Aquatic Championship.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1705, 11 May 1886, Page 4

Aquatic Championship.

. CAMBRIDGE v. OXFORD. EXCITING RACE. (Per Mail Steamer). Cambridge won the University boat race on .the .Thames on April 3. The , sky was cloud y, the weather mild, and; the wind strong. At the start, and during the race, the water was lumpy. Betting was m favor of Cambridge. The river banks were crowded with people, thousands making holiday. The boats started even', and kept so by a find as a contest as ever was seen on the course for a mile, when the Cambridge boat, pulled a few feet ahead. In the second stage of the race, the Cambridge men made sereral desperate spurts to get away from their opponents, but the latter responded instantly and successfully. When Hammersmith Bridge was reached the Cambridge bow was but a quarter length ahead. One mile and a half had now been pulled, and the contest continued stubborn. It was fairly even, up to the two and a half miles' point, opposite Chiswick Church. Here Oxford spurted, and the boat responded by shooting along until the bow got even with Cambridge, and then passed it by a few feat; The contest was urged on by cheers, which were loud and inspiring. Cambridge, then sent their boat up even with Oxford," and both, were kept even until Barnes Bridge wag passed. Here neither had any visible advantages, and ' both were straining their utmost. The people along the banks find m boats following were almost wild with excitement, and cries of '' Dead heat " were heard ; but near the finish the Cambridge men were able to add one more spurt m their long-sustained pull, and it moved their craft at the rate of f or<y-two strokes to the minute — almost half a length m advance, winning one of the grandest races ever rowed over the course. The excite, ment at the close was thrilling. M no point during the entire race had it been possible for either crews to get more than half a length ahead of the other.