THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6197, 27 March 1888, Page 2

THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE.

The discomforts of a foggy day in spring did not prevent the usual immense crowd from witnessing the xnosb popular of all the boat races that are rowed in England the whole year ronnd. In making some remarks upon the results of the year's boatraco yesterday, a faulty reference table led us into error. There have been forty-four races rowed, not forty-two, and of these Oxford has won twenty-three and Gambridge twenty. The famous dead heat of 1877 completes the tale. "With regard to the time, this year's was not the fastest over the historical course from Putney to Mortlake, as we asserted yesterday. The fastest time was made in 1873, on which occasion both crews first used sliding seats. That race was rowed in 19min 35sec, so the one on Saturday, though standing next in point of pace, was not so fast by nearly half a minute. One or two curious points in the record of forty years deserve a passing note. The race was first rowed in the time of George IV. — 1829— 50 that the contest has lasted through the reigns—or part of them — of three different sovereigns. That of 1831, it is said, was postponed owing to the prevalence of cholera ; the challenge of 1834 for 1835 still lies unaccepted; the first race in outriggers was rowed in 1846. Finally, only one foul has occurred throughout the long series of desperate struggles. The last fact is i perhaps, the most significant of them all. It shows the scrupulous fairness which has from the beginning distinguished the Inter-University race, and affords one of the reasons for the ferment which it raises year by year in London, and which must stagger that observant gentleman, "the intelligent foreigner" not a little.