The sun., 1908-04-05
CANTAB EIGHT AGAIN FIRST
WINS BOAT RACE WITH OXFORD
~ THREE LENGTHS.
Takes the Lead AZ the Start and Easily
Maintains It's ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lake Course on the Thames River CON-
cred In 10 Minutes anil 10 Seconds.

Special CaEf Eeipaieh 10 THE SUE.
lONpuN, AUril T. The annual boat race
between the eights Of oxford aud Cambridge
universities was held on the Thames nlyer
course this afternoon. The contest was
won by the Cambridge crew by three lengths
In 10 minutes aud 10 seconds, The course
was from Putney to Mortaks, and the favor
able weather conditions caused a record
breaking throng OF spectators TO line the
course Tho betting just before the start
Of the race was TO In favor Of Cambridge.
The crews got away TO an even AMI eI-
cellent start AZ 93l o'clock under most salts
factory conditions for the event. The sun
shone from an unclouded sky and there
was hardly any breeze to interfere with the
efforts OF the Oarsmen, the long smooth
stretches OF the course being only ruined
10 spots by the light. puffy westerly wind.
The oxford crew won the toss and chose the
Chase-Surrey side OF the course, which gave
the Dark niue a considerable advant age.
The Cantabs went into the lead within A
few strokes after the start and never were
headed. Al Craven Steps the Cambridge
eight was moving in splendid form and had
increased It's lead to half length. From
that pnat until Crabtree was reached II was
all in favor OF tho LiRht Blue shell. which
was one and ono-half lengths ahead. the
crew rowing without apparent EMO r. The
runaway continued. with Cambridge slowly
increasing the lead. until two lengths Of
open water separated the Cantabs from
oxford at Harrods' Wharf.
Al this point Cambridge let down In Ice
work TO some extent and oxford regainet
a length on the leaders, In which order they
passed under Hammersmlth Bridge, Ap-
parently CoSswan Boyle Of Cambridge
feared spurt on the part Of his rivals, for
he ordered an increase In the stroke OF his
crew. and within a quarter OF mile after
passing the bridge the leaders had regatnet
the extra length and were rowing fast and
easily. Tho respective positions OF the
two eiphts was maintained until the crews
approached Barnes Bridge, where oxford
lit no the stroke and went after her oppo-
uehts, cutting down the Cambridge lead to
Cne and a half lengths.
From Barnes Bridge Cambridge rowed
without Increased effort but continued to
gain on the oxford eight, which appeared
TO have reached the height Of It's speed. Both
crews spurted as they approached the finish
line az Mortlake. but the wBtermansh 10 or
the Cantabs was superior 70 that OF the Dark
Blue, and they continued to gain steadily.
until at the end of the race they led by fully
three lengths,
Rowing well within themselves from start
10 finish Cambridge easily could have made
the distance separating the two boats at
the finish far greater. During the earlier
stages OF training oxford suffered many
misfortunes There were four cases OF
influenza and one OF iaundce which greatly
affected the crew, and II was plpably not
In tho best condition to-day. This bad luck
would 6ave gained general sympathy but
for the secret trial the other day, when an
old boat was put on trestles at the hOathouse
with the spare oars arranged alongside, the
steam launch remaining at It's moOrings
with steam up Wide the boat which the crew
was to use was quietly taken out by water
men, the crew going IN hired motor launch
to make It's trial.
Ills proceeding alienated the symDathies
OF many spOrtsmen az II was contrary TO
the whole snirt OF university rowing and
has raised such a storm OF protest among
the rpuiuR men OF both universities and other
alr .seuT rowing clubs that its repetition
may Dchooked upon az impossible.
The race between oxford and Cambridge
Yesterday was the siyty-tfth OF the series
OF the races since lSll, when the regatta
was instituted, cambridge has won thirty
and oxford thirty-fOur, with the 1871 contest
the course, which is about four miles. was
that OF the winning oxford crew In 1909 OF
Is minutes u seconds. This record was
eQualled by the Cambridge crew In 1900.
In Yesterdays r.Ce Cambridge had the
greater number Of veterans in her shell. but
ONiOrd's new men were regarded as eX-
centionally promising and the results OF
time rOE held few davs ago were encourage
ing to the Nearers OF the dark blue.
The crews were made no as follows