ 3] Balliol 5[ 5] 11[ 2] 2.20[ 6] 4[ 5] 10[ 2] 2.50[ 5] 1[10] 1[11] 1.00[11] Osler House 3[19] 9[ 4] 3.00[ 3] 2[18] 4[ 8] 2.00[ 7] 1[10] 5[ 2] 5.00[ 1] University 3[19] 8[ 5] 2.67[ 4] 3[ 8] 8[ 4] 2.67[ 4] Jesus 4[ 9] 8[ 5] 2.00[ 7] 2[18] 5[ 6] 2.50[ 5] 2[ 3] 3[ 5] 1.50[ 9] S.E.H. 4[ 9] 8[ 5] 2.00[ 7] 3[ 8] 5[ 6] 1.67[ 8] 1[10] 3[ 5] 3.00[ 4] Pembroke 3[19] 7[ 8] 2.33[ 5] 2[18] 6[ 5] 3.00[ 3] 1[10] 1[11] 1.00[11] Wadham 4[ 9] 6[ 9] 1.50[11] 3[ 8] 10[ 2] 3.33[ 2] 1[10] -4[20] -4.00[21] St Hilda's 2[26] 4[10] 2.00[ 7] 2[ 3] 4[ 3] 2.00[ 6] Christ Church 3[19] 4[10] 1.33[12] 3[ 8] 4[ 8] 1.33[10] St Anne's 1[31] 2[12] 2.00[ 7] 1[10] 2[ 9] 2.00[ 6] Brasenose 4[ 9] 2[12] 0.50[13] 2[18] -1[15] -0.50[18] 2[ 3] 3[ 5] 1.50[ 9] Exeter 4[ 9] 1[14] 0.25[14] 3[ 8] 0[12] 0.00[12] 1[10] 1[11] 1.00[11] St John's 5[ 5] 0[15] 0.00[15] 5[ 2] 0[12] 0.00[12] Lincoln 5[ 5] 0[15] 0.00[15] 4[ 5] 0[12] 0.00[12] 1[10] 0[14] 0.00[14] St Catherine's 6[ 1] -1[17] -0.17[17] 4[ 5] -1[15] -0.25[15] 2[ 3] 0[14] 0.00[14] St Peter's 4[ 9] -1[17] -0.25[18] 3[ 8] -1[15] -0.33[16] 1[10] 0[14] 0.00[14] Oriel 6[ 1] -2[19] -0.33[19] 6[ 1] -2[18] -0.33[16] Mansfield 2[26] -2[19] -1.00[20] 2[18] -2[18] -1.00[19] New College 2[26] -3[21] -1.50[24] 2[18] -3[20] -1.50[22] Regent's Park 1[31] -3[21] -3.00[29] 1[27] -3[20] -3.00[25] St Hugh's 2[26] -4[23] -2.00[26] 2[ 3] -4[20] -2.00[19] Worcester 4[ 9] -5[24] -1.25[23] 3[ 8] -8[27] -2.67[24] 1[10] 3[ 5] 3.00[ 4] Queen's 6[ 1] -6[25] -1.00[20] 5[ 2] -6[23] -1.20[21] 1[10] 0[14] 0.00[14] Hertford 5[ 5] -6[25] -1.20[22] 3[ 8] -3[20] -1.00[19] 2[ 3] -3[18] -1.50[18] Magdalen 1[31] -6[25] -6.00[32] 1[27] -6[23] -6.00[28] Corpus Christi 4[ 9] -7[28] -1.75[25] 3[ 8] -9[28] -3.00[25] 1[10] 2[ 9] 2.00[ 6] Trinity 3[19] -7[28] -2.33[28] 3[ 8] -7[25] -2.33[23] Linacre 4[ 9] -9[30] -2.25[27] 2[18] 3[10] 1.50[ 9] 2[ 3] -12[22] -6.00[23] Wolfson 3[19] -10[31] -3.33[30] 2[18] -7[25] -3.50[27] 1[10] -3[18] -3.00[20] Merton 2[26] -14[32] -7.00[33] 2[18] -14[29] -7.00[29] L.M.H. 4[ 9] -16[33] -4.00[31] 1[27] 1[11] 1.00[11] 3[ 1] -17[23] -5.67[22]

Notes

• Wed 27 Feb – Sat 1 March 1980
• Revert to conventional bumps racing, although retaining the requirement that (unlike Eights) the bumped crew continues to race
• Most colleges went mixed this year, hence an third women's division was added.
• First appearance of a sixth Torpid: Oriel VI

• The Daily Telegraph Tue 26 Feb

  Dark Blues switch to Single File

  Oxford University Boat Club have sensibly decided to return to single file this year, after several seasons of confusion caused by the two-abreast system.

  There will be three women's divisions for the first time to accommodate 34 crews, but no change is anticipated at the top of men's Division I, where Oriel have reigned supreme for eight years. [Starting Order]

• The Times Wed 27 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Torpids in single file

  Oxford University Boat Club's Torpids, which start on the Isis today should encounter less troubled waters as a result of the captains' committee decision to race this year in single file.

  Today's rowing order is: [...]

