Torpids 1963Torpids 1963
Torpid Races Threatened
Oxford University's four-day rowing races, the Torpids, which should begin on Feb. 20, may be postponed. The river Isis is still frozen over and most crews have been unable to practise.Several College boat club captains have been discussing the matter, and special meeting of the captains has been suggested to decide the matter.
Under normal conditions most Torpid crews would by now have had a week's training on the Isis, but this has been impossible.
St. Edmund Hall, however, have been able to affort to train at Henley and other college clubs feel they are therefore at a disadvantage. Members of less fortunate clubs have had to restrict their training to "tubbing" or physical training on land. Some have trained in the sports pavilions while others have gone for runs or long walks.
It is generally felt that it may be another week or two before eights can go out on the Isis. Even when the thaw starts there will still be a danger to boats from floating ice or a high stream.
Cambridge have a week in hand. Their Lent races are not due to start till Feb. 27.
No College Rowing
A special meeting of college boat club captains, called by Oxford University Boat Club to discuss the question of training for Torpids due to begin on the Isis on February 20 and lasting for four days, decided that no boating shall take place for a week.
Torpids Crews Training Cut — Effect of Freeze-Up
A special meeting of College Boat Club captains called by Oxford University B.C. to discuss the question of training for the Torpids, due to open on the Isis on Feb. 20 for four days, has decided that no boating shall take place for a week.This means that several crews, including St. Edmund Hall, will have to cease their daily visits to Henley.
Less wealthy clubs have had to restrict their training to tubbing practice, weight training and exercises on land during the past week, and they felt strongly that those crews able to go to Henley were enjoying an unfair advantage.
Almost all the river at Oxford is frozen over, and unless there is a rapid thaw, postponement of the Torpids is a strong possibility. There may be another captains' meeting next week-end to review the position.
At Oxford all practice for the Torpids was suspended last week after a Captains' meeting had decided that colleges which could afford to travel away from Oxford for practice were getting an unfair advantage. A further decision was expected over the weekend. The Torpids are set to start on February 20.
Oxford Torpids postponed
The Oxford University torpid races have been deferred for a week. River conditions permitting, the four-day event will now start on February 27. This decision was made at a meeting of college boat club captains who, last week when the Isis was frozen, decided that training should be postponed for a week. Crews who have been training at Henley were said to hold an unfair advantage over less fortunate clubs. A suggestion of cancelling the torpids was defeated, although a further meeting of the captains will be called in the event of flooding or another freeze-up.
Torpids Start Week Later — Practice allowed, but not at Henley
The Oxford Torpids have been postponed by one week, and will now start on Feb. 27. No decision has been announced about the date for the Cambrdige Lents which are scheduled to start on the same day.The compulsory standstill order for Torpids practice has now been lifted. Eights may go out from next Friday, but they will not be permitted to boat at Henley, where they would congest the reach for the University crew.
St. Edmund Hall, Christ Church and Wadham snatched a few days at Henley before the ban, but the remainder have lost over a fortnight's training and now have a bare 3½ weeks to reach racing pitch.
"Bump" with prelims
If floods interfere and the starting date is any longer delayed, the races will not take place, for a move into the seventh week of term would involve a collision with the examiners in "prelims".Whether Torpids will be the old style bumping races or the new look "dodgems" depends entirely on the state of the river. If there is a heavy stream, the new system is unfair and the original procession will take place once more.
Oxford Torpids Cancelled
The Oxford University Torpids have been cancelled because the river is again frozen. The college captains will be meeting to discuss the situation and will probably arrange a scratch regatta, if conditions permitted, so that there could be some rowing during the Hilary Term.The Torpids were last interrupted by the weather in 1947, when a frost caused a week's delay between the first three days and the completion of the programme.
Oxford Torpids Cancelled — Isis Frozen Over
There will be no Torpids at Oxford this year. After the mock thaw of last week the Isis is again frozen over, making practice impossible and the final cancellation was a formality.The news provides confirmation, if any were necessary, that this winter has been more severe than that of 1947 for practice was not then interrupted. The first three days' racing took place but floating ice then made it dangerous to launch the boats.
There was no rowing for 10 days, until a quick thaw enabled the second half of the programme to be carried through at one day's notice.
The last known instance of cancellation was 1895. To mark the occasion the first Torpids of each college lined up on benches on the ice in the order of starting and were photographed.
Committee meeting
The Oxford president T. W. Tennant, called a committee meeting last night to discuss the possibility of arranging a scratch regatta in the last week of term, for those who would otherwise have rowed in the Torpids.At least nine Oxford colleges have expressed their intention of entering for the Reading head of the river race, on March 16, and this would be a useful preliminary. But with no sign of any relaxation of the frost these plans can be no more than tentative.
It would certainly appear that the Reading and Tideway Heads are bound to be a Tideway Clubs' benefit, for practice elsewhere in the country is at a standstill.
The Cambridge captains' decision on the Lents will be known this morning.
Oxford to hold Head of River Race
As a substitute for the Torpids races, which were cancelled during the severe weather, Oxford University Boat Club are to hold a head of the river race at Medley on Saturday (2.45). Eleven crews, including three from Balliol, have entered and the course will be from Tumbling Bay to Godstow Lock.
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