Torpids 1961

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 S.E.H. 59 60 St John's 2 St John's 55 56 S.E.H. 3 Christ Church 55 53 Balliol 4 Balliol 51 50 Christ Church 5 Magdalen 44 43 Magdalen 6 Lincoln 42 42 Lincoln 7 Queen's 40 40 Oriel 8 Worcester 35 37 Queen's 9 Oriel 34 32 New College 10 Exeter 29 32 Worcester 11 University 28 29 University 12 New College 27 28 Exeter 13 Merton 22 27 Keble 14 Pembroke 21 26 St Peter's 15 Hertford 21 21 Hertford 16 St Peter's 20 18 Merton 17 Brasenose 20 17 Pembroke 18 Keble 19 16 Brasenose 19 Wadham 16 15 St Catherine's 20 St Catherine's 12 14 Wadham 21 Corpus Christi 12 12 Jesus 22 Trinity 11 9 Corpus Christi 23 Jesus 11 9 Trinity

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Keble 2[ 8] 8[ 1] 4.00[ 1] Worcester 4[ 1] 7[ 2] 1.75[ 4] St Peter's 2[ 8] 5[ 3] 2.50[ 2] Balliol 3[ 2] 5[ 3] 1.67[ 5] New College 2[ 8] 4[ 5] 2.00[ 3] Exeter 2[ 8] 2[ 6] 1.00[ 6] Lincoln 3[ 2] 2[ 6] 0.67[ 7] Hertford 2[ 8] 1[ 8] 0.50[ 8] Wadham 2[ 8] 0[ 9] 0.00[ 9] S.E.H. 3[ 2] 0[ 9] 0.00[ 9] University 3[ 2] -1[11] -0.33[11] St John's 3[ 2] -1[11] -0.33[11] St Catherine's 2[ 8] -1[11] -0.50[13] Oriel 2[ 8] -1[11] -0.50[13] Queen's 2[ 8] -2[15] -1.00[15] Magdalen 3[ 2] -3[16] -1.00[15] Jesus 2[ 8] -3[16] -1.50[17] Pembroke 2[ 8] -3[16] -1.50[17] Merton 2[ 8] -3[16] -1.50[17] Christ Church 2[ 8] -3[16] -1.50[17] Trinity 1[22] -3[16] -3.00[21] Corpus Christi 1[22] -3[16] -3.00[21] Brasenose 2[ 8] -7[23] -3.50[23]

Notes

• Wed 15 – Sat 18 Feb 1961
• Multilane racing, with modification to lane assignments
• Divisions at 30 min intervals from 2pm (Div VII) to 5pm (Div I), expanded from 6 to 8 boats.

• The Times Wed 15 Feb

  Torpids lanes rearranged — endeavour to end advantage

  In the words of the O.U.B.C. rules the Torpids which will be begun at Oxford today "will be overtaking races" following, more or less, the pattern which was successfully introduced last year. Instead of a procession of boats as in bumping races crews will divide into three lanes after passing through the Gut. The only obvious fault last year was that crews rowing in the left or Berkshire lane had such an advantage that they gained places which were not always merited on form.

  So, in Division I there will be a variation each day. This, today, St. Edmund Hall, starting head, will race in the middle lane; tomorrow the leading boat will be in the right or Oxfordshire lane, on Friday in the Berkshire lane and on Saturday, the final day, will be once more in the middle lane. It is hoped that some rearrangement of the buoys will have reduced the advantage of the Berkshire lane but during the four days of racing every crew in Division I will have to submit to any handicap in the other lanes.

  Automatic place

  There will be no sandwich boats, but the crew who, each day, finish at the top of a division will automatically take their place at the bottom of the next higher division for the following day's racing. This means that Division I, which will have six crews today, will be increased to nine by Saturday and Division VII, with a daily reduction, will have only four on the last day. The other divisions will remain constant in their numbers.

