Torpids 1990

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Oriel 38 40 Oriel 2 New College 22 22 Christ Church 3 Christ Church 19 19 Brasenose 4 Brasenose 17 17 New College 5 Hertford 15 13 Hertford 6 St Catherine's 11 11 Balliol 7 Keble 10 10 St Catherine's 8 Balliol 9 9 University 9 University 7 7 Magdalen 10 Magdalen 7 7 Pembroke 11 S.E.H. 6 6 S.E.H. 12 Trinity 5 5 Keble 13 Pembroke 4 4 Lincoln 14 Wadham 4 4 Trinity 15 Lincoln 3 3 Worcester 16 Worcester 3 3 L.M.H. 17 Wolfson 3 3 Wadham 18 L.M.H. 2 2 Wolfson 19 Jesus 2 2 Jesus 20 Queen's 2 2 St John's 21 St John's 1 1 St Peter's 22 St Peter's 1 1 Queen's 23 Merton 1 1 Exeter 24 Exeter 1 1 Merton

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Pembroke 1[ 2] 3[ 1] 3.00[ 1] L.M.H. 1[ 2] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 2] Lincoln 1[ 2] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 2] Balliol 1[ 2] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 2] Exeter 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] St Peter's 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] St John's 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] Worcester 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] Magdalen 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] University 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] Brasenose 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] Christ Church 1[ 2] 1[ 5] 1.00[ 5] Oriel 2[ 1] 1[ 5] 0.50[13] Jesus 1[ 2] 0[14] 0.00[14] S.E.H. 1[ 2] 0[14] 0.00[14] Merton 1[ 2] -1[16] -1.00[16] Wolfson 1[ 2] -1[16] -1.00[16] St Catherine's 1[ 2] -1[16] -1.00[16] Hertford 1[ 2] -1[16] -1.00[16] Queen's 1[ 2] -2[20] -2.00[20] Trinity 1[ 2] -2[20] -2.00[20] New College 1[ 2] -2[20] -2.00[20] Wadham 1[ 2] -3[23] -3.00[23] Keble 1[ 2] -5[24] -5.00[24]

Notes

• Fri 23 and Sat 24 Feb 1990
• Due to a fast stream only the top 2 men's divisions raced, and only on the last 2 days
• A women's division also raced on these 2 days but it was agreed beforehand that the women's racing would be an informal event and not affect the starting order for the following year

• The Daily Telegraph Tue 20 Feb

  Torpids in doubt

  Because of the flooding of the Thames, the National Rivers' Authority has not yet given permission for the Oxford University Torpids. They were due to start tomorrow and finish on Saturday.

  Stephen Eyles, secretary of college rowing, said yesterday that when permission was granted only the first two men's divisions would race.

• The Times Wed 21 Feb, By a Special Correspondent

  The day the Torpids became torpid

  More than 250 rowing crews, male and female, received disappointing news yesterday when it was announced that the Oxford Torpids had been cancelled (a Special Correspondent writes). Only 24 crews in the men's first and second divisions might find that they have competition this week if the National Rivers Authority and the Oxford University officials consider the river to be safe enough for racing.

  The Thames, the Tideway excepted, has been closed to college crews for the past fortnight because of flooding and after three eights had become entangled at Iffley and had to be rescued from above the weir. The University Boat Club authorities threatened fines and exclusion from Torpids for any crews ignoring the ban. Most of the men's first division crews have managed to keep active by practising on nearby lakes and on the Tideway, and ergometers and gymnasiums have been fully booked. Steve Eyles, the organizer of the event, will reassess the situation at 9am today.

  It seems that not even the two top men's divisions will be in action before Friday, although the river level has been dropping since the weekend. John Powell, the local navigation officer, said yesterday that 48 hours more might be needed, assuming that the Oxford area "gets lucky in terms of rainfall". There are no plans to reschedule the event for a later date.

  The article is accompanied by a photograph of the 'No Rowing' sign displayed at the OUBC Boathouse.
• The Daily Telegraph Wed 21 Feb

  By Geoffrey Page

  [main article about Oxford Boat Race crew]

  Whether Oriel will be able to extend their hold on the Headship of the River in Torpids, due to start today, for a record run of 19 years, depends as much on the state of the river as on the challengers behind them. A decision as to whether racing will be possible will be taken at 9am each day.

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 22 Feb

  The Oxford Torpids, due to start yesterday were cancelled owing to the state of the Thames. There will be an inspection at 9am today.

• The Times Fri 23 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Torpids start but only for leading crews

  The "no rowing" signs came down on the Isis yesterday for the 24 crews in the men's first and second divisions (a Special Correspondent writes).

  The flood-affected Torpids begin today but only for these leading crews and for two days rather than the planned four. Oriel will lead off the first division and try to stretch their record of wins to 19. Oriel, like many other high starting crews, have managed to keep active on the Tideway but, inevitably, many contestants will be less prepared for action than usual. [Start Order]

• The Times Sat 24 Feb, By a Special Correspondent

  Oriel find the going easy as New slump

  Oriel comfortably rowed over at the top of the men's first division when Oxford University Torpids started on the Isis yesterday.

  The event, reduced from 11 to two men's divisions because of the swollen state of the river earlier in the week, still produced plenty of bumps.

  Oriel's closest challengers, New, were caught near the finish by Christ Church and lower down the division Keble went down five places. [List of Bumps]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 24 Feb

  Boatmen in boycott of Torpids

  By a Special Correspondent

  Oriel rowed more than five lengths clear of New College, who eventually succumbed to Christ Church, on the first day of a scarcely recognisable two-day Torpids at Oxford yesterday.

