Neither Club this year had an easy time over the selection or the development of the crew after selection, though the exact problems were not entirely similar.

At Cambridge Steve Fairbairn was still in the boat but obviously, by then the Jesus style had not secured any credibility for C.W.Moore the Cambridge President invited W.B.Woodgate (founder of Vincent’s Club) who had gained Blues for Oxford in the 1860s and was now coaching Oxford to come over to Cambridge to assist them. Part of the difficulty lay in the fact that they had difficulty in finding a stroke after the promising St.C.G.A.Donaldson fell ill and was ordered to stop rowing. Probably the greater difficulty arose from their boat. By the standards of their day they were a heavy crew (at just over 12 stone) and although they tried several alternatives they were unable to find a suitable one.

Oxford also had trouble with finding a stroke, but following the pattern of that period, they prevailed upon West, who had last stroked in 1881 to come back to fill th gap. They also experienced problems with their boat (originally built in 1878) and they solved this with a new one built by John Clasper, fitted with a fin, in which they were entirely comfortable.

The Race is always described as ‘a fiasco’ and this is an eminently reasonable description. To quote from contemporary sources:

‘At exactly twenty minutes to six, just as the gas lights on Putney Bridge had been lit and th mists of evening seemed to be settling down for good on the river, both crews were in their places ready for the signal to "Go" Oxford, having won the toss, on the Surrey side. Unfortunately, the start, for some reason or other was by no means a perfect one’

This correspondent could not provide a reason, but this was subsequently given in a letter from Dr Bourne:

‘We were started, as usual, by old Searle [Edward Searle who had started every Boat Race since 1840, or possibly earlier] who was in a moored skiff between the two crews. He was old and his voice feeble. He warned us that he would ask once “Are you ready?” and then start us by dropping his handkerchief.. He gave “Are you ready?”. A long pause – his handkerchief fluttered in the breeze and West [the Oxford stroke] was off. We [Oxford] rowed two or three strokes, saw that Cambridge were not rowing and most of us stopped rowing. Cambridge started, came alongside and their bow oar also stopped rowing and we looked at each other, wondering what was to happen. Then we realised that the race was inevitably started and that the steamers had caste their moorings and were bearing down on us. Then we set to work.’

With steamers bearing down this was not altogether surprising although it was certainly not the conventional way to start.

It may be added that the services of Edward Searle were not required the following year. It is a further interesting fact that during the time that F Willan was umpire (1889-1902), the race was started with a pistol. F.I. Pitman (umpire 1903-1926) abandoned this when in the first year that he officiated, the pistol misfired. From 1884 to 1886 we are informed in contemporary accounts that the word ‘Go’ was used and it was only in 1887 with R Lewis Lloyd (umpire 1881-1888) still officiating that a pistol was first mentioned. Was there perhaps a further problem with the start in 1886, due to the crews not hearing the direction in a strong wind, or the noise of the crowd? Or was it just that over this period there were various discussions about the best method of starting the race? The 1886 account does not disclose this but it does say that the finish at Mortlake, was signalled by a pistol.

To continue the narrative of the 1883 , as soon as West realised that the umpire was not going to order a re-start he rowed off again at 42, leaving his rivals bemused and demoralised while Oxford took several strokes and gained a lead of some ¼ to ½ length.

By now a snowstorm had started and the wind had risen to produce quite rough conditions. It is clear that in the darkness and the blizzard visibility was far from good. Some accounts give graphic details, but one rowing correspondent admits that ‘The snow now came down in a dense shower and what with a little difficulty between the Oxford and the Press steamers, those members of the Fourth Estate who were on board the latter saw no more of the race’.

Oxford kept ahead for the whole course and if it is reasonable to rely on the official times in these conditions we find that:

At the Mile Oxford took 4 minutes 10 seconds; Cambridge 3 seconds more At Hammersmith Bridge the times were 8.09 and 8.19 At Chiswick Steps they were 12.47 and 12.56 At Barnes Bridge they were 17.28 and 17.41 and At the finish Oxford came in ‘in 21 minutes 18 seconds according to Mr Benson’s chronograph’ with Cambridge 11 seconds (officially 3½ lengths) behind.