Eights 1947

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Magdalen 106 103 Magdalen 2 Oriel 87 96 New College 3 New College 86 89 Trinity 4 Trinity 84 75 Brasenose 5 S.E.H. 72 73 Christ Church 6 St John's 71 71 Oriel 7 Balliol 65 67 S.E.H. 8 Brasenose 61 64 St John's 9 Christ Church 60 60 Balliol 10 University 57 54 Exeter 11 Exeter 53 53 University 12 Pembroke 38 47 Pembroke 13 Wadham 37 38 Wadham 14 Keble 35 36 Worcester 15 Worcester 35 35 Merton 16 St Peter's 33 33 Queen's 17 Merton 33 28 Keble 18 Corpus Christi 31 25 Lincoln 19 Queen's 30 25 St Peter's 20 Hertford 25 24 Jesus 21 Jesus 20 23 Corpus Christi 22 Lincoln 19 20 Hertford 23 St Catherine's 18 18 St Catherine's

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Lincoln 3[ 6] 14[ 1] 4.67[ 1] Wadham 3[ 6] 13[ 2] 4.33[ 2] Brasenose 4[ 1] 13[ 2] 3.25[ 5] New College 3[ 6] 12[ 4] 4.00[ 3] Trinity 4[ 1] 12[ 4] 3.00[ 6] Pembroke 3[ 6] 11[ 6] 3.67[ 4] Christ Church 3[ 6] 8[ 7] 2.67[ 7] Worcester 3[ 6] 4[ 8] 1.33[ 8] Jesus 2[21] 2[ 9] 1.00[ 9] S.E.H. 2[21] 1[10] 0.50[10] Balliol 4[ 1] -4[11] -1.00[11] St Catherine's 3[ 6] -4[11] -1.33[13] Queen's 3[ 6] -4[11] -1.33[13] Merton 3[ 6] -4[11] -1.33[13] Magdalen 4[ 1] -5[15] -1.25[12] Corpus Christi 1[23] -5[15] -5.00[23] Exeter 4[ 1] -6[17] -1.50[16] University 3[ 6] -6[17] -2.00[17] St John's 3[ 6] -8[19] -2.67[18] Oriel 3[ 6] -8[19] -2.67[18] Hertford 3[ 6] -11[21] -3.67[20] Keble 3[ 6] -12[22] -4.00[21] St Peter's 3[ 6] -13[23] -4.33[22]

Notes

• 6 days: Thu 22 – Wed 28 May 1947
• Record 70 crews entered.
• 6th Division added: divisions race at 1:30, 2:25, 3:20, 4:15, 5:15 and 6:15pm.
• First occurrence of a Double Overbump. This seems to have happened on consecutive days. According to the Saturday report the double overbump on Thursday was disallowed but, in the list of Friday's bumps, the same outcome is recorded.
• The Times Mon 26 May includes a photograph captioned

  Oxford Summer Eights — Merton about to bump Worcester as the Second Division crews drew alongside the College Barges in the Oxford University Summer Eights on Saturday. In the beautiful weather the river banks were crowded and some interesting rowing was seen.

• The Times Thu 22 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  There is a record number of 70 crews — 12 more than last year — for the Oxford University Summer Eights, which will be begun to-day and continued until next Wednesday. The order of starting is:—[...]

• The Times Fri 23 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  Eights Week opened at Oxford in brilliant sunshine with a record entry of 70 crews rowing in six divisions.

  In Division V there was an unusual occurrence, New College III making a double over bump at the expense of Magdalen IV but the incident has resulted in an objection and there may be a re-row to-day. Yesterday bumps were:— [...] [With additional notes as follows ...]

  [Div III:] The bump claimed by St. Catherine's over Brasenose II is the subject of an objection and there may be a re-row this morning

  [Div IV:] Pembroke II are claiming obstruction and there may be a re-row this morning.

  [Div V:] After a protest claiming obstruction the last six-named crews [i.e. Magdalen IV down to New College III] may re-row this morning.

• The Daily Telegraph, Fri 23 May

  Oxford University summer eights opened yesterday with a record entry of 70 crews in six divisions. In Division V the last six crews claimed obstruction and a re-row will probably be ordered for to-day.

  At the top of Division V, Lincoln II bumped Christ Church II, and Trinity III caught Oriel III. Other results: [...]

• The Times Sat 24 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  The Oxford University summer eights were continued at Oxford yesterday, when 23 bumps were recorded.

  As a results of a captain's meeting at the O.U.B.C. on Thursday night, the double overbump claimed by New College III over Magdalen IV was disallowed together with the two intervening bumps and yesterday the six crews concerned started in Thursday's order. The same course was adopted in dealing with a protest involving Pembroke II, Balliol IV, and Worcester II in Division 4, but in the third division another protest resulted in Brasenose II, St Catherine's, Balliol II, Exeter II, and Trinity II being ordered to rerow yesterday morning with the result that Trinity II bumped Exeter II.

  Yesterday's bumps were:— [list of bumps, with the notable inclusion of ...] New College III made a double overbump on Magdalen IV, Wadham II made an overbump on Queen's III.