  Near-perfect conditions favoured the much-abbreviated races, despite a yellow warning still in force and the absence of any co-operation from college boatmen.

  The boatmen were anxious to register their dissociation from the students' decision to race so soon after the flooded Isis began to recede.

  Sensing the inevitable, Hertford conceded before the Gut, allowing Oriel II to plough past on their way to fifth place — and give a further display of the unenduring [unendearing?] behaviour which is now characteristic of Oriel crews and supporters alike.

  Behind them all, the tail-enders in the first division bumped Keble, who had lost a blade and ended up as sandwich boat, with Pembroke to catch and Trinity to evade today.

  Lincoln took a long time to catch Wadham and LMH even longer before taking Wolfson.

• The Sunday Telegraph

  Oriel rowed over at the head of Oxford Torpids for the 19th year in succession after the event was reduced to two divisions because of the swollen Isis.

  Christ Church replaced New College, who were again taken down a notch by Brasenose halfway along the Green Bank, in second place.

• The Times Mon 26 Feb, by a Special Correspondent

  Christ Church kept at bay

  Oriel successfully held of Christ Church to retain the headship of Oxford University Torpids on the Isis on Saturday (a Special Correspondent writes). The House [Christ Church], who bumped New on Friday, never threatened Oriel. Oriel finished two lengths clear of Christ Church. [List of Bumps & Finishing Order]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 26 Feb

  New College slip as Oriel keep honour

  By a Special Correspondent

  Oriel's 19th successive Headship brought the two-division Oxford Torpids to an end on Saturday. Christ Church put up a brave offensive in second place while New College, who started there at the beginning of the season, lost a place to Brasenose.

  Pembroke, consolidating their arrival in the First Division, made an early bump on St Edmund Hall, but in the middle of the division there was more anticipation than consummation.

  St Catherine's were about to take Hertford when they were caught by Balliol. Magdalen were twice within reach of University, who then rowed three lengths clear and set off in vain pursuit of St Catherine's.

• The Times Tue 27 Feb

  Oriel lift their 19th headship in the torpids

  Oriel stretched their record of headships to 19 after the two days of a reduced Oxford University Torpids on Saturday, while Christ Church and Brasenose moved above New College. The men's divisions were reduced from 11 to two because of the swollen state of the Isis, the women's events were cancelled. [Bumps Chart]

• It's unclear where the figure of 11 (men's) divisions comes from. From 1986–88 there had been 11 divisions in total (7 men's, 4 women's), but in 1989 this had been increased to 13 (8+5).

• Review from the 1990 Eights Programme

  Whatever one might have expected of this year's competition, it was a turn-up for the book. New College had prophetically adorned Donnington Bridge with their colours over Christmas, confident of taking the headship from its place in the hands of Oriel; although their eventual lot was not a happy one. If the term's floods were not so remarkable considering 1976 [sic, presumably 1977] had seen the competition cancelled due to a swollen Isis, the eventual format Torpids took was still unprecedented. Torrential rain saw the Isis closed for much of the term, forcing the more stalwart crews to train elsewhere and definitely not anywhere on the Thames above Teddington Lock. O.U.R.C. passed a rule that, when the Thames water put the river on red alert, the penalty for rowing would be four technical bumps against that college's first boat; incentive enough for the rule to be obeyed!

  In the event, the state of the Isis was such that we lost the first two days racing and in terms of the divisions, all but the men's first and second divisions and an informal women's race. In the men's first division, Friday saw Oriel row over head some five lengths clear of New College who had succumbed to Christ Church in front of the boathouses. In fact, Brasenose had closed to within 1/4 of a length of Christ Church in the gut but their challenge faded allowing the house time to bump. No one doubted the speed of Brasenose off the start but this showing raised again questions as to their staying power over the second half of the course. Lower down in the division, Oriel II, tipped by many to be destined to an ever downward plunge, caught Hertford easily to go fifth. Meanwhile Keble, tragically unlucky, lost a blade and dropped out of the division.

  In the second division, Pembroke and Lincoln initiated their productive two days by bumping Trinity and Wadham respectively.

  On Saturday Oriel rowed over ahead of Christ Church without difficulty to retain the Headship for the 19th consecutive year. Brasenose caught New College at the top of the Greenbank. Oriel II rowed over in fifth place and Balliol bumped St Catherine's to go seventh.

  In the second division Lincoln built on Friday's efforts by bumping Trinity but Pembroke, by rowing as sandwich boat, bumped twice to return to the first division.

  The informal women's races sufficed to demonstrate that Osler House were still the rightful head crew — Somerville having made little impression on either day.

  It only remains to be hoped that less hostile weather in 1991 will allow a full programme of racing and that this year's dearth of Torpids rowing will not affect the standard of this Summer's rowing to any great extent.

• In other news ... [1990]

  February 20

  Three people are injured in Leicester city centre by a bomb explosion.

  February 25

  The Sandinistas are defeated in the Nicaraguan elections, with Violeta Chamorro elected as the new president of Nicaragua (the first elected woman president in the Americas), replacing Daniel Ortega.

  February 26

  Fourteen people are killed as storms hit Britain. One of the worst-hit areas is Towyn in North Wales, where approximately 2,000 people are evacuated from their homes after huge waves smash a 200-yard hole in the sea wall and cause a major flood.

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