Oxford Cambridge Boat Race 1987

Full BBC coverage, including ISIS v Goldie
Actual race begins at 40:00

[@smaaj0007]

The boat race of 1987 has entered the annals of rowing legends. Thank you very much for uploading!

[@JohnHBeans]

For years I had to imagine this race from DT’s black and white photos and emotive writing. (1996 feature-length cheesy guilty pleasure notwithstanding - great soundtrack!) Thank you for posting the real thing. Well rowed 👍👍👍

[@Simon88889999]

Thanks for putting this up. I have read "True Blue" many times but never seen the race, until now.

[@pgleesonuk]

Glad you enjoyed it. A race like no other. Many factors contributed to our victory. Not least the weather and Andy's (cox) steering. Heavy wooden oars (we changed to them just 2 weeks before the race) Aerofoil riggers to cut through the waves rather than hit them throwing water everywhere. Enormous bow breaker and wide splash boards. Some sharks skin covering on the hull (no banned). Basically we did everything to keep the water out. Cambridge took on loads of water as they crossed over to join us under the wall. That was the decisive moment.

[@leoren2685]

Go Gavin!! Was watching from a launch somewhere down there. Nice to see the less commercial races again. Thanks for posting!

[@daraghcronin9985]

Great to see the race. I left school in 1986 and vaguely remember the Furore in the build up. Since then, I have read both books about the ‘mutiny’ events - True Blue and The Yanks at Oxford. I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle. It was an impressive victory in the end. Good memories for you, Paul, I’m sure. Thanks for sharing.

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

Where did you get Yanks at Oxford , please ?

[@daraghcronin9985]

Amazon I recall. Many years back from some English man selling his collection. I mislaid it for a bit and my daughters looked it up to buy it for me a few years back but it was prohibitively expensive. So maybe it’s a rare find now

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

​@@daraghcronin9985thank you

[@chrisarnell1]

Thanks for uploading Paul. Must bring back a lot of memories. Well rowed. :)

[@pgleesonuk]

Agree, get tactical move. In this case fortune favoured the brave. I don't entirely agree about your conclusion if Cambridge held course. It was sinking weather, the waves were huge. Also, the design of the Oxford riggers was also an important factor. In this race we did not have the standard Empacher 2 tube rigger, but a single aero (hydro) shaped. It might we shipped way less water and cut through the waves better. After this Cambridge change to this rigger style as well... Same for the wooden oars in 1988.

[@TheKardiacKid]

Thanks for uploading, and well done!

[@Simon88889999]

HI Paul, If you were the N4 in this boat, Congratulations.

[@hvalleh]

Thanks for sharing this. Truly legendary

[@sarunas461]

Hi Paul, thank you for the upload! It would be incredibly interesting to hear from you about the films depiction of the events. What were the biggest inaccuracies in your opinion?

[@pgleesonuk]

Hi Daragh. Yes, it brings back great memories. But you missed the film version of True Blue! (1996) A terrible film but with some actors who are quite famous now. Including Darcey Bussel! I would not claim this film was the springboard to their success :-)

[@cilliancronin3511]

Hi Paul - you’re right. I didn’t see it. I’ve just checked it out on Google though - Dominic West was in it asDonald McDonald. He’s class in The Wire - Jimmy McNulty. Lives over here in Ireland now in Limerick. I see you won the boat race the following 2 years as well - top man! Hope you’re still keeping fit.

[@stwheel]

Although I went to Oxford and therefore want Oxford to win the Boat Race every year, for a couple of reasons I derive deep satisfaction from watching what happens at 16:06.

[@DavidMartin-yo6me]

About a month before the race Cambridge were pretty confident because the University of London had destroyed Oxford in Tideway pieces. But then CUBC raced London and also got destroyed.....right in front of the Oxford crew boating at Putney. It should be noted, ULBC also raced the Oxford Pre-Mutiny boat. Including Lyons et al. That boat was MUCH faster than the eventual Blue Boat. This was not a high-quality year. Tom C-H .......ULBC legend.

[@mathematics5573]

I have just found Dr Richard Hull. Well i may have done. if it is him, 35 years later, he actually did medicine and a PhD in biochemistry.

[@richtalk34]

Thanks for posting. On a technical point, speaking as a former cox, Cambridge lost it in the first half mile. By following Oxford, ending up in no-mans land, and creating doubt throughout their boat they handed the race to Oxford on a platter. If Cambridge had rowed a conventional course off the start they would have won easily. So, a brilliant tactical manoeuvre by Oxford and well done to them.

[@benlewis2475]

richtalk34 if they had held their course they would likely have sunk. Genius move by OUBC 7 man and it left CUBC no option but to follow. But to maintain they would have won easily is probably a bit off the mark.

[@richtalk34]

@@benlewis2475, thanks for your reply; good points all. It's true, Cambridge might well have sunk but, had they made it through to the Hammersmith Bridge on the faster water they could well have had a sizable lead. Interesting to speculate, though, and it shows that there are many factors in that race, which makes it fascinating. A shame it will not be held this year.

[@kevindunham3669]

Tom had fantastic tideway knowledge from rowing at UL at Chiswick Nice guy too

[@shaughz]

Best Wishes, Donald McDonald, Just finished Dan Topolski's Book "True Blue, Fantastic Read and Account of the lead up to the 1987 Race As my late Father used to say, "Fuck de Degrudgers"

[@pajerry33]

Just finished "True Blue" this weekend. What a build up, and what a race. Thanks for posting.

[@mathematics5573]

Back in 1987, only about 10% of school leavers went to university, unlike the 30% that it is now. Going to university meant something then.

[@eugenemorice8545]

A higher level of education for more people. What a filthy disgusting thought....!

[@mathematics5573]

@@eugenemorice8545 But it doesn't work having more people doing degrees. I have observed many doing degrees, and they are not better educated or more skilled. Some clearly haven't done degree courses, who have degrees, because they do not have the knowledge and skills they should have. So NO, mass university education is a really bad idea, and it isn't new either.

[@mathematics5573]

@@eugenemorice8545 I heard the Chinees tried it about 800 years ago. in the end, 100,000s of laborous had to just return to the fields, digging and slogging. All that so called education, was a waist of time. Many were frustrated about being mislead. Many never gained anything. it just messed them about.

[@mathematics5573]

@@eugenemorice8545 Sorry Mr/Ms Eugene Morice. I don't think mass university education is working. Too many people go to university. There are many other forms of training, that would suit non-academic people better.

[@mathematics5573]

I meant to say, making so many Chinees do degrees, just waisted their time and ,messed them about. The same applies now with mass university education. The sort of person who would become a bricklayer or chef or labourer, or airport host or hotel worker or taxi driver, would not have the right interllect for doing a degree, being high IQ is also not a qualification for doing a degree. Degrees need the right interllect and aptitude for a subject.