Torpids 1992

MEN'S BUMPS WOMEN'S BUMPS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Oriel 182 189 Oriel 2 New College 139 142 New College 3 Christ Church 127 125 University 4 Brasenose 126 124 Christ Church 5 University 117 121 Brasenose 6 St Catherine's 111 115 Pembroke 7 Pembroke 95 92 Worcester 8 L.M.H. 94 90 St Catherine's 9 Balliol 85 88 Wadham 10 Wadham 81 84 Balliol 11 Keble 80 84 L.M.H. 12 Wolfson 78 79 Wolfson 13 Hertford 73 78 Magdalen 14 Worcester 70 69 Keble 15 Osler House 68 69 Hertford 16 Magdalen 67 66 Osler House 17 S.E.H. 66 60 S.E.H. 18 Lincoln 63 58 St John's 19 Somerville 58 57 Somerville 20 St John's 53 56 Lincoln 21 St Hugh's 53 52 Exeter 22 Trinity 50 47 Queen's 23 Jesus 44 42 St Peter's 24 Exeter 43 41 St Anne's 25 Queen's 42 41 Trinity 26 St Peter's 38 40 Jesus 27 St Anne's 36 36 St Hugh's 28 Merton 35 27 Merton 29 Mansfield 19 26 St Hilda's 30 Corpus Christi 18 16 Corpus Christi 31 St Hilda's 17 16 Linacre 32 Linacre 13 14 Mansfield 33 Regent's Park 5 5 Regent's Park 34 St Antony's 1 1 St Antony's

STATISTICS College All Crews Men's Crews Women's Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Worcester 4[12] 15[ 1] 3.75[ 2] 3[ 8] 10[ 2] 3.33[ 3] 1[16] 5[ 6] 5.00[ 2] Oriel 8[ 1] 13[ 2] 1.62[10] 6[ 1] 1[12] 0.17[15] 2[ 3] 12[ 1] 6.00[ 1] Pembroke 4[12] 12[ 3] 3.00[ 4] 2[18] 3[ 8] 1.50[ 8] 2[ 3] 9[ 3] 4.50[ 5] St John's 4[12] 10[ 4] 2.50[ 5] 3[ 8] 5[ 6] 1.67[ 7] 1[16] 5[ 6] 5.00[ 2] Exeter 6[ 3] 10[ 4] 1.67[ 8] 4[ 2] 3[ 8] 0.75[13] 2[ 3] 7[ 5] 3.50[ 9] Magdalen 6[ 3] 10[ 4] 1.67[ 8] 4[ 2] 10[ 2] 2.50[ 5] 2[ 3] 0[16] 0.00[16] Osler House 4[12] 8[ 7] 2.00[ 6] 2[18] 8[ 4] 4.00[ 2] 2[ 3] 0[16] 0.00[16] St Peter's 4[12] 8[ 7] 2.00[ 6] 3[ 8] 13[ 1] 4.33[ 1] 1[16] -5[26] -5.00[29] Linacre 2[28] 7[ 9] 3.50[ 3] 1[28] 3[ 8] 3.00[ 4] 1[16] 4[ 9] 4.00[ 6] University 6[ 3] 6[10] 1.00[11] 3[ 8] 4[ 7] 1.33[ 9] 3[ 1] 2[12] 0.67[15] St Hilda's 1[32] 5[11] 5.00[ 1] 1[16] 5[ 6] 5.00[ 2] St Anne's 3[22] 3[12] 1.00[11] 2[18] 1[12] 0.50[14] 1[16] 2[12] 2.00[11] Jesus 3[22] 2[13] 0.67[15] 2[18] 0[16] 0.00[16] 1[16] 2[12] 2.00[11] Keble 6[ 3] 2[13] 0.33[16] 4[ 2] 8[ 4] 2.00[ 6] 2[ 3] -6[27] -3.00[23] St Antony's 1[32] 1[15] 1.00[11] 1[28] 1[12] 1.00[10] Regent's Park 1[32] 1[15] 1.00[11] 1[28] 1[12] 1.00[10] Queen's 5[ 8] 1[15] 0.20[17] 3[ 8] -3[20] -1.00[19] 2[ 3] 4[ 9] 2.00[11] Merton 4[12] 0[18] 0.00[18] 3[ 8] -4[24] -1.33[23] 1[16] 4[ 9] 4.00[ 6] Christ Church 6[ 3] -1[19] -0.17[19] 4[ 2] -9[30] -2.25[29] 2[ 3] 8[ 4] 4.00[ 6] Wolfson 3[22] -1[19] -0.33[20] 2[18] -3[20] -1.50[26] 1[16] 2[12] 2.00[11] Somerville 2[28] -2[21] -1.00[22] 2[ 3] -2[19] -1.00[18] Wadham 5[ 8] -4[22] -0.80[21] 3[ 8] 3[ 8] 1.00[10] 2[ 3] -7[28] -3.50[26] S.E.H. 3[22] -4[22] -1.33[26] 2[18] 0[16] 0.00[16] 1[16] -4[25] -4.00[27] St Catherine's 4[12] -5[24] -1.25[23] 2[18] -3[20] -1.50[26] 2[ 3] -2[19] -1.00[18] Balliol 4[12] -5[24] -1.25[23] 3[ 8] -4[24] -1.33[23] 1[16] -1[18] -1.00[18] Hertford 4[12] -6[26] -1.50[28] 3[ 8] -3[20] -1.00[19] 1[16] -3[23] -3.00[23] Trinity 2[28] -6[26] -3.00[30] 1[28] -4[24] -4.00[30] 1[16] -2[19] -2.00[21] Brasenose 5[ 8] -7[28] -1.40[27] 4[ 2] -4[24] -1.00[19] 1[16] -3[23] -3.00[23] L.M.H. 4[12] -8[29] -2.00[29] 2[18] 0[16] 0.00[16] 2[ 3] -8[29] -4.00[27] New College 7[ 2] -9[30] -1.29[25] 4[ 2] -19[32] -4.75[32] 3[ 1] 10[ 2] 3.33[10] Corpus Christi 2[28] -9[30] -4.50[33] 1[28] -1[19] -1.00[19] 1[16] -8[29] -8.00[30] Mansfield 3[22] -11[32] -3.67[31] 2[18] -9[30] -4.50[31] 1[16] -2[19] -2.00[21] Lincoln 3[22] -12[33] -4.00[32] 2[18] -4[24] -2.00[28] 1[16] -8[29] -8.00[30] St Hugh's 5[ 8] -24[34] -4.80[34] 3[ 8] -4[24] -1.33[23] 2[ 3] -20[32] -10.00[32]