  Generally the standard of the crews is rather poor this year. The outstanding exception is St. Edmund Hall and, without some complete upset of form, there seems little prospect that they will be displaced at the Head of the River. Most of their training has been done in camera and they made their first appearance on the Isis only two days ago. Even if the crew has not the horse-power of last year there is at least as much if not more pace in the boat.

  Best of all they can attain and maintain a high rate of striking. If need be they should be able to row at about 38 all over the course. Order of start:— [...]

• The Times Thu 16 Feb

  St. Edmund Hall not pressed — crew with something in hand

  St. Edmund Hall were not pressed at the head of the river on the first day of Torpids at Oxford yesterday and rowed through their full distance ahead of Christ Church. Christ Church were going better than had been expected, but there is no doubt that St. Edmund Hall had something in hand. St. John's, starting third, were disappointing and were striking three or four strokes slower than they ought to have been striking if they hoped to catch Christ Church.

  The six crews in the first division rowed over without change of order. Under the new Torpids system there should be few actual bumps, but two were made in the third division. St. Peter's Hall caught Wadham at the bottom of the barges and St. Catherine's bumped Corpus soon after coming out of the Gut.

  The penalties for passing buoys on the wrong side are heavy and mercilessly imposed, and Magdalen II, St. Edmund Hall III and Jesus II all incurred the displeasure of the umpire. For St. Edmund Hall and Jesus it was particularly disappointing. Each started at the head of a division, but, according to the rules, they must move back three places in today's starting order. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 16 Feb

  Crews Penalised in Torpids — Passed outside Buoys

  Oxford University's new-style Torpids, which began in near-perfect conditions on the Isis yesterday, worked satisfactorily after three crews in the early divisions had been penalised for passing the wrong side of the marker buoys, which reduce the advantage to crews on the towpath station.

  The Torpids follow more or less the pattern which was successfully inaugurated last year when the crews divided into three lanes, instead of the normal procession of boats. The main fault then was that crews on the towpath side had an advantage, obviated now by crews changing lanes each day.

  Although Jesus II and St. Edmund Hall III finished at the top of their divisions they were moved down three places for passing outside a buoy at the end of the Green Bank. Magdalen II were similarly penalised. [List of changes and finishing order].

• The Times Fri 17 Feb

  St. John's move up in Torpids — exciting race with Christ Church

  The second day of Torpids at Oxford provided some exciting racing. St. Edmund Hall were not troubled at the head of the river. Along the Green Bank they were striking 25 and were well away from Christ Church.

  They may be pressed harder today because they will have St. John's behind them. St. John's, starting third, had a great race to overtake Christ Church, but at the finish they were two feet in front. Along the Green Bank St. John's were rating 31 and Christ Church 33.

  There was another close race in division III, and another success by two feet when St. Peter's Hall caught Brasenose, who had previously been passed by Keble. While St. Edmund Hall are holding their place at the head of affairs, their third crew are finding trouble. For the second time they went wrong at a buoy and again the umpires retired them three places.

  Two bumps were made during the afternoon. In division V Balliol III caught Brasenose II near the University Boat House, and in division IV University II bumped Oriel II coming out of the Gut. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 17 Feb

  St. John's Move Up to Second Place — two bumps made

  A change of lanes for the crews in Division I of the Oxford University Torpids made a great difference to the racing yesterday.

  Rowing in the towpath lane, St. John's moved up to second place when, with their final stroke, they finished two feet ahead of Christ Church who were in the centre lane.

  St. Edmund Hall III were again penalised for passing a buoy on the wrong side as they came through the Gut. Two bumps were registered: Balliol II caught Brasenose II and University II caught Oriel II. [List of changes and finishing order]

• The Times Sat 18 Feb

  Encouragement to Torpids crews — St. Edmund Hall given a hard row

  The University crew, as such, have not been seen on the Isis for more than three years and their appearance at Oxford yesterday brought new and valuable interest to the third day of Torpids. Many of the Torpids crews are more or less novice oarsmen and it was good for them to see what a first-class eight looks like.

