Torpids 1977Torpids 1977
Dangerous river rules out Torpids races
By Jim RailtonThe Oxford University Torpids races which were scheduled to start today have been cancelled by Paul Wright, secretary of the Oxford University boat club. The reason is that the river is not only dangerous with an exceptionally fast stream at the moment but also the conditions for the two-lane racing are unfair. Only last week a New College crew placed their lives in danger and wrote off their shell when they ran into difficulties on the river.
Altogether 67 eights in seven divisions were to have competed this week. Mr Albert Andrews, the Oxford University boatman for 25 years, said yesterday that "although there was just a possibility that the two top divisions with their more experienced coxswains might have been able to negotiate the course, it would have been foolhardy for inexperienced coxswains ever to attempt it. The last time Torpids was cancelled was in 1963 when the river was frozen over for most of the term".
The Torpids have been cancelled rather than postponed because of examinations during the rest of the term which would affect many crew members and also the short-term weather forecast indicates more rain. There have been other rare occasions when Torpids have been postponed or curtailed, but I believe this is only the second time the event has been cancelled altogether. The Torpids were first held in 1838.
Oxford decided at a meeting last night to run a head of the river style race on Saturday to replace the Torpids. Called the "Rapids" it will consist of the top 40 crews.
Floods put paid to TorpidsBy Desmond Hill
The Oxford Torpids, due to begin today, are off — only the second occasion in 15 years that the races have been cancelled, writes Desmond Hill.
The exceptionally high floods would have made them a thoroughly dangerous exercise, and a postponement is impractical on account of exam dates.
This is hard luck on an unprecedented entry of 67 crews (and 14 more which failed to "get on"), not least because the overall standard was immeasurably higher than for many years.
The last occasion the races were cancelled was in the great freeze-up of 1963.
'Rapids' instead of TorpidsBy Desmond Hill
Rather than waste five weeks of training, Oxford college oarsmen are organising their own private enterprise "Rapids", to replace the Torpids races, which should have started yesterday but were cancelled because of the floods.
The first 40 crews in the Torpids starting order, in groups of five, will row over the course at 15-second intervals against the clock on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.
This will avoid the congestion which would have made full-scale Torpid races so dangerous, and reveal the best crew. The result will not, of course, affect next year's starting order.
Oxford ban 'Rapids'By Desmond Hill
Oxford will have neither Torpids nor "Rapids" which were to replace them. In view of the "red alert" of floods in the Thames Valley, Robert Mason, the OUBC President, has forbidden the holding of the substitute races today.
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