• The Times Thu 28 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Balliol left trailing in Oriel's wake

  Oriel, who assumed the headship a distant eight years ago, rowed over safely on the first day of the Oxford University Torpids on the Isis yesterday. After setting off at a brisk 41 they rated a steady 34 for most of the course and Balliol could make no impression on them.

  Keble, the most likely pursuers in fourth position, regretted their steering, which cost them a bump after securing an early overlap on Worcester. When Keble recovered to get within striking distance at the boathouses, Worcester drew on hidden reserves of stamina to hold them at bay in the finishing straight.

  Lincoln missed Exeter and paid the penalty as both Christ Church and Queen's improved at their expense. The sandwich boat Jesus, maintained their place in the first division by overhauling Magdalen. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 28 Feb

  Keble Waste Big Chance

  Fourth-placed Keble, who in practice looked the only crew capable of deposing Oriel at the head of Oxford Torpids, fluffed it on the first day when they made a clear overlap on Worcester and their cox let their chance slip by wayward steering.

  While Oriel rowed over ahead of Balliol, Keble fought back to within a canvas of Worcester as the pair rated between 35 and 36. But Worcester willed themselves to reach the finishing post in front of their pursuers.

  Lincoln also lost a chance to make their mark on Exeter, and then dropped two places to Christ Church and Queen's.

  Jesus rowed over at the head of Division II and clinched a place in the top division today by bumping Magdalen. [List of Bumps]

• The Times Fri 29 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Skilful steering not enough to deny Keble

  Oriel duly rowed over at the head on the second day of Oxford University Torpids, with Balliol a good four lengths behind them. This would seem to indicate that, as far as the title is concerned, this year's event is all over bar the shouting and the battle for the runners-up position.

  Keble moved up to third as a result of a long-awaited bump on Worcester, whose cox gave them a good run for their money by skifully eluding his faster pursuers until 200 metres from home. Christ Church kept nagging at Exeter's rudder but were denied their second bump in two days, and the only other change in the first division came when University caught New College in the Gut to add to the bump they made on St. Edmund Hall on Wednesday.

  The second division very nearly produced a full house of bumps with only the sandwich boat, Lincoln II, failing to register their mark. The decline of Magdalen, bumped by Brasenose and Osler House, continued. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 29 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Magdalen go down to 15th

  As befits champions of more than seven years' standing, Oriel made it all look so easy yesterday when rowing over four lengths clear of Balliol on the second day of Oxford University Torpids.

  The fun and tensions unfolded in Balliol's wake, where Keble at last managed to bump Worcester — but not without a tactical battle between the coxes, which was resolved only furlong from the finishing post.

  University continued to climb, with a bump on New College, but Magdalen, who started 12th in Division One on Wednesday, fell to 15th overall when they were twice bumped in Division Tow — by Brasenose and Osler House.

  Jesus retained their new-found status at the head of the Women's Division. [List of Bumps]

• The Times Sat 1 March, by a Special Correspondent

  Torpids kings not ready to abdicate yet

  Keble earnt a tilt at Oriel, the long-standing leaders of Oxford University Torpids, by bumping Balliol at the start of the Green Bank yesterday; but, judging by Oriel's smooth row over at the head of an orderly processing, they are not yet ready to abdicate their throne tonight.

  The title "misses of the day" fell to St Hugh's in the women's division. They were bumped by St Hilda's and failed to redeem themselves at the expense of St Anne's, who through a series of accidents were reduced to only six active oarswomen. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 1 Mar

  Oriel & Keble in Key Clash

  Oriel, who rowed over without undue fuss at the head of Oxford University Torpids yesterday, face a showdown with Keble tonight. [List of Bumps]

• The Times Mon 3 March, by a Special Correspondent

  Oriel remain unruffled at the top

  Mere mortals seem to have no chance of checking omnipotent Oriel, who rowed-over in majestic style at the head of Oxford University Torpids—the title they assume some eight years ago. Oriel were unruffled at the top, and the only change in the Division 1 order came about when St Edmund Hall made their mark.

  Worcester got within a few feet of Balliol, but their cox was unable to register the vital bump. Oriel II holed Jesus as they were on their way back after bumping Trinity in Division 2, and Jesus's borrowed boat did not stand up to the test. [Men's Head Crew: as below] [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 3rd Mar, by a Special Correspondent

  Competent Oriel make it eight

  Oriel remain at the head of Oxford University Torpids after a smooth row on the Isis on Saturday.

  They have been there now for eight years and another eight years in command would surprise nobody.

  Keble never looked capable of catching their competent opponents. Indeed there was only one bump in Division I and that was St Edmund Hall on the dogged Jesus crew who were rendered riggerless at the start of Division I when they were hit by a meandering Oriel II crew.

  Jesus won the women's division, though. [List of Bumps] [Men's Head Crew, as from The Times below except: K Attwell Thomas]

• In other news ... [1980]

  Feb 27

  M-19 guerrillas begin the Dominican embassy siege in Colombia, holding 60 people hostage, including 14 ambassadors.

  March 1

  The Commonwealth Trade Union Council is established.

  March 1

  The Voyager 1 probe confirms the existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn.

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