  Although there was no change in the rowing order there was some exciting racing in the first division. Rowing on the centre station St. John's gave St. Edmund Hall, on the Berkshire station, something to think about. At the University boathouse St. John's, striking 34 against St. Edmund Hall's 35, were only three-quarters of a length behind. Along the barges, however, with a slight bend in their favour, St. Edmund Hall drew away again and there was about half a length of clear water between the boats at the finish. There was little change also in the second division and it looks as though the top boats have found their level.

  During the afternoon three bumps were made. Coming out of the Gut St. John's III caught St. Catherine's II in the sixth division, and in the fifth Division Worcester II caught Brasenose II. The third bump was in the second division when, after a magnificent race Keble bumped Hertford two lengths from the finish. It was an unlucky day for University II as, at the start, they broke a rudder line and from the steering point of view were impossibly handicapped and duly finished at the bottom of the fourth division. St. Edmund Hall III, hitherto suffering much from penalties, had a luckier day and managed to climb up higher in the sixth division. [Bumps chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 18 Feb

  St. Edmund H. make good use of bends

  After getting within half a length of St. Edmund Hall, the Division I leaders in the Oxford University Torpids, on the Isis yesterday, St. John's were unable to hold their challenge and the head of the river crew pulled away to finish well clear.

  As the crews came out of the Gut, St. John's were half a length behind Hall, who had the advantage of the remaining bends on the towpath lane.

  St. John's renew their bid to-day from the towpath lane with the Hall in the central lane.

  Hertford bumped

  Keble became the first top crew to make a bump when they caught Hertford two lengths from the finishing line. Other bumps were made by St. John's III over St. Catherine's II, who were further penalised for obstructing the two following crews, and Worcester II over Brasenose II St. John's II were penalised when they hit one of the marker buoys. [List of changes and finish order]

• The Sunday Telegraph Sun 19 Feb

  St. John's go Head of River

  St. John's, taking the lead on the last bend, finished half a length ahead of St. Edmund Hall, leaders for the last two years, to win the Head of the River position in the Oxford University Torpids, when the races ended on the Isis yesterday.

  St. John's last won the Torpids in 1946. St. Edmund Hall held the lead as they reached the end of the green bank, but cracked when they tried to spurt away from their challengers.

  The Hall, rowing in the central lane, were unable to respond when St. John's edged closer and on the final bend St. John's nosed ahead. The only other change in Division I was a bump by Oriel over Queen's.

  Pembroke, University's third crew and Jesus' second crew were all penalised for passing a marker buoy on the wrong side. [Results and finish order]

• The Times Mon 20 Feb

  Nothing sluggish about St. John's — Torpids system would suit Eights Week

  Four days of interesting racing in the Torpids at Oxford ended in a most exciting struggle at the top of the first division when St. John's displaced St. Edmund Hall as head of the river.

  St. John's were racing on the Berkshire lane and St. Edmund Hall in the centre. Coming out of the Gut it was clear that St. John's had already made up some of the standard three-quarters of a length which had separated the crews at the start. At the top of the green bank St. John's were just overlapping. St. Edmund Hall, who had been striking 35, tried to raise their rate to shake off the St. John's threat, but they could not pull out anything more and opposite the University Boathouse they faltered.

  That was the moment for which St. John's had waited. Without actually raising their rate from a steady 34 St. John's lengthened out and rowed past St. Edmund Hall to be half a length in front at the finish. It was difficult to recognise that this St. John's crew was the same which had been so sluggish on the first two days. There was certainly nothing torpid about their performance on Saturday which took them to the head of the river for the first time since 1946. Winning Crew [as below].