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 24 May

  Double Over-Bumped

  An incident never known before occurred in Div. V of the Oxford University summer eights at Oxford yesterday. New College III double over-bumped Magdalen IV, and inside this Wadham II made an over-bump on Queen's III and Pembroke III bumped University III. Other results:[...]

• The Times Mon 26 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  Trinity Still Head

  The Oxford Summer Eights were continued on Saturday, when there were 21 bumps, bringing the total for the three days to 66.

  In Division II Worcester II have claimed that they were obstructed, and the matter will come before a committee meeting. In Division I Trinity were never challenged for the headship, and New College failed to press Oriel as hard as they had done the night before.

  The order of starting on Saturday and bumps recorded were:— [...]

  [Although the Monday report states that Merton bumped Worcester on the Saturday (as, indeed, it looks quite likely from the photograph), subsequent results only make sense if, instead Worcester were given a bump on Corpus Christi.]

• No coverage in The Daily Telgraph on Mon 26 May

• The Times Tue 27 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  There were 20 bumps in the fourth day's racing of the Oxford Summer Eights, which were continued yesterday before a large holiday crowd. The bumps were:—[...]

• The Daily Telegraph Tue 27 May

  Twenty Bumps

  For the third successive day Trinity College withstood the challenge of Magdalen for the headship of the Oxford University Eights yesterday, when there were 20 bumps. [list of bumps].

• The Times Wed 28 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  There were 24 bumps in the Oxford University eights which were continued in brilliant weather yesterday. As was expected Trinity College rowed over at the head of Division I and their polish and pace preclude any possibility of their being deposed from that position to-night. Altogether 177 bumps have been recorded up to yesterday. [List of bumps]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 28 May

  24 Oxford Bumps

  Twenty-four bumps were recorded in Oxford summer eights yesterday. Trinity College once again rode [sic] over at the head of Div. I. [list of bumps]

• The Times Thu 29 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  A Low Standard

  Eights week finished at Oxford yesterday with Trinity unchallenged as Head of the River after, at least in the first division, a remarkable scarcity of bumps. Trinity were rather a rough crew, and inclined to row out, but they had better length than most and, above all, far more determination and dash.

  Magdalen bumped Oriel on the first night but never seriously challenged Trinity. They seemed quite fast for a short distance, but were undistinguished over the second half of the course, and were bouncing their boat very badly.

  New College, finishing third, were quite neat and, like Magdalen, fast for a short distance, but apt to die away. Oriel lost three places and might have lost more if it had not been for P. N. Brodie, the new president, and J. R. Smith. Christ Church and Brasenose made three bumps, to finish fourth and sixth respectively. Both were fairly well together and the latter were also powerful, if somewhat rough. St. Edmund Hall lost three places, in spite of valiant efforts by P. H. Mathews to keep them away.

  It could not be pretended that the to six crews were of a very reassuring standard, but below that it was immediately apparent that Oxford rowing is facing a crisis. Crews at the bottom of the first division had such dirty finishes as almost to amount to crabs, and were nearly all rushing forward hopelessly. After last year's promising start, this dearth of good summer eights is most disappointing. It may reflect the failure of the Boat Races; it may be due to lack of coaches. A lot of crews have gone back to fix [sic] pins, and the tendency is towards orthodoxy, but the distressing thing is that the rowing seems to be falling into the most obvious pitfalls which beset Oxford orthodox rowing in the late twenties and early thirties.

  Most sinister of all is the lively recovery. Crews are clipping their finishes and bouncing their bodies over in an attempt, presumably, to be quick at the finish. Whether or not the sound of a fixed pin finish is an aid to good timing may be a controversial question. But it is quite certain that a ragged finish is immediately audible on fixed pins, and many of the crews at Oxford sound like the rattling of musketry. Some of the crews which are rowing on swivels make almost as much noise.

  Further down the divisions the standard was not so different from normal, but the average of the first and second division was certainly low.

  Looking on to Henley, it is not yet possible to be sure how much Schools will intervene this year. But it looks as though both Trinity and Magdalen will be able to take more or less full crews. New College, Christ Church, and Brasenose should all be reasonably well represented. In addition, an Isis crew will cater for individual oarsmen whose colleges are unable to compete at Henley. There is still no reason why some of these crews should not develop well by July, but a lot of hard work and careful coaching will be needed.

  Yesterday's bumps were:—[...]. Order of finishing [...].

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 29 May

  Trinity College retained the headship of the river in the final day's racing of the Oxford summer eights. During the six days 129 bumps were made. Yesterday's bumps: [...]

• In other news ... [1947]

  Thu May 22

  The Cold War begins: In an effort to fight the spread of Communism, President Harry S. Truman signs an Act of Congress that implements the Truman Doctrine. This Act grants $400 million in military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece. The Cold War ends in 1991.

  Thu May 22

  David Lean's film Great Expectations, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, opens in the United States. Critics call it the finest film ever made from a Charles Dickens novel.

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