Notes

• Wed 26 Feb – Sat 29 Feb
• W.Div V removed to avoid starting before noon.

• The Times Wed 26 Feb, By Our Sports Staff

  Oriel men plan to steer clear of penalty

  The Oxford University torpids start today under a cloud of proctorial disapproval. After several serious accidents and increasing morning activity on the river keeping students away from lectures, the proctors asked OUBC to ban outings between 8am and 1pm. For torpids week the start has been put back to noon.

  Oriel look set to bump back to the men's headship they lost last year through technical penalties. The head crew, Christ Church, is showing indifferent form and should be easy meat for Oriel.

  The situation at the top of the women's first division is more open, with Osler House aiming to regain the headship after last year's demotion by Somerville. This year's Osler crew has more raw power than last year's, but less experience than in previous years. [Starting Order]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 26 Feb

  Bumps ban threat lifted

  [The headline and first part of the article refers to the Cambridge Lents]

  Oriel, demoted four places for training infringements before last year's Oxford Torpids, climbed back to second and will be hoping today to bump Christ Church and resume the Headship which they had held for the previous 19 years.

  Last year University and Pembroke both climbed four places, but start too low to catch the leaders. Pembroke, seventh, are reckoned to be particularly fast this time around.

  Somerville deposed Osler House from the top of the women's division last year but can expect a strong challenge from Osler today. [Starting Order]

• The Times Thu 27 Feb, By Our Sports Staff

  Oriel's return to top overshadowed

  Oriel's return to the top of the men's first division of Oxford University torpids yesterday was marred by the death of John Hebbes, an Oriel man, the previous day [rowing for the OUBC squad].

  Oriel decided to row only after a lengthy meeting, and once on the river, wore down Christ Church and made the bump 50 yards from the finish. They were tipped to catch Christ Church and Hebbes's death made the crew all the more determined. The other bump in the division was by Magdalen on St Catherine's.

  In the women's top division, the expected challenge by Osler House on Somerville never materialised. Somerville pulled away from the start, and there were three clear lengths between the crews as they passed the University boat house. [List of Bumps] [Starting Order]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 27 Feb, By a Special Correspondent

  Timely bump by Oriel

  Within scarcely a length of the finish Oriel bumped Christ Church to go ahead on the first day of the Oxford Torpids.

  Brasenose also sustained a turn of speed that should soon lift them out of third place.

  New College, University, Oriel 2 and Pembroke finished strongly but without changing their starting order at the head of the men's divisions.

  Somerville finished over three lengths clearof Osler at the head of the women's divisions.

  St Catherine's were dislodged from third place by Wadham, whose unambiguous bump in front of the boathouses compensated for their having been caught by New College soon off the start. [List of Bumps]

• The Times Fri 28 Feb just contains results and a single line noting that Oriel remain head.
• The Daily Telegraph Fri 28 Feb, By a Special Correspondent

  Relentless Brasenose oust rivals from second place

  Christ Church were deposed from second place in the Oxford torpids when Brasenose converted their relentless pressure over the green bank into contact in front of the House's loyal supporters.

  Lower down the First Division, Oriel II initially pressed University hard but surprisingly succumbed to Pembroke at Tims. Magdalen and LMH caught Balliol and St Catherine's respectively in the gut while sandwich boat Worcester bumped SEH at the finish, having already removed Hertford from the top of the Second Division.

  Luckless Lincoln were stopped on their third stroke by an oar which snagged Wolfson's bungline. All ambitions evaporated as the oar loom snapped, allowing St John's and Jesus to make progress. But Wolfson were penalised with a technical bump.

  Euphoria at side-bumping Osler out of second place in the women's divisions prevented New College disentangling themselves, enabling Wadham to row past the resultant mélée.

  Coxswain Will Hetherton was catapulted into the water as New College III were struck by Regent's Park. The consequent instability overturned the New College eight and while they were swimming ashore they were overtaken by the whole of the men's Division Five. [List of Bumps] [Starting Order]

• The Times Sat 29 Feb, By Our Sports Staff

  There was no change at the top of the men's and women's first divisions of Oxford University torpids yesterday.

  In the men's race, Oriel only just held off Brasenose and, at the finishing post, a canvas separated the crews. Brasenose, one-and-a-half lengths down at the Boat House were the stronger crew over the last quarter and an exciting finale is in prospect today.

  Somerville's win at the top of the women's division was emphatic. They pulled away from New College and opened up a two-lengths lead at the Boat House and maintained the margin. [List of Bumps] [Starting Order]

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

  [main article deals with Cambridge Lents]

  Oriel and Somerville, meanwhile, rowed safely over at the head of the men's and women's divisions on the third day of Oxford Torpids. Immediately behind Oriel, Brasenose, Christ Church and New College settled into apparently stable sequence but Pembroke made their second bump after closing swiftly on University, who succumbed in the gut.

  Oriel 2 were early victims as Magdalen took their third scalp while Balliol managed to withstand LMH unti just before the line.

  Worcester's progress continued, this time unchecked by St Catherine's non-stop dissent [descent?]. Further back, Trinity's present toehold in the Second Division looks distinctly susceptible to the power of Osler House. [List of Bumps] [Starting Order]

• The Sunday Telegraph Sun 1 March

  Oriel withstood pressure from Brasenose to row over head on the last day of Oxford University Torpids. Christ Church, who started the week in head position, were three lengths astern of Brasenose.

  Vanessa Patini stroked Somerville to retain the women's headship. University, Pembroke and St Hilda's continued to progress and Worcester women also won their blades.

• The Times Mon 2 March

  Oriel and Somerville reigned supreme on the last day of the Oxford University torpids to finish head of the men's and women's divisons. [List of Bumps] [Finishing Order]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 2 March, By a Special Correspondent

  Oriel hang on to Headship

  Oriel safely fended off Brasenose on the last night and retained the Headship wrested from Christ Church earlier in the Oxford Torpids. In their final race the eights were separated by more than two lengths of clear water.

  In the women's divisions, Somerville again covered the course beyond reach of New College, who bumped their way up into second place in the first two days. St Hilda's upward mobility continued to the last. The elegantly attired eight earned blades by catching Pembroke and then passed through to overbump Lady Margaret Hall. [List of Bumps] [Finishing Order]

• The Times Tue 3 March, by a Special Correspondent

  Threat to Somerville

  Oriel and Somerville finished head of the men's and women's divisions in Oxford University Torpids (a Special Correspondent writes).

  Oriel finished a length up on Brasenose; Somerville, whose domination could be threatened by the decision to admit men to the college, confidently rowed over. [Bumps Chart]

• Review from the 1992 Eights Programme, by Roland Brown

  Given that Hilary Term of the last two years has seen disruption by freeze and by flood it was, no doubt, with not inconsiderable surprise that crews enjoyed an apparently unprecedented period of entirely average weather.

  The mood of the week was of course subdued by the news of the sudden death of John Hebbes. Flags were flown at half mast above the boathouse of all colleges and O.U.B.C. who were further to remember John in their naming of the Blue Boat.

  Popular opinion before the bumps held that both headships were in danger. This view was proved partially correct on Wednesday when Oriel, starting second, performed a late bump on Christ Church to regain the headship that they had controversially surrendered last year — despite seeming to display noticeably less urgency than their immediate rivals over the first part of the course. Once Brasenose had bumped Christ Church the following day it still remained to be seen whether or not the college could mount a realistic challenge to the head crew on Friday. B.N.C. did not disappoint and pressed hard to finish no more than half a length down at the line. Oriel however, feeling obliged to assert their dominance rather more convincingly, saved their best row until last to finish a comfortable two lengths clear on Saturday.

  Lower down Worcester impressed by reentering the First Division with five blade winning bumps whilst Pembroke, continuing their progress of recent years, took three bumps to go fourth. Magdalen also rose three places to finish seventh.

  Somerville, however, retained the women's headship with ease as the expected challenge from New College, who had advanced three places in two days to start second on Friday, failed to materialize. Elsewhere in the division St Hilda's won their blades with four bumps having started the week as sandwich boat.

  Those spectators to whom a feast of bumping appeals would have done well to watch the women's Second Division. Here Christ Church and Oriel rose six and seven places respectively in contrast to St Hugh's who fell a dismal ten in a bitterly disappointing week for the college.

• In other news ... [1992]

  February 26

  The Irish supreme court rules that a 14-year-old rape victim may travel to England to have an abortion.

  February 28

  Ownership of the port town of Walvis Bay is transferred from South Africa to Namibia.

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