  The arrangements for the Oxford Torpids were basically the same this year as last, though some of the buoys were differently placed, and the distribution of crews into three lanes above Tim's Boathouse was changed from day to day, in an attempt to equalize the stations. Undoubtedly there is an advantage on the towpath (Berks.) station, at this time of year, writes our Rowing Correspondent. But whether the luck involved in having this station on the right days is any greater than the luck involved — and long accepted as normal — in being placed in the right position to make bumps under the old system, on any particular day, is doubtful.

  There was some dissatisfaction last week concerning the penalties imposed on crews which touch or missed marker buoys, which sometimes seemed to be inconsistent. But to an impartial observer this seemed to be no more than an inevitable teething trouble of operating such a system with inexperienced crews, and before there has been time to build up experience of case law. Apart from this the new system worked admirably.

  More exciting

  Inevitably the question now arises of changing Summer Eights to the same system of bumping and overtaking. It is worth remembering that the object of those who invented the system was to find an alternative to bumping races. Two years experience in Torpids shows that their solution works, and it should, of course, work better in the summer, with more experienced crews and coxswains, and less stream with which to contend.

  The benefits to rowing seem to be indisputable, and were quite evident in the way the Torpid crews raced all the way to the finish, where in the past so many have been unprepared to race farther than the green bank. From the onlookers' point of view the system is more exciting and more spectacular, and this is important remembering that Eights Week is the great annual festival and spectacle of University rowing.

  Bumping races are all right in theory. But in practice it is the exception rather than the rule for a majority of crews to reach the boathouses. More often the division disintegrates in the Gut, whereas under the new system nearly the whole division reaches the finish, racing two or three abreast. And, incidentally, the new system is so much more expeditious that there would be ample time to end Eights Week with a ceremonial procession, as used to be the practice many years ago. This might perhaps compensate the lovers of tradition for the loss of daily bumping races. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 20 Feb, by A. T. M. Durand

  Bumping Races Outmoded — New-Style Torpids Raise Standard

  By overtaking St. Edmund Hall on the last night St. John's became head of the river in the Oxford Torpids which were successfully concluded on the Saturday. St. John's last held this position in 1946 when they also deposed St. Edmund Hall on the last night.

  Other crews to make notable advances were Keble, St. Catherine's and St. Peter's Hall. Lincoln II finished top of the second crews, passing two college first boats, Corpus Christi and Trinity.

  Towpath critics did not rate this year's crews highly but my own impression was that the standard, especially in the lower divisions, was much better than a few years ago.

  For the second year in succession interest centred more on the form in which the races were rowed rather than in the crews taking part.

  Not as 1960 — River at Summer Level

  Though there are some who maintain that under the new system the towpath station will always have an advantage, I consider the positions in which the marker buoys were placed reduced this considerably, and the fact that the river was this year flowing at summer level reduced it still more in comparison with 1960 when the races were rowed in flood conditions.

  I also believe that the new system of overtaking races, complicated though it appears on paper, is far superior on all counts to the old form of bumping races.

  The most vital difference is that all the crews can expect to row the full course every night and must be trained to do so. There is now no temptation to train crews to row a very high rating, of which only a few are capable, for three minutes to make quick bumps, and the standard of rowing rises accordingly.

  Better to Watch — Boring Processing Avoided

  The new system is also far more satisfying for the spectators, who are now assured of seeing crews race neck-and-neck up to the finish. In bumping races the last part of the course too often presents a boring procession.

  I hope that this system will as soon as possible be applied to the Summer Eights. If it is, Oxford college rowing will undoubtedly benefit. [Head crew — as below, except P.N.G. Leach]. [List of changes and finishing order].

• In other news ... [1961]

  February 14

  Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized in Berkeley, California.

  February 15

  United States President John F. Kennedy warns the Soviet Union to avoid interfering with the United Nations' pacification of the Congo.

  February 15

  Sabena Flight 548 crashes near Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team and several coaches.

  February 15

  The total solar eclipse of February 15, 1961, visible in the southern part of Europe, occurs.

  February 19

  Police break up a demonstration outside the Belgian embassy in London protesting about the murder of the ex-Congolese Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba.

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