50 years on – The Blue Boats of 1974 enjoy their anniversary reunions and reflect on the past

The 1974 Men’s and Women’s Blue Boats joined their 2024 counterparts on the Tideway this year to watch the crews train and offer words of encouragement ahead of the Race on 30 March. 1974 was a significant year for women’s rowing in Cambridge in that it was the first year members of the Blue Boat […]

The 1974 Men’s and Women’s Blue Boats joined their 2024 counterparts on the Tideway this year to watch the crews train and offer words of encouragement ahead of the Race on 30 March.

1974 was a significant year for women’s rowing in Cambridge in that it was the first year members of the Blue Boat were selected from colleges beyond Newnham, New Hall, and Girton. The 1974 Women’s Blue Boat also included rowers from Clare and Churchill, who opened for women in 1972. Led by President Vicky Markham Singh, the crew defeated Oxford by 1/2 length.

CUBC is grateful for Henry Wheare, David Walker, and John Smith for providing their recollections and that of their crew including 8mm footage of the 1974 Men’s Races which can be viewed HERE

Henry, David, and John’s recollections provide a glimpse into the trialling process, squad tensions, and the 1974 Race.

The crew was a hugely changed one from the winning 1973 BR crew, with just Howard Jacobs and Ben Duncan returning to the 1974 squad, and Henry Wheare and David Sprague from Goldie 1973 moving up. A strong rivalry developed between the 1974 crew and Goldie, with Goldie beating the BB in a number of training pieces. John Smith comments that “I think as a crew we were taught to row, but not to race, the expectation being that we would win, as Cambridge had done for the previous few years.“

All three had represented their colleges previously, with Smith in Caius crews that languished near the bottom of Divison 1 and had not had a Blue since 1947, and Walker in a Clare 1st VIII that was Head of the River in 1973, with Wheare coxing Jesus to Head of the River in 1971-72. All three note the huge changes in the half century that has passed.

In deciding to trial, both Henry Wheare and John Smith remember fondly the guiding hand of Graham Hughes, the multiple Blue cox and President. Hughes had coached Smith at school, and encouraged him to trial after two years of college rowing, whilst Henry had been inspired by Hughes’ leadership and was “fascinated by the role of the coxes.  It was inspiring that Graham Hughes coxed 4 winning Cambridge crews and become President.   Trials were indeed a trial for me, as I was consistently asked to cox the B crew, so it was a relief eventually to be selected. “

Racing on a beautiful blue sky day which was also Nick Bradley’s 21st Birthday, the crew raced well but became the fastest losing crew in history

Although the race ended with sadness in the result, the process was one that the crew took solace in, David Walker commenting that, “losing was definitely not part of the plan! But then that’s what sport is good for. As long as you have given your all you have to be satisfied. We did however achieve one absolute in sport: you never see anyone as tired as the losing boat race crew. Not everyone gets to do that.” Henry Wheare adds that “I always refer to the fact that it was record breaking – Oxford won by 51⁄2 lengths breaking the record by 15 seconds from the 1948 Cambridge crew – so we must have been quite fast on the day.“

With Oxford winning for the first time in 8 years, the somewhat partisan commentator and Daily Telegraph rowing correspondent, Desmond Hill, was so excited he blurted out words to the effect “Bloody Hell Oxford are winning”.  He was never asked to commentate again.  A jovial fellow (who founded the National Schools Regatta), Henry later ran into him commentating at a point to point event – he remarked that “at least I haven’t sworn yet”.

Rowing and racing continued for many in the group, Henry Wheare coxing the silver medal Lightweight VIII at the Villach 1976 World Championships and Henry Clay went on to row in the silver medal VIII at the Moscow 1980 Olympics. 

Fifty years on, the crew remains a strong group, although diminished by the death of Tom Yuncken in 2007 in a cycling accident. Meeting at the Boat Race, and Henley continues to provide them with a link back to their Race, and David Sprague and David Walker continue to race together, most recently winning Masters at Rutherford Head of the Tyne in December